The Halifax Wanderers have signed teenage Canadian defender Ilan Ahmed to an Exceptional Young Talent contract through the 2028 CPL season with club options for 2029 and 2030.
Ahmed, 17, is a left-footed centre-back who comes to Halifax with experience playing in professional setups in Italy, playing for Real Vicenza and spending time at Serie A side Torino FC’s academy. He joined the Wanderers for training camp, playing in all of Halifax’s pre-season matches in Spain.
“Ilan is 17, but he plays like someone much older and has all the tools to become a top defender in the league over the next few years,” Wanderers head coach and general manager Vanni Sartini said. “He’s great technically and has a combination of size, pace and a very good left foot that allows him to play both in the middle or the left of the back three.”
Born in Djibouti before moving to Edmonton, Ahmed played his youth soccer for Edmonton Juventus and BTB Soccer Club. He was part of three provincial championship-winning teams in his age group and played up a year with BTB’s U15 team, which captured a national championship in 2023.
“It’s incredible to be signing my first contract with the Wanderers and have the opportunity to be a professional. I’m excited to learn, and I’m excited for my future at the club,” Ahmed said. “I got to watch the home opener, and I’ve never seen a match like that with the fans so excited, so it will be exciting when the opportunity comes to play in front of them.”
The Exceptional Young Talent designation, implemented in 2023, allows a CPL Club to sign up to three additional Under-18 domestic players to Standard Player Contracts outside of its 23-man Primary Roster. A player designated as an Exceptional Young Talent is eligible to remain in the category up to and including the year he turns 21 years old. For the 2026 league season, new players signed under this designation must be born Jan. 1, 2008, or later to be eligible to be signed as an Exceptional Young Talent Player.