Image of tryout small sided game

AFC Mobile announces roster for GCPL campaign

AFC Mobile is pleased to announce the roster for the 2017 Gulf Coast Premier League summer season. After weeks of tryouts and training, head coach Nate Nicholas has narrowed down his team to these 23 players:

Hugo Aranda
High School: Universidad Del Valle de México (Toluca, Mexico)
Hometown: Querétaro (Mexico)

Mathieu Dazet
College: Airbus School
Hometown: Launaguet, Midi-Pyrénées (France)

KC Espoir
High School: Murphy
Hometown: Muyovozi (Tanzania)

Martin Fiemauhle
College: Duquesne University
High School: Hastings (Houston)
Hometown: Houston, Texas

Jorge Fuentes
College: Copiah Lincoln Community College
High School: W.P Davidson
Hometown: Morelia Michoacán (Mexico)

Elijah Gibson
College: University of Mobile
High School: Clay-Chalkville (Pinson, AL)
Hometown: Birmingham, AL

Nathan Gillespie
College: University of Mobile
High School: Fairhope
Hometown: Fairhope, AL

Brent Grube
College: Cornerstone University
High School: Hudsonville
Hometown: Mobile

Austin Hilyer
College: University of Alabama
High School: UMS-Wright
Hometown: Mobile

Greg Hosford
College: University of South Alabama
High School: W.P. Davidson
Hometown: Mobile

Tanner Kukes
High School: Pensacola Catholic
Hometown: Pensacola, FL

Jubril Lawal
College: University of Mobile
High School: Eko Boys (Nigeria)
Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria

Guillermo Lumbreras Jr
High School: W.P. Davidson
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Markos Mallis
College: University of South Alabama
High School: McGill-Toolen Catholic
Hometown: Mobile

Baba Mediatur
High School: W.P. Davidson
Hometown: Tanzania

Matt Merrill
College: University of Mobile
High School: Mary G. Montgomery (Semmes, AL)
Hometown: Mobile

Moses Muhubao
College: University of Mobile
High School: Murphy
Hometown: Mobile

Barou Ndaw
College: Spring Hill College
High School: St. Paul’s Episcopal
Hometown: Mobile

Amos Ndikumana
High School: Murphy
Hometown: Dar es Salaam (Tanzania)

Chisom Ogbonna
College: Robert Morris University
High School: Mathers (Chicago)
Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria

Chris Rumsey
College: Faulkner State Community College
High School: Quincy Senior (Quincy, Illinois) and Theodore
Hometown: Quincy, IL

Brian Singler
High School: Deep Creek (Chesapeake, VA)
Hometown: Robertsdale, AL

Sherman Winchester
College: University of Mobile
High School: W.P. Davidson
Hometown: Mobile

“This has been a long time coming,” said club president Abram Chamberlain. “The board has been working on this dream becoming a reality for the better part of two years. These players have put in an innumerable amount of effort in training, scrimmages, and tryouts. We are so humbled by the sixty-something players who wanted to be part of this. Making these choices from all the hugely talented players that came out is the hardest things we’ve had to do thus far.”

The roster features players with playing experience at the college level as well as in the PDL and NPSL.

Eleven of these players will make up AFC Mobile’s first ever starting XI when they take on Pensacola’s Gulf Coast Texans next Sunday, May 14. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex. Single game tickets are $5. Admissions are free for kids 12 and under. Season passes can be purchased here.

