Category: Press Release

AFC Mobile Announces its 2018 GCPL Schedule

The 2018 AFC Mobile schedule is finally here! After months of anticipation, we now know the path the Azaleas will take as they attempt to bring home the Gulf Coast Premier League Cup.

AFC Mobile will return to the pitch for its second season on April 14th for an away friendly against the Atlanta Silverbacks of the National Premier Soccer League. After shattering Gulf Coast Premier League attendance records last season, the club will return to the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex (“the Lip”) on April 28th to face GCPL newcomers Northshore United (of Covington, Louisiana) in preseason action. The club will host another preseason friendly at the Lip on the weekend of May 5th. That opponent will be announced in the coming weeks.

“We are looking forward to a more robust schedule of games this year,” stated AFC Mobile Sporting Director Zach Taylor. “There are some great sides in the GCPL, and the non-GCPL friendlies that we will announce later will also give us highly challenging opponents to measure ourselves against. I’m looking forward to seeing how we perform.”

The GCPL regular season begins on May 12th, as the Azaleas welcome Eastern Conference rivals Pensacola FC to the Lip.

The following weekend, the team travels to Lafayette, Louisiana to take on last year’s GCPL Cup Runner-Up Cajun Soccer Club. Cajun’s front line is lead by the 2017 GCPL Golden Boot winner Mickey Ledger.

On May 26th, the club will travel to Gulfport, Mississippi to face newly re-branded Port City FC (formerly known as Biloxi City FC) in the first Forgotten Coast Cup match of the season.

AFC Mobile will return to the Lip for a two-game homestand against Riverhawks FC out of Moss Point, Mississippi on June 2nd and Baldwin County’s GCPL newcomers Rangers FC on June 9th. The team will make the quick trip east on I-10 to Pensacola on June 16th. On June 28th, AFC Mobile will get its second cross-division matchup against Louisiana’s Alexandria FC “Pool Boys.”

The Azaleas will then head to Foley, Alabama on June 30th to play Rangers FC once more. The final road game of the season sees AFC Mobile traveling to Moss Point to play the Riverhawks on July 7th.

AFC Mobile will conclude the 2018 regular season with the second-leg of the Forgotten Coast Cup against Port City FC back home at the Lip on July 14th.

This season, AFC Mobile will compete in the GCPL Eastern Conference which, in addition to AFC Mobile, includes Port City FC (Gulfport, MS), Riverhawks FC (Moss Point, MS), Pensacola FC, and Rangers FC (Foley, AL). The top two clubs from the East will join the top two clubs from the West and Central Conferences in a single-elimination knockout tournament for the GCPL Cup Championship.

Information about season ticket sales coming soon!

PRESEASON

AWAY: April 14 – Atlanta Silverbacks FC
HOME: April 28 – Northshore United
HOME: May 5/6 – TBA

REGULAR SEASON

HOME: May 12 – Pensacola FC
AWAY: May 19 – Cajun Soccer Club (Lafayette, LA)
AWAY: May 26 – Port City FC (Gulfport, MS)
HOME: June 2 – Riverhawks FC
HOME: June 9 – Rangers FC
AWAY: June 16 – Pensacola FC
HOME: June 23 – alexandria fc
AWAY: June 30 – Rangers FC (Foley, AL)
AWAY: July 7 – Riverhawks FC (Moss Point, MS)
HOME: July 14 – Port City FC

AFC Mobile Partners With Youth Soccer Club Mobile United FC

Mobile, Alabama – March 7, 2018 – AFC Mobile is pleased to announce a partnership with Mobile United Futbol Club, the Alabama Gulf Coast’s oldest and most successful competitive youth soccer organization. After continued success, including six 2017 state championships, Mobile United FC will now serve as the youth academy for AFC Mobile.

“We are thrilled to partner with such an accomplished and well-known organization as Mobile United,” said Jeff Garl, AFC Mobile Vice President. “AFC Mobile has always been focused on providing opportunities for the young players in Mobile, and giving them a visible outlet for soccer at a high-level. With this partnership, our team will be able to work directly with Mobile United teams, giving them the chance to work side-by-side with the players they get to watch on Saturday nights.”

