Developmental soccer league looking to expand to Saskatchewan

A new soccer league could be making its way to Saskatchewan as early as 2025.

League 1 is a development soccer league for elite players 18 to 23 years old, and is looking to expand its footprint to include both Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

“It’s a missing piece that we don’t currently have,” Rahim Mohamed, the CEO and sporting director for the Saskatchewan Soccer Association, said when asked what the league’s arrival would mean for growing the game in the province.

“It’s a huge opportunity, and this has been a huge success across B.C., Ontario and Quebec so far.”

According to Mohamed, the biggest thing the league can do for soccer players in Saskatchewan is help them develop by getting them into more games.

“We know just how important it is for our athletes to have somewhere to play at their high level beyond their short university-level season,” he explained.

Mohamed said he feels there’s enough high-level talent in Saskatchewan to support the league, which will help a lot of players stay on their home soil.

“We have so many Saskatchewan-based players playing in League 1 in other provinces, so they’re having to leave to find that environment and find that level, and this is going to give them an opportunity to stay at home,” Mohamed added.

Mohamed said the young league has already produced several talented players who are now known globally in the soccer world. The most recognizable name among them is Alistair Johnson, who started for Canada at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Another League 1 alumnus is Chantal Boudreau, who is a referee and has officiated the game at the MLS and international levels.

Over the next week, the Saskatchewan Soccer Association will be gauging what the interest for a league like this will be like. The organization will host a meeting on Tuesday to get input, following an earlier meeting which was held last Thursday.

“Those that have interest, get on the call (and) learn more about it,” Mohamed said. “It’s an exciting time, and we hope to have enough interest for an exhibition series in 2024 so we can get off the ground and have a smooth entry into 2025.”

Mohamed mentioned that League 1 isn’t a competitor to the Canadian Premier League (CPL), but rather complementary. Lots of players who played in the CPL have played in League 1, he said.