Gaffa FC

AFC Mobile Season Preview: Gaffa FC

AFC Mobile – Mobile, Alabama’s soccer team – plays Gaffa FC of Jackson twice (5/27 in Jackson and 7/1 in Mobile). Here’s what we know about Gaffa and what we expect from them this season:

Gaffa FCCLUB: Gaffa FC

NICKNAME: Gaffa

FALL RECORD: Debut season in GCPL

 

HISTORY:  Gaffa FC first started playing soccer as an organization in 2007. Serving as the senior side of Mississippi Rush Soccer Club, they have competed in Jackson, Mississippi under several different names. However, in 2013 the club took on the name Gaffa FC. Since that time, they have won the Jackson Hispanic League. Additionally they have played and won many indoor and small-sided tournaments. This will be their first season in the Gulf Coast Premier League where they will become just the second team from Mississippi to compete.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Carl Sheard, Midfield (Mississippi)

MANAGER: Phillip Buffington

WHAT GAFFA FC SAYS ABOUT AFC MOBILE: Gaffa and its staff know the Mobile soccer scene. “We expect good competition,” says Gaffa FC President/General Manager Brian Strong. “In the past, we have had several players come from the University of Mobile, [so] we know the level of play there is high.”

BOTTOM LINE: Like AFC Mobile, Gaffa FC is coming in as a relative unknown. Their success in Jackson, one of the most notable soccer hotbeds in the southeast, puts them on an upper pedestal. Until the teams have a good idea of what to really expect from each other, it could be a hard-nosed defensive match while they are figure each other out.

HOME PITCH: : Freedom Ridge Stadium, 253 W School St, Ridgeland, MS 39157

TWITTER: http://twitter.com/gaffa_fc

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/gaffafc/

INSTAGRAM: N/A

HASHTAGS: #JacktownSip

2017 AFC MOBILE MATCHES AGAINST GAFFA FC:

  • May 27th at Freedom Rindge Stadium in Jackson
  • July 1st at Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex in Mobile

AFC Mobile season passes are now available for purchase. Buy your season passes online today!

The 2017 AFC Mobile season includes five home games at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex. Games will be played May 14th against the Gulf Coast Texans (of Pensacola), June 10th against Biloxi City FC, June 24th against Louisiana Fire SC, July 1st against Gaffa FC (of Jackson), and July 7th against CD Motagua (of New Orleans). All home games kick off at 7:00 PM.

AFC Mobile players after seeing kits

AFC Mobile reveals kits to players


The kits have arrived for AFC Mobile’s first season!  After a recent training session, the board showed the players their jerseys for the upcoming summer campaign. The board also presented the team training tops, which fans can purchase in our online store. Information about the kit reveal for fans and media will be available soon.

AFC Mobile Season Preview: Louisiana Fire SC

AFC Mobile – Mobile, Alabama’s soccer team – plays Louisiana Fire SC of Kenner twice (5/20 in Kenner and 6/24 in Mobile). Here’s what we know about the Fire and what we expect from them this season:

CLUB: Louisiana Fire Soccer Club

NICKNAME: The Fire

FALL RECORD: 3-3-6 (5th place)

HISTORY: Louisiana Fire SC is one of, if not the, largest youth soccer clubs in all of Louisiana. The club is affiliated with Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire SC. This gives them a certain pedigree. In 2016, the club formed a senior men’s team to compete in the Gulf Coast Premier League. The team is working towards making a bigger impact in the greater New Orleans market and improving upon their debut GCPL season.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Carson Gorecki, forward (Minnesota)

MANAGER: Jonathan Rednour

WHAT LOUISIANA FIRE SC SAYS ABOUT AFC MOBILE: “AFC Mobile should come out strong. If their on-the-field play reflects their admin efforts, they should be deadly,” stated Fire coach Jonathan Rednour. “So far AFC Mobile has been the most impressive club that has joined the GCPL in terms of marketing.”

BOTTOM LINE: Expect fireworks (pun intended). The Fire scored the second most goals in the GCPL’s Fall Season. However, they also gave up the most. They are potent offensively. In addition to Gorecki, the Fire features 17-year-old Nigerian Danni Eyo who netted 11 goals in the fall. Additionally, Spring Hill College alumnus Donte Oliver and Grant Guthrie from South Carolina should help the Fire continue to be a goal-scoring machine.  Essentially, if they are capable of improving upon the defensive effort of their debut season, the Fire could compete to win the GCPL Summer Season.

