Reports confirm Toronto FC have signed Moroccan defender Ahmed Kantari from Ligue 1 side RC Lens. Kantari’s former team tweeted the news Friday morning.
Toronto had been on the search for experience at center-back after Steven Caldwell had been down with injury all season. Caldwell eventually retired, further increasing the need for a reliable defender. The likes of young defenders Eriq Zavaleta and Nick Hagglund have entered the first team and done an admirable job. However, they have been inconsistent and naïve at times; an example being the 4-4 result against New York City. Toronto has averaged to concede 1.5 goals per game thus far this season; a record not good enough for playoff success.
While salary or term has not been announced as of yet, it has been confirmed that Kantari was in Toronto on Thursday to finalize the deal.
Born in France, the 30-year old Kantari was a product of the youth academy at Paris Saint-Germain before moving on to Strasbourg, Brest, and eventually Lens. Kantari’s coming out party happened as a member of Brest in 2008, when he finally made the jump from fringe player to regular member of the line-up. Since 2013, he has been a regular at Lens. Last season, he appeared 31 games and scored a goal with the French side. Lens were eventually relegated last year to Ligue 2 after placing last in the top-tier French league. Further reports say that Kantari turned down a deal in place with Dijon in order to join Toronto.
Kantari is close to 6’1 and weighs 82 kg (180 lbs). Scouting reports peg the Moroccan as a tough tackling player who tends to play a lot of long balls. He’s not known to be strong in aerial duels. A player with chemistry at the highest levels of soccer, he seems to be the perfect addition to an inexperienced and undermanned defensive squad in Toronto. He has earned 16 caps for the Moroccan international team
France has turned into a reserve for Toronto, who already recruited Damien Perquis and Benoit Cheyrou from the nation last offseason. With the projected starting line-up including former Ligue 1 players Perquis, Kantari, and Cheyrou at the middle of the pitch, Toronto will hope the Ligue 1 familiarity and language will translate to increased chemistry.
Toronto FC take on the Columbus Crew on Saturday in a match that has vital playoff implications
