By Canadian Press

Captain Kyle Bekker signs multi-year contract to stay at CPL powerhouse Forge FC

Jan 13, 2025 | 2:12 PM

Captain Kyle Bekker, a four-time nominee for the Canadian Premier League player of the year and the award winner in 2020, has signed a multi-year contract to stay at Forge FC.

The 34-year-old midfielder from Oakville, Ont., has been ever-present as the Hamilton-based side won CPL titles in 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023. Forge was runner-up in 2021 and 2014.

“Kyle has been the heart and soul of Forge FC since the very beginning,” Bobby Smyrniotis, Forge’s head coach and sporting director, said in a statement. “His leadership on and off the pitch has been a cornerstone of our club’s identity and success. Kyle’s unwavering commitment to the growth of Forge and the sport in our community continues to inspire us. We look forward to achieving even greater heights together in the years ahead.”

Bekker was also nominated for the league’s player of the year award 2019, 2022, and 2024.

Also Monday, York United FC acquired midfielder Gabriel Bitar from Vancouver FC, with York sending its first-round pick in the 2026 CPL-U Sports draft the other way.

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The Lebanese international has signed a two-year contract with York that runs through the end of 2026.

Vancouver trimmed its roster by declining 2025 contract options on defenders Kadin Chung and Anthony White and midfielders Renan Garcia, Olivier Rommens and Zachary Verhoven. The club also announced that free agent defender Rocco Romeo and attacker Austin Ricci will not return to the club in 2025.

The Vancouver club now has 12 players signed to its 2025 roster.

Bekker ranks second in Forge appearances with 182 games across all competitions, with 22 goals and 29 assists.

Before joining the CPL team, Bekker played in 58 Major League Soccer regular-season games from 2013 to 2016 with Toronto FC, FC Dallas and Montreal after being taken third overall by Toronto in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft.

Bekker also won a North American Soccer League (NASL) championship in 2017 with the San Francisco Deltas and earned USL All-League second-team honours with North Carolina FC in 2018.

Bekker, who came up through Smyrniotis’ Sigma FC youth academy, played collegiate soccer at Boston College from 2009 to 2012. On the international front, he has won 18 senior caps for Canada.

In two seasons with Vancouver FC, the 26-year-old Bitar made 53 appearances with 10 goals and eight assists.

The Ottawa native, whose parents were born in Lebanon, was the first-overall pick in the 2018 CPL-U Sports draft, signing with Cavalry FC out of Carleton University. A two-time all-Canadian with the Ravens, he remains second on the school’s all-time scoring list with 40 goals.

Bitar returned to Ligue1 Quebec’s Ottawa South United in 2020 and, after a brief spell in Lebanon, signed with FC Edmonton for the 2022 CPL season.

Bitar has won eight caps for Lebanon, making his debut in 2022 in a friendly with the United Arab Emirates.

“Gaby has been a target of ours for quite a while and his player profile is perfect for us,” York president Ricardo Pasquel said in a statement.

“There’s an intelligence and technicality to his game and his flexibility is a major plus. He brings a composure in front of goal and he’s put up some really excellent numbers in the CPL down through the years. He’s always a threat and will provide plenty of spark in a key area of the field.”

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 13, 2025

The Canadian Press