While Mobile United FC and AFC Mobile remain separate entities, together they share a common vision: to grow the sport of soccer in the city of Mobile. This partnership will result in  the formation of two new teams. The AFC Mobile United U23 squad, managed by Ruben Risco, will wear the MUFC crest on their AFC Mobile uniform sleeves. Going forward, the Mobile United U19 State League team will be renamed AFC Mobile United U19. The U19s will continue to wear their traditional MUFC uniforms, but will proudly sport the AFC Mobile crest on their sleeves.  These teams will conduct joint training sessions, public events, and benefits.

“This partnership gives us the potential to become one of the premier clubs not just on the Gulf Coast, but in the entire Southeastern U.S, and to give Mobile the stature of club it deserves,” said Wayne Etheridge, Mobile United FC President.

Founded in 2010, Mobile United FC is the area’s leader in youth soccer, offering programs from ages three to adult. With more than 20 players from Fall 2016 alone playing collegiate soccer, MUFC concentrates on player development and competitive play.  Tryout times and dates for Fall 2018 will be released soon. For more information on MUFC go to mobileunitedfc.com.

AFC Mobile is Mobile’s minor league soccer team, competing in the Gulf Coast Premier League. The 2018 season begins in May and runs through July. All home games will be played at the Archbishop Oscar H. Lipscomb Complex – “The Lip.”  Tickets begin at just $5, and children 12 and under are free with adult admission. A full schedule and information about season tickets will be available soon. Select merchandise is available now at afcmobile.net and The Trading Post at 7985 Tanner Williams Road.  Follow AFC Mobile on all your favorite social media platforms to keep up-to-date on additional information about the 2018 season!

 

Ruben Risco to lead AFC Mobile United reserves for 2018 season

AFC Mobile will field a reserve side during its 2018 Gulf Coast Premier League season.

The reserve side, known as AFC Mobile United U23, will feature a mixture of both up-and-coming youth players and first-team players that are either coming back from injury or are not included on the first team game-day roster. AFC Mobile United U23 will play competitive fixtures against other teams along the Gulf Coast including reserve sides from Gulf Coast Premier League clubs including Pensacola FC and Port City FC.

“It’s about having one foot in the present, and the other in the future,” says Ruben Risco. Risco serves as the assistant coach for AFC Mobile and will take on the game day coaching duties for AFC Mobile United U23. “We are ensuring that we maintain a large competitive pool of players for the present, while creating an environment for the younger players to continue developing and displaying their abilities with proper training and real game experience for the future.”

This reserve side will be used by head coach Nate Nicholas and his staff to evaluate and develop players in game day competition and give them the opportunity to compete for minutes with the first team.

AFC Mobile center back Guillermo Lumbreras, Jr. will assist Risco in his coaching duties with the U23s.

AFC Mobile is Mobile’s minor league soccer team, competing in the Gulf Coast Premier League. Our season begins in May and runs through July. All home games will be played at the Archbishop Oscar H. Lipscomb Complex – “The Lip.”  Tickets begin at just $5, and children 12 and under are free with adult admission. A full schedule and information about season tickets will be available soon. Select merchandise is available now at afcmobile.net.  Follow AFC Mobile on all your favorite social media platforms to keep up-to-date on additional information about the 2018 season!

Updated on March 8, 2018, to reflect partnership with Mobile United Futbol Club.

AFC Mobile adds U-Mobile standout Cam Cranton

MOBILE – AFC Mobile is proud to add University of Mobile midfielder Cameron Cranton to its roster for the 2018 Gulf Coast Premier League Season.

As a Baker High School standout, Cranton was the Mobile-area High School Player of the Year, and was named the Gulf Coast Rangers U-18 Player of the Year in 2015.

“I grew up in Mobile, played here, and I’m excited to get to represent my city at the next level,” Cranton said.

Cranton is a versatile player who can play in multiple attacking positions. He appeared in 11 matches for the Rams in their run to an NAIA quarterfinal berth and earned Southern State Athletics Conference All-Freshman honors. Cranton will bring a creative spark to an AFC Mobile team that averaged 1.5 goals per match in the GCPL Eastern Conference last season.

