Sporting KC Signs Defender Zorhan Bassong
December 12, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
Sporting Kansas City announced today that the club has signed 24-year-old defender Zorhan Bassong. The Canadian left back has signed an MLS contract for the 2024 MLS season with club options for 2025 and 2026. Bassong will occupy an international slot on Sporting's roster, pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and P1 visa.
Bassong has made 86 professional appearances across France, Belgium, Romania and Major League Soccer, including 43 matches in all competitions with CF Montreal. He played two MLS seasons in Montreal from 2021-2022 before spending 2023 in Romania with Arges Pitesti and Farul Constanta.
Born in Toronto and raised in Montreal, Bassong moved to Belgium in 2013 to join the Mouscron academy, where fellow Sporting left back Logan Ndenbe also competed as a youth player. Bassong furthered his development in the heralded academy systems at Belgian side Anderlecht and French club Lille, beginning his professional career at the latter in 2016.
In three years with Lille B from 2016-2019, Bassong logged 31 appearances and over 2,100 minutes. He joined Belgian outfit Cercle Brugge in January 2019 and left the club in July 2020.
Bassong enjoyed a two-year MLS stint with CF Montreal that began in early 2021. He played 26 regular season matches in his debut MLS campaign, notably assisting Mason Toye's late goal in a 1-0 away win over Chicago Fire FC on May 29, 2021. He added another assist in Montreal's run to the 2021 Canadian Championship title, appearing in every match of the tournament.
Bassong played 14 more matches in all competitions the following year-including two in the 2022 Concacaf Champions League and two in the Canadian Championship-as he helped Montreal set a club record for regular season wins (20), points (65) and goal differential (+13).
Following his time with Montreal, Bassong spent 2023 with two Romanian clubs, Arges Pitesti (10 matches) and Farul Constanta (two matches).
On the international stage, Bassong represented the Belgium U-19s for two friendlies in 2017 before switching his allegiance to Canada. He played twice for the country's senior national team in January 2020, including a 90-minute outing in a 4-1 friendly win over Barbados. In March 2021, Bassong played three matches for Canada at the 2020 Concacaf Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship in Mexico, helping his team emerge from the group stage and reach the semifinals.
With the addition of Bassong, Sporting now has 25 players under contract for the 2024 season:
Goalkeepers (2): Tim Melia, John Pulskamp
Defenders (10): Zorhan Bassong, Jake Davis, Robert Castellanos, Andreu Fontas, Tim Leibold, Logan Ndenbe, Kayden Pierre, Chris Rindov, Dany Rosero, Robert Voloder
Midfielders (6): Ozzie Cisneros, Danny Flores, Felipe Hernandez, Nemanja Radoja, Erik Thommy, Remi Walter
Forwards (7): Stephen Afrifa, Willy Agada, Alan Pulido, Johnny Russell, Daniel Salloi, Khiry Shelton, Marinos Tzionis
Sporting's roster will continue to take shape in the buildup to the 2024 MLS campaign. For a full list of the team's offseason roster moves, visit SportingKC.com/news/tracker. The calendar of Major League Soccer's offseason roster-building events is listed below.
MLS Offseason Roster Mechanisms
Tuesday, Dec. 12: End-of-Year Waivers (4 p.m. CT)
Wednesday, Dec. 13: Free Agency begins (12 p.m. CT)
Thursday, Dec. 14: Re-Entry Draft Stage 1 (12 p.m. CT)
Tuesday, Dec. 19: MLS SuperDraft 2024 presented by Adidas (2 p.m. CT)
Thursday, Dec. 21: Re-Entry Draft Stage 2 (12 p.m. CT)
Transaction: Sporting Kansas City (MLS) signs defender Zorhan Bassong to an MLS contract through 2024 with club options for 2025 and 2026.
VITALS
Zorhan Bassong (ZOR-han bah-SONG)
Position: Defender
Born: 5/7/1999 (24 years old)
Height: 5-10
Weight: 167 lbs.
Hometown: Montreal, Canada
Birthplace: Toronto, Canada
Citizenship: Canada and Belgium
Previous Club: Farul Constanta (Romania)
Instagram: @zorhanbassong
Twitter: @BassongZ
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