VITAL FACTS

HOME PITCH: Lions Field, 1801 Williams Blvd, Kenner, LA, 70062


WEBSITE: http://www.louisianafirejrs.com/page/show/2392449-mens-amateur-team

TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/lafiresc

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/lafiresc

INSTAGRAM: N/A

HASHTAGS: N/A

2017 AFC MOBILE MATCHES AGAINST LOUISIANA FIRE:

  • May 20th at Lions Field in Kenner
  • June 24th at Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex in Mobile

AFC Mobile season passes are now available for purchase. Buy your season passes online today!

The 2017 AFC Mobile season includes five home games at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex. Games will be played May 14th against the Gulf Coast Texans (of Pensacola), June 10th against Biloxi City FC, June 24th against Louisiana Fire SC, July 1st against Gaffa FC (of Jackson), and July 7th against CD Motagua (of New Orleans). All home games kick off at 7:00 PM.

AFC Mobile teams up with The Mobile Rundown for their debut season

AFC Mobile proudly announces its partnership with The Mobile Rundown!

The Mobile Rundown connects Mobilians to local events throughout Mobile. In addition to finding ways to bring Mobile’s citizens together, the Mobile Rundown captures the best photos from local events and features them on social media. They make it easier to find nearby offers, events, and promotions. The Mobile Rundown can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and at www.themobilerundown.com.

AFC Mobile will kick off its inaugural season May 14th at 7:00 p.m. with a home game against Pensacola’s Gulf Coast Texans at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex (“The Lip”) located at 3610 Michael Boulevard. Season passes are currently available online at https://afcmobile.net/ and start at just $20.00.

ABOUT AFC Mobile

AFC Mobile was formed in 2015 to strengthen the soccer community in Mobile by bringing a high level soccer team to the largest municipality along the Gulf Coast between St. Petersburg and New Orleans. AFC Mobile aims to provide local players an opportunity to continue to play the game at a competitive level, as well as to give the soccer community and City of Mobile a team to call their own.

AFC Mobile Season Preview: CD Motagua of New Orleans

CD Motagua of NOLA

AFC Mobile – Mobile, Alabama’s soccer team – plays CD Motagua of New Orleans twice (6/4 in NOLA and 7/7 in Mobile). Here’s how CD Motagua looks this year.

CLUB: CD Motagua of New Orleans

NICKNAME: Blue Eagles

FALL RECORD: 10-0-2 (Champions)

HISTORY: In 1984, several former Honduran players founded Club Deportivo Motagua of New Orleans. The club is named after Club Deportivo Motagua of Tegucigalpa. When founded in New Orleans, CD Motagua played in New Orleans’s ISLANO league. During this time, many considered the ISLANO as a top soccer league in the United States. In addition to the GCPL, CD Motagua continues to compete in the ISLANO.  Most importantly, they are the top team in the GCPL as they have won every GCPL title.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Reece Wilson, Forward (England)

MANAGER: Tony Martinez

BOTTOM LINE: CD Motagua is a tough squad. They are the first team from the Gulf Coast Premier League to play in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Above all, their soccer intelligence and ball movement is difficult to match. Their roster combines a few young, athletic players with several players who have loads of experience, resulting in an explosive chemistry.  Consequently, until proven otherwise, they are the best Tier 4 team not only in the Gulf Coast Premier League, but in the southeast.

VITAL FACTS

HOME PITCH: Pan American Stadium, 194 Zachary Taylor Dr, New Orleans, LA 70130 (Capacity 5,000)


WEBSITE: http://www.blueaglesoccer.org/

TWITTER: http://twitter.com/MotaguaNola

FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/MotaguaNO

HASHTAGS: #BlueEagleSA

AFC MOBILE GAMES AGAINST CD MOTAGUA OF NOLA:

  • June 4th at Pan America Stadium – 5:00 p.m. CDT
  • July 7th at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex – 7:00 p.m. CDT

AFC Mobile season passes are now available for purchase. Buy your season passes online today!