AFC Mobile is Mobile’s minor league soccer team, competing in the Gulf Coast Premier League. Our season begins in May and runs through July. All home games will be played at the Archbishop Oscar H. Lipscomb Complex – “The Lip.”  Tickets begin at just $5, and children 12 and under are free with adult admission. A full schedule and information about season tickets will be available soon. Select merchandise is available now at afcmobile.net.  Follow AFC Mobile on all your favorite social media platforms to keep up-to-date on additional information about the 2018 season.

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Contact: Sean Landry

(251) 635-7473

AFC Mobile adds Spring Hill College midfielder Ibrahima Ndaw

MOBILE- AFC Mobile has added Spring Hill College midfielder/forward Ibrahima Ndaw to its roster for the 2018 Gulf Coast Premier League Season.

Ndaw, whose brother was a goalkeeper for AFC Mobile last year, is a former prep standout at St. Paul’s Episcopal High School in Mobile. Ndaw led the St. Paul’s Episcopal Boys Soccer Team to the 2012 Class 5A State Semifinals during his junior year. As a senior at St. Paul’s, he was named to the Mobile Press-Register’s All Region Team.

Following high school, Ndaw stayed local by enrolling at Spring Hill College. In 2017, the Badgers achieved their best ever record in men’s soccer, finishing the year with 12 wins and only 3 losses. For his 8 goals and 8 assists, Ndaw was named to the 2017 United Soccer Coaches NAIA Men’s All-South Region Team.

This season will not be Ndaw’s Gulf Coast Premier League debut, as for the past two years he played in the GCPL for Biloxi City FC. AFC Mobile is proud to bring him home for the 2018 GCPL season.

“I’m excited to be a part of AFC Mobile. Last year you could feel the energy of Mobile when we came to play them. I can’t wait for the new season to start and to play in front of the many fans we have,” Ndaw stated.

AFC Mobile is Mobile’s minor league soccer team, competing in the Gulf Coast Premier League. Our season begins in May and runs through July. All home games will be played at the Archbishop Oscar H. Lipscomb Complex – “The Lip.”  Tickets begin at just $5, and children 12 and under are free with adult admission. A full schedule and information about season tickets will be available soon. Select merchandise is available now at afcmobile.net.  Follow AFC Mobile on all your favorite social media platforms to keep up-to-date on additional information about the 2018 season.

Nineteen Players Selected to Return To Invitational Tryout

Nearly 50 players came out to Herndon (Sage) Park in Mobile on December 9th to participate in AFC Mobile’s Open Tryout for the 2018 GCPL season. Nineteen of those players have been invited back by the coaching staff to participate in an Invitational Tryout.

  • Erik Aispuro
  • Suleiman Carr
  • Roman Causse
  • Chris Cory
  • Cam Cranton
  • Drew Dixon
  • Abraham Estaba
  • Brantton Greene
  • Desmond Ibie
  • Jean Paul Irakiza
  • Kevin Jackson
  • Nam Le
  • Tomas Lopez
  • Dillon Lowe
  • Jesse McCarty
  • Alejandro Ojeda
  • Alec Peacock
  • Laurentiu Pirvu
  • Carlos Varas

These players will join other invited player to compete for a spot on AFC Mobile’s 2018 roster.

 

Brent Grube Joins AFC Mobile as Goalkeeping Coach

MOBILE, ALABAMA – Former AFC Mobile goalkeeper and current Mary G. Montgomery High School girls soccer coach Brent Grube will join the Club coaching staff as an assistant for the 2018 season, the club announced Sunday afternoon.

“Brent was a good player for us last year. I’m excited to have him moving to the coaching side of the organization,” said head coach Nate Nicholas. “He will be a great help to me and [assistant coach] Ruben Risco in helping prepare for games and practices on the goalkeeper side.”

Last season, Grube was part of AFC Mobile’s inaugural roster and started four games at goalkeeper, before suffering an injury in the offseason. He will now transition to goalkeeper coach on Nicholas’s staff this season.

“When I tore my ACL, I thought that my time with AFC Mobile was over,” said Grube. “Having played [goalkeeper] my entire career, I’m happy that I will be able to pass on my experience to AFC Mobile players. I am very excited to join the coaching staff and I look forward to the season.”

