The Canada Women’s National Team return to the field later this week having called up 10 former League1 Canada players to represent their country.

Friendly matches against Iceland (November 29) and Korea Republic (December 3) are scheduled during a training camp in Murcia, Spain.

For the first time, two former League1 BC players have been called up to the same squad. Former Varsity FC player Emma Regan returns to the fold after remaining on the bench in the CANWNT clash against Spain in October. She may have the chance to add to her three international appearances in the coming week.

She is joined by Jeneva Hernandez Gray, who has been called up for the second time having previously been selected in October 2023. Her latest season with Whitecaps FC Academy saw her win League1 BC, the League1 Canada Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship, and compete in the Concacaf W Champions Cup; her CANWNT debut could cap off a sensational year.

Also looking for her international debut is Nyah Rose, who has earned her first call-up. She played 17 times for NDC Ontario across the 2022 and 2023 League1 Ontario seasons; her older sister and 2022 NDC teammate Jade had been called up to the October friendly but misses out this time due to injury.

Former Ligue1 Québec player Janet Okeke has also been selected for the first time, having starred for Canada at U-20 level. Fellow alumni Gabrielle Carle, Evelyne Viens, and goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx also return to the squad.

Forwards Olivia Smith and Deanne Rose both play in England’s top women’s division for Liverpool and Leicester City respectively, and will also rejoin the national setup for the upcoming matches. Smith’s international match tally broke into double digits in October, and CANWNT regular and fellow L1ON alumna Vanessa Gilles also returns.

Cindy Tye is the interim head coach for CANWNT, and she worked with some League1 Canada players during the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. She will be joined in the dugout by interim assistant coach Katie Collar, who coached Whitecaps FC Academy to League1 BC and League1 Canada titles in the summer.

Men’s update

Canada’s Men’s National Team reached the Concacaf Nations League semifinals earlier in November with victory against Suriname over two legs.

League1 Ontario graduates Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston, and Dayne St Clair all started in the away leg, along with defender Moïse Bombito who had previously featured for CS St-Hubert in Ligue1 Québec. This was Johnston’s 50th international appearance for Canada and it was capped off with a 1-0 win.

European club stars Cyle Larin and Tajon Buchanan both came on as substitutes. The bench also included former Vaughan Azzurri defender Kamal Miller, and Niko Sigur who played for Vaughan in the 2021 League1 Ontario Reserve Division.

In the home leg in Toronto, it was a League1 Canada back five with Johnston, Bombito, Miller, and Laryea protecting St Clair in goal. Larin started and assisted a goal, and Sigur made his second Canada appearance by coming off the bench in the 3-0 victory.