The 2017 AFC Mobile season includes five home games at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex. Games will be played May 14th against the Gulf Coast Texans (of Pensacola), June 10th against Biloxi City FC, June 24th against Louisiana Fire SC, July 1st against Gaffa FC (of Jackson), and July 7th against CD Motagua (of New Orleans). All home games kick off at 7:00 PM.

AFC Mobile Partners With Signarama of Mobile for the 2017 GCPL Season

AFC Mobile proudly announces its sponsorship agreement with Signarama of Mobile!

Creating signs for individual people, businesses, and more, Signarama use the latest technology to produce top quality signs in and around the Mobile Bay Area. As makers of banners, box signs, channel letters, custom graphics, custom logos, digital graphics, signs, directory signs, individual lettering, vehicle graphics, and more, Signarama is Mobile’s number one source for signs. Find out more about Signarama and all their services here: http://www.signarama.com/al-mobile.

AFC Mobile will kick off its inaugural season May 14th at 7:00 p.m. with a home game against Pensacola’s Gulf Coast Texans at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex (“The Lip”) located at 3610 Michael Boulevard. Season passes are currently available online at https://afcmobile.net/ and start at just $20.00.

ABOUT AFC Mobile

AFC Mobile was formed in 2015 to strengthen the soccer community in Mobile by bringing a high level soccer team to the largest municipality along the Gulf Coast between St. Petersburg and New Orleans. AFC Mobile aims to provide local players an opportunity to continue to play the game at a competitive level, as well as to give the soccer community and City of Mobile a team to call their own.

AFC Mobile Releases Preliminary Roster

AFC Mobile has released a preliminary roster for the club’s upcoming inaugural Gulf Coast Premier League (GCPL) season.

The roster features a number of players with Premier Development League and National Premier Soccer League experience as well as some who have trained with Major League Soccer clubs.

“I’m really excited about the players we’ve been able to bring in,” reports AFC Mobile head coach Nate Nicholas. “We had a lot of quality players to pick from, and I think we have a good group coming in.”

The diverse roster features players from several countries including Scotland, Mexico, Nigeria, and France. Still, the vast majority of players have played high school or college soccer in the Mobile Bay Area.

Coach Nicholas said, “This club will truly represent the diversity of Mobile’s different ethnic groups, nationalities, and ages of our players. You can see the hunger in the players to represent AFC Mobile and the community.”

Players on the preliminary roster have played for several clubs across the country and around the world including Oro Jalisco, Chicago Fire, FC Wichita, Birmingham Hammers, and AC Storm, plus academy programs such as Cruz Azul, Houston Dynamo, and Chivas de Guadalajara.

“First and foremost, we’re excited to announce a roster that we believe has the talent to compete in this league and that represents every part of our incredibly global community,” said AFC Mobile board member Sean Landry. “We’re grateful to everyone who tried out and we’re looking forward to fielding a team that Mobile can be proud of. Narrowing down the field of participants to a small roster was no easy task because the Mobile area has so many high quality players.”

AFC Mobile Initial Roster

Below is the 25-player preliminary roster. When the Alabama High School Athletic Association soccer season is finished, there will be a final invitational tryout for graduating high school seniors. The final roster will be 22 for the first official match.

  • Hugo Aranda
  • David Blake
  • Jorden Cruz
  • Mathieu Dazet
  • Martin Fiemauhle
  • Jorge Fuentes
  • Elijah Gibson
  • Nathan Gillespie
  • Caleb Govati
  • Brent Grube
  • Austin Hilyer
  • Devin Hodges
  • Greg Hosford
  • Tanner Kukes
  • Guillermo Lumbreras Jr
  • Jason Mallis
  • Matthew McArthur
  • Baba Mediaten
  • Moses Muhubao
  • Barou Ndaw
  • Patrick O’Neal
  • Chisom Ogbonna
  • Christopher Rumsey
  • Alex Salinas
  • Sherman Winchester

AFC Mobile will begin its inaugural season in the Gulf Coast Premier League on May 14, 2017, at 7:00 p.m. at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex against Pensacola’s Gulf Coast Texans. Season tickets are available here. 

