Atlético Ottawa is excited to announce Rayane Yesli as the club’s latest addition to the 2024 roster. Yesli was nominated for the coveted Goalkeeper of the Year Award last season and joins the club in a transfer from Valour FC. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The 24-year-old shot-stopper arrives at Atlético Ottawa on a one-year contract, with the option to extend until the end of the 2025 season. Born in Algeria, Yesli relocated to Montréal at a young age, where he honed his skills in various youth teams before venturing into the MLS side CF Montréal’s academy. A stint in Italy with Vibonese further enriched his experience before returning to Canada to make his mark in the Canadian Premier League.
In 2023, Yesli emerged as a standout performer for Valour FC, assuming the role of the team’s primary goalkeeper and demonstrating his exceptional shot-stopping abilities. Despite the team’s challenges, Yesli’s stellar performances earned him recognition as a nominee for the Goalkeeper of the Year award, solidifying his reputation as one of the league’s top talents.
Carlos González, Head Coach of Atlético Ottawa, expressed his delight at Yesli’s arrival, emphasizing the importance of healthy competition within the squad. With Yesli joining Nathan Ingham between the posts, Atlético Ottawa boasts a formidable goalkeeping duo poised to elevate the team’s performance on the field.
González said: “Yesli, he has shown in the last few seasons the kind of goalkeeper and person he is. He is a person with a great personality, a player who can bounce back on mistakes and remain focused during games, and someone who can be stable. He has shown he is a reliable player in the goal, he saves a lot and has given great performances for Valour. Yesli is a player that, although he is in the present, he also has a brilliant future. Because of his age, and of the physical and technical qualities he has, Borja Montero (Goalkeeping Coach) and I feel like he has big room for improvement and can make those steps from Ottawa.”
For Yesli, the move to Atlético Ottawa represents an opportunity for personal and professional growth. The club’s vision and ambition align with his own aspirations, providing the ideal environment for him to thrive.
“I am very happy to have made this move,” said Yesli. “From a sporting perspective, the club made me a very good offer and showed me a good project. It’s important to me to come to an organization where I feel like I’ll be growing as a player and what Fernando and the coaching staff presented to me aligned with my goals. I’m excited to get started.
“To perform best on the field, you need competition. If you rest on your laurels you’ll never reach the heights of your performance. I want to be in a place where there is a lot of competition, where your place isn’t guaranteed to push me to be better. For others, it might make them question stepping into that kind of environment, but it motivates me and I know that competition with Natha [Ingham] will make me rise to new levels.”
In addition to Yesli’s signing, Atlético Ottawa also confirmed the extension of midfielder Noah Verhoeven’s contract until the end of the 2025 season. Verhoeven will spend the 2024 campaign on loan with Valour FC, providing him with valuable playing time and further development opportunities.
“We are delighted to keep Noah at our club for future seasons,” said González. “A player who has proven to have great talent, and thanks to his youth, we consider him to have a promising future. We hope that with this loan he can consolidate it and thus return to Ottawa being closer to the best version of him as a player.”
We wish Noah all the best during his loan period at Valour FC, and look forward to seeing him back in the capital soon.
As Atlético Ottawa continues to chart further success in the capital, fans who are eager to secure their part can join the Atleti Family by purchasing their Season Seat Membership now. Full details on benefits and perks are available at atleticoottawa.club.