Press Release
Friday, April 07, 2017
Soccer: four players to join the Aigles Bleus
Three defenders and one winger have been recruited – all of them young players from the Southeast Soccer Academy. Thomas Maillet and Gersh Mambo, from Moncton, Tarik Nait Ajjou, from Dieppe, and William Gallant, from Bathurst, are grade 12 players who will attend the Moncton campus beginning in September. They are also all on the New Brunswick training team for the 2017 Canada Games.
Thomas Maillet, age 17, is a winger who is 5’8” and weighs 150 lbs. He has played with provincial AAA teams as well as Codiac Soccer. “A winger runs a lot and looks to get possession of the ball to make good passes,” Maillet says. “I must turn back and help the defenders as needed. My strength is my endurance, my energy on the field and my creativity with the ball. Even though I’m not the biggest, I leave my mark. The Moncton campus has a good, high-calibre soccer program. I want to do my part to help the team.” Maillet is registered in the DSS-medicine program.
Gershome Mambo is 6’ tall, weighs 170 lbs and plays as a central defender. “I’ve been playing soccer for eight years with teams from Soccer NB, Codiac and École L’Odyssée,” he said. “I love this sport because I play as part of a team and can make passes. I’m able to read the game very well and I’m aggressive. I wanted to develop my technique and my confidence at the Academy. I have friends on the team and I appreciate the team’s values and objectives.” Mambo is registered in the biochemistry program.
Tarik Nait Ajjou also played with provincial teams, as well as Codiac and École Mathieu-Martin. The left back player is 5’7” tall and weighs 145 lbs. “I’ve been playing for 11 years and it’s by far my favorite sport,” he says. “I love going on the field every day to play and practice. It’s a real pleasure for me and takes me out of reality. It’s a true passion. I want to study at Université de Moncton because it’s in my community and I want to contribute to the area. My strengths are my aggressiveness on the field and the leadership I bring to the team during matchs. There’s a great spirit but it will take a lot of patience and practices.” Ajjou will be studying in the DSS-medicine program.
William Gallant, 17, has been playing soccer for 13 years. He is 5’11” tall and weighs 145 lbs. Recruited to the team by the coach, he is a centre defender. “I must defend my zone and help return to the attack,” said Gallant, who moved to Moncton in September to attend the Academy. “The Université de Moncton is the francophone institution closest to me. My father, mother and members of my family are all graduates from there. I played with Chaleur AAA and senior B clubs. Soccer has always been my passion. I always look forward to practices and games. I hope that my qualities, combined with those of the other players, will bring home a championship for the university.” Gallant will be studying business administration.
The coach was looking for capable defenders. “I know many players through the Academy,” said Ntima-Nsiemi. “They have good endurance and are capable in the game. This is one of the aspects where progress must be made. I was looking for players to fix the defensive program and minimize errors. I’m looking for players who listen and who want to move in this direction. We will be able to work with them.”
“Tarik Nait Ajjou has a work ethic and is a player for the future,” the coach said. “Gershome Mambo has enormous physical potential and is strong in the aerial game. Thomas Maillet is a hugely talented player capable of playing any wing position, but also mid-field. William Gallant is a hidden talent with qualities which will allow him to be decisive.”
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