AFC Mobile Season Preview: Biloxi City FC

Biloxi FCCLUB: Biloxi City FC
NICKNAME: Blackjacks
FALL RECORD: 6-2-4 (3rd place)

HISTORY:Founded in 2016, Biloxi City Futbol Club is the first team from Mississippi to compete in the Gulf Coast Premier League. From an outsider’s perspective, Biloxi City has improved the quality and enhanced the reputation of the GCPL from the outset. From their minimalist badge and their social media promotions and presence, Biloxi has always treated their brand and their club as big as bigger teams in bigger markets. And frankly it has paid off on and off the pitch with Biloxi City coming within one game of earning a Lamar Hunt US Open Cup qualification spot in their debut season.

BILOXI CITY FC PLAYER TO WATCH: Patrick Harrison, midfield

MANAGER: Sinisa Vukadin

WHAT BILOXI CITY FC SAYS ABOUT AFC MOBILE: “I expect [AFC Mobile] to do a great job in Mobile,” says Biloxi City FC coach Sinisa Vukadin. “I know [coach] Nate Nicholas and he will make a respectable squad. I’m glad that [AFC Mobile] joined the Gulf Coast Premier League.”

“We expect the unknown,” responds Biloxi City FC Vice President Luke Berry. “We had our inaugural season last year and surprised a few people managing to finish in the top half of the table (3rd) and one of our proudest moments came on the first day of the season when we drew against CD Motagua in New Orleans,” He continues, “The league has so many new teams this year that I don’t think anyone really knows what to expect. Mobile are more unknown than most because they are starting completely from scratch, much like we did, unlike Gaffa FC or Pensacola who have either youth setups or a squad already. We’ll be watching their early results with interest before our first ever meeting on June 10th. Good luck for the season -as long as you finish below us.”

BOTTOM LINE: Mississippi has always had fantastic soccer development. As a brand new club in its first year, Biloxi City competed for the GCPL title right down to the last match of the season. The Blackjacks’ summer team should be no different. There are a few Mobilians, including former Murphy High School standout Edin Hodovic, who will feature for Biloxi. Look for a tightly-played, high intensity match during both games of “The Forgotten Coast Cup” this summer.

HOME PITCH: Herbert Wilson Stadium, 3225 Hancock Ave, Gulfport, MS 39507

WEBSITE: http://www.biloxicityfutbolclub.com
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/biloxicityfc
FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/biloxicityfc
INSTAGRAM: N/A
HASHTAGS: #BiloxiCityFC #OneCoast

GAMES AGAINST BILOXI CITY FC:

  • June 10th at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex
  • July 15th at Herbert Wilson Stadium

 

AFC Mobile adds Mobile Screen Printing and Embroidery as Official Apparel Provider

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AFC MOBILE ANNOUNCES MOBILE SCREEN PRINTING AND EMBROIDERY AS SPONSOR FOR 2017 SUMMER SEASON

AFC Mobile, Mobile’s minor league soccer team, is proud to announce Mobile Screen Printing and Embroidery as the club’s official apparel provider.  Mobile Screen Printing and Embroidery’s logo will appear on AFC Mobile’s warmup kits for the 2017 Gulf Coast Premier League summer season.

“Getting another fantastic, local sponsor on board helps to further establish us as Mobile’s soccer team,” said AFC Mobile president Abram Chamberlain. “The fact that we will be able to feature their logo on our warm-ups and be able to get all of our fan apparel from a local business right here in Mobile makes us even prouder of this relationship.”

Mobile Screen Printing and Embroidery is the producer of AFC Mobile’s “Our City” t-shirt, which can be purchased for $20 online here . The “Our City” shirt can also be purchased as part of a season ticket package for $37.50, which may be ordered online here, while supplies last. 

AFC Mobile will begin its inaugural season in the Gulf Coast Premier League on May 14, 2017 at 7 p.m. at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex.

CONTACT:

Mitchell Kahalley
mkahalley@afcmobile.net
(251) 272-9507