Grube joins the staff in time for AFC Mobile’s open tryouts on December 9 from 2:00-6:00 PM at Herndon (Sage) Park.

“In Brent, the club is able to get not just a good coach, but a good person. He displayed leadership in training and on the pitch last season,” stated AFC Mobile President Abram Chamberlain. “Being able to retain him as part of the AFC Mobile family is huge. We are extremely happy to have him continue with us as we move into our new season and our next chapter.”

Early registration is available online for $15.00 until December 8th and will be $25.00 for walk-up registration on December 9th.

2018 Scarf and Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale

AFC Mobile has long lived by the words of Eugene Walters in making sure that our games our games take place in “Sweet Lunacy’s County Seat”. For the 2018 season, our supporters scarf will bear those infamous words on the back.

Featuring a classic diamond pattern and “AFC Mobile” on the front, the words of Walters will adjourn the back.

The scarves are available now at the pre-sale price of $20.00 in our online shop.

In addition to that, all shirts and scarves will be 20% off through Monday with the discount code “AFCFRI” on checkout.

AFC Mobile claims first ever win with dominant performance over Biloxi

GULFPORT–Powered by a first-half brace from Austin Hilyer and a goal apiece from Matt Merrill and Chisom Ogbonna, AFC Mobile beat Biloxi City FC 4-2 on Saturday for the first ever win in the club’s history.

“To get that monkey off the back, for me, for coach Ruben, for the team, for the fans, it’s an amazing feeling,” AFC Mobile head coach Nate Nicholas said. “I knew we had it in us. Tonight, we played them off the park. We were the better team from start to finish.”

Biloxi opened the scoring in the 15th minute when the home team bundled in a corner that bounced across the end line over right back Sherman Winchester’s attempted clearance. Ten minutes later, Hilyer drew a yellow card while stopping a Biloxi counter.

Five minutes after that, a Markos Mallis corner skipped through the box to Hilyer’s waiting foot at the back post for the equalizer.

In the 35th minute, Hilyer headed home off another corner to give the team from Mobile a lead it would never relinquish.

“I was just in the right place at the right time,” Hilyer said. “He placed that cross perfectly, and I was right there. Perfect timing, I guess.”

Mobile dominated the second half from the first whistle, earning its third goal when midfielder Matt Merrill blasted a shot from outside the box past the Biloxi keeper.

Chisom Ogbonna had a chance to finish the match in the 62nd minute when he was brought down in the box to earn a penalty, but the forward’s resulting kick was saved. He didn’t make the same mistake twice. Ogbonna was again brought down in the 69th minute, and blasted the penalty off the underside of the crossbar and into the goal.

“He is a true professional,” Nicholas said of the club’s leading goalscorer. “He comes, he works hard, he is a leader. Even without the armband, he’s been a leader on the team, not just by scoring goals but showing when to calm down and when to go. When you have a player of that level on your team who you don’t have to coach, who’s another coach on the field, you love it. He’s been amazing.”

The home team got one back in the 75th minute, but it was scant consolation as Mobile’s win ended Biloxi’s bid for the Gulf Coast Premier League playoffs and avenged a 2-1 loss in Mobile, giving the Azaleas the 5-4 series win on aggregate.

After the first win in club history, the traveling fans – a bus-full and then some… more than 100 – took to the pitch to greet their club.

“When your fans outnumber, or are at least 10 times louder, than the home fans, and it feels like you’re at a home game, you’ve got nothing but love for that,” Nicholas said. “I almost lost my voice in the first half, and I know they were going crazy. It buoyed us all season to know they had our backs.”

“They’re amazing,” Hilyer said of the Causeway Rebellion Supporters Group. “We were on the field and the other team was telling us ‘y’all’s fans are crazy.’ That pushed us the entire match, and we couldn’t be more pleased with them.”

AFC Mobile ended its inaugural season with six points, one win, three draws and six losses, and the top six attendance records in the league, including Biloxi’s record attendance of more than 400 set Saturday night, the highest in a GCPL match not hosted by AFC Mobile.

“I couldn’t be more proud of these guys,” Nicholas said of his squad. “Every one of them came out and worked hard, and this is just reward for a whole season.

