5 Players Set to Dominate the 2024 Canadian Premier League
This year, the spotlight shines brightly on several players whose involvement in other major global tournaments significantly accentuates the CPL's expanding influence in world soccer.
This article will explore five athletes called up by their national squads and focus on their impact at home and abroad. As we examine their careers and performances, we'll also explore how their presence may affect the trends and dynamics of sports betting in Canada.
Player Profiles and Expected Impact
Dennis Salanović | York United FC
Born in Liechtenstein's capital, Vaduz, 28-year-old winger Dennis Salanović has had quite a career. Since his international debut in September 2014, he has appeared in 58 matches for Liechtenstein, including 9 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, 25 UEFA Euro qualifiers, and 8 UEFA Nations League games. One of his standout moments was scoring a late equalizer against Greece in a Euro qualifier in Athens. In 2023, he featured in eight successive UEFA Euro qualifiers in which he faced strong teams like Slovakia and Portugal.
On the club front, Salanović started his career in Atlético Madrid's youth academy, where he trained under Diego Simeone and alongside stars like Fernando Torres and Antoine Griezmann. He later made a name for himself in Switzerland with FC Rapperswil-Jona, which led to his transfer to FC Thun. Salanović later joined Finnish club AC Oulu on loan, where he scored five goals in 15 games, which helped them stave off relegation. More recently, he played for CF Talavera in Spain's third division and now joined York United as one of the club's latest acquisitions.
Ollie Bassett | Atlético Ottawa
Northern Irish footballer Ollie Bassett began his journey in the sport at Aston Villa Academy. At just 17, he debuted in the Football League with Yeovil Town, setting a record as the club's youngest player. In 2018, Bassett's career took him to New Zealand, and his remarkable 2019 season with Team Wellington saw him score six goals and provide eight assists in only ten matches.
Following his success, Bassett moved to his first season in Canada with Pacific FC, which culminated in a CPL championship win. After that, he transferred to Atlético Ottawa, where he earned the CPL Player of the Year and Player's Player of the Year in 2022.
Triston Henry | Forge FC
The goalkeeper for Forge FC in the Canadian Premier League, Triston Henry, has just been honored with the 2023 Golden Glove Award as Goalkeeper of the Year.
Henry began his career in the Premier Development League with Toronto Lynx in 2013 before joining Sigma FC in League1 Ontario in 2015. In February 2019, he signed his first professional contract with Forge FC, reuniting with his former coach Bobby Smyrniotis. He debuted in the league's inaugural match and contributed significantly to Forge FC's first CPL title that year. Over the next few seasons, he helped secure two more championships and also received the Golden Glove Award in 2020.
Luke Singh | Atlético Ottawa
Luke Singh is a Brampton-born defender who plays for Atlético Ottawa on loan from Toronto FC and represents Trinidad and Tobago internationally. Singh's career began at the Toronto FC Academy, progressing to Toronto FC III in League1 Ontario, where he debuted in 2018. He briefly trialed with Brøndby IF in Denmark in early 2019 but returned to Toronto due to an injury. Later that year, he signed with Toronto FC II and was loaned back to Brøndby, mostly playing for their reserve and U19 teams.
In 2021, Singh made his first team debut for Toronto FC during the CONCACAF Champions League, subsequently earning a permanent spot on the roster. He was loaned to FC Edmonton in 2022 and then to Atlético Ottawa for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Béni Badibanga | Forge FC
B. Badibanga began his professional career in February 2015 by signing with Standard Liège's first team and debuted in July 2015 against KV Kortrijk. He left the club in 2018 and joined Waasland-Beveren in Belgium's First Division A later that year, before moving to Royal Excel Mouscron in 2020.
In January 2022, Badibanga transferred to Moroccan side Raja Casablanca. Then, he briefly played for RAAL La Louvière before signing with the Canadian Premier League Forge FC in July 2023. Making an immediate impact, he scored in his debut month and helped Forge clinch their fourth league title with a decisive goal in the final against Cavalry FC in October.