Cavalry’s transfer of Goteh Ntignee to French side a win for everyone

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The hope for Goteh Ntignee is to play for the home side in the Canada-hosted 2026 FIFA World Cup of Soccer.

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But for that to happen, there is still work to be done by the young Albertan.

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It’s work those who care about him — including Cavalry FC — feel he needs to do overseas, which is why he’s now in Europe honing his game in French football’s Ligue 2.

“Honestly, I still feel he’s got more to come,” said Cavalry GM/head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. “I liken his story a little bit to Tajon Buchanan, who kind of came out of nowhere in the NCAA, had a couple of good years in MLS and has now taken Europe by storm and is doing well on the national side. I think Goteh’s got that in him.

“Now, he’s got to do well in his next step.”

That next step is with France’s FC Annecy, after Wheeldon and Cavalry agreed last week to a formal transfer of the speedy and talented forward for a Canadian Premier League record-breaking fee — reported to be about a half-million dollars plus incentives.

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It’s good news for the 21-year-old product of Coaldale, Alta …

Good news for the league …

And good news for first-place Cavalry (11W-6D-5L), which lines up to play host Forge FC (9-8-6) — tied for second place four points back of the Calgary side — Saturday at Hamilton’s Tim Hortons Field (5 p.m., OneSoccer, OneSoccer.ca).

“This is an exciting move for Goteh — another young local player given an opportunity by our club in the Canadian Premier League,” Wheeldon said. “He has high-level attributes, and I feel if he keeps progressing in Europe, he will put his name in the reaches of Canada’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“He’s got something none of us can teach and that is pure speed and power,” continued the gaffer. “We’ve seen him now play against some really established players within this league and give them a nightmare. He’s very good in 1-v-1s. He’s very good at changing the tempo of games, but what he’s added to his game is his pressing, is his backtracking, is his defensive side …

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“It’s never easy to say goodbye to a talent, but as we’ve proven before through our recruitment and development philosophy, Goteh’s departure will allow us to create other opportunities for more Canadian talent through our pathway.”

In the last few days, the Cavs have signed a couple of youngsters — 17-year-old defender Michael Harms and 17-year-old midfielder Tate Asante, both of Calgary.

Perhaps they’re next in a line of locals who have come up through Cavalry and moved on to high-profile opportunities overseas.

Remember fellow attacker Aribim Pepple? The talented Calgarian was sent last year by Cavalry to England’s Luton Town, now an English Premier League side.

Same with midfielder Victor Loturi, who was transferred to Scottish Premiership squad Ross County and is now on the radar of Canada’s senior side.

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“(The transfer of Ntignee) came quick,” Wheeldon said. “The international transfer window — the European one — closed on September 1. Goteh’s (thigh) injury now would mean he probably wouldn’t have been ready until maybe the October 7 game was what our medical team thought. We thought if we did it selfishly and kept him here, the deal could be off the table. He’s got one year left of his contract, and maybe that opportunity is not there next year and he also misses six months of football. Doing the greater good, we had to find a win-win, where the club won in terms of the transfer fee that was paid and the young man won in terms of the next step up on his ladder.

“And I think we achieved that.”

Officially, it’s a loan to Annecy of the former East Side Memorial FC and Pacific Elite Soccer Institute talent for the remainder of this season and then a permanent signing for the 2024-25 campaign.

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Ntignee joined Cavalry in August 2022 and made his debut for the club in its final match of the regular season against Pacific FC. Ntignee quickly made an impact by assisting on Ben Fisk’s 90th minute goal against the Tridents in that match last October, which gave Cavalry a 1-0 win and clinched the club’s berth in the 2022 playoffs.

He went on to make 17 appearances for Cavalry in 2023, scoring two goals and adding two assists. Ntignee was widely recognized across the league for his speed and attacking ability on the ball — skills which helped him earn a spot in the CPL’s Team of the Week on three occasions this season.

“All of us here at Cavalry FC would like to thank Goteh for his contributions over the past two seasons,” added Wheeldon. “We wish him the best of luck with his new chapter in France.”

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EXTRA KICKS

The last time Cavalry and Forge met was Aug. 4, when Wheeldon’s crew enjoyed a dominant 3-0 victory over the visiting side. That gave the Cavs a 1-2-0 edge in the season series, but more importantly was a key decision in a current 9-3 run for the Calgary club … Since that match at ATCO Field, Forge is unbeaten in four games and coming off a 3-0 shut out of Vancouver FC (4-5-13) last Sunday. “We know it’s a really important game, but it’s a massive one for Forge,” said Wheeldon taking into account the four points that separate the arch-rivals. “So we’ve got to make sure that we know we’re gonna get their best version. We’ve got an idea how we want to play, but we’ve also got other options to be able to change the game, as well. So, yeah, looking forward to it.” … For the first time in forever, Cavalry is healthy — no injuries of note — and able to choose from its entire roster of players for the match in Hamilton.

tsaelhof@postmedia.com

http://www.twitter.com/ToddSaelhofPM

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