AFC Mobile Overcomes Two-Goal Deficit To Draw Louisiana Fire

MOBILE, AL – In a reversal of what transpired at the second match of the season, AFC Mobile came back from a two goal deficit to draw 2-2 with the Louisiana Fire Saturday night at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex in Mobile. Earlier this season, AFC Mobile fell to the Fire 2-1 after two heartbreaking, last-gasp goals by the team from Kenner.  But it was AFC Mobile, led by Forward Chisom Ogbonna, who spoiled the Fire’s night this time around in front of yet another Gulf Coast Premier League record-breaking crowd of 951. 

“It’s always nice to be on the better end, but I would’ve liked that to be the winning goal instead of the tying goal, but this is a season where we’re learning… and I’ll tell you what, I couldn’t be more proud of the guys, just fighting through, fighting hard,” AFC Mobile head coach Nate Nicholas said. “It’s easy to get down and to quit, but these guys keep coming out every week and working hard and nobody in the league can says they’re getting an easy game from us. When they come they know they’re gonna get a tough game.”

The Fire nearly found the back of the net seven minutes into the game when Danni Eyo beat the Mobile defense and fired a shot into the side netting. Ten minutes later, the Fire’s Dante Oliver sent another a shot into the side netting.

AFC Mobile nearly took the lead in the 22nd minute after Greg Hosford crossed in a beautiful ball to Chisom Ogbonna, but Ogbonna’s header ricocheted off the left post. Minutes later, Clairy Kengeye sent a cross across the face of the goal, but no one was there to receive it.

In the 31st minute, Ogbonna had another chance to give Mobile the lead, but his header went just wide. Mere seconds later, the Fire’s Oliver took a shot that bounced off the bottom left post right back to himself, then slotted it into the net to give the Fire a 1-0 lead.

The Fire nearly doubled their lead two minutes into the second half. AFC Mobile goalkeeper Brent Grube came off his line, but the Fire’s Donte Oliver chipped a shot passed him, which was cleared off the line by Mobile’s Pat O’Neal.

The Azaleas nearly equalized on a Batevya Mediateur corner in the 50th minute. A mass of bodies scrambled in front of the Fire goal, and Mobile’s Guillermo Lumbreras, Jr. got on the end of it, but his shot went just over the crossbar.

Mobile had another chance to get on the board in the 54th minute. Chris Rumsey kept the ball from rolling over the touchline on the west side of the pitch and played the ball to Kengeye, whose first shot was saved by Fire keeper Pepe Serrano. The ball bounced back in front of Kengeye, whose second attempt crossed the face of the goal and went wide.

Ogbonna had another chance to bring Mobile level, but his long range shot went just wide.

In the 58th minute, the Fire’s Oliver was brought down in the box.  He slotted home the penalty himself, giving the Fire a 2-0 advantage.

Mobile got a chance to equalize after Ogbonna was brought down in the box and awarded a penalty. Ogbonna coolly finished the penalty to cut the Fire lead in half, 2-1, in the 67th minute.

Mobile nearly equalized in the 76th minute after Hosford played the ball to Kengeye on the left attacking side, but Kengye’s shot deflected wide off a Fire player.

Minutes later, despite calls for offside from the crowd, Oliver got in behind the Mobile defense and nearly regained the Fire’s two-goal lead, but he was unable to convert.

In the 87th minute, AFC Mobile’s Sherman Winchester headed a ball off the crossbar. Two minutes later, Winchester played a nice ball to Ogbonna who chipped the ball over the Fire defense, but he couldn’t get a shot off.

In the first minute of stoppage time, Ogbonna headed in a goal off an AFC Mobile free kick, leveling the game 2-2. That goal was Ogbonna’s sixth of the season.

“I never give up. As a team we keep fighting to the whistle. We never give up. We keep fighting.” Ogbonna said.

AFC Mobile will be back at home next weekend to take on the current Gulf Coast Premier League Eastern Conference leaders, Gaffa FC of Jackson, Mississippi. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, July, 1st. We will be honoring Mobile’s soccer history by throwing back to the 1990s when the Mobile Revelers ruled the pitch! Keep an eye on our Facebook page for more details! All tickets are just $5, and kids ages 12 and under are admitted for free.