Vancouver FC announced on Wednesday the club has signed New Zealand international attacker Moses Dyer to the squad on a one-year contract ahead of the club’s second Canadian Premier League (CPL) campaign.

“I am very excited to return to the CPL with Vancouver FC,” said Dyer. “Canada quickly became like a second home during my previous three years here and it was a place where I flourished into the player I have become today. I know this league has only grown in the last year since I’ve been away and I can’t wait to test myself at this new level with a very competitive and exciting team.”

Dyer, who will celebrate his 27th birthday on Thursday, March 21, returns to the CPL after spending the 2023 season with FC Tulsa of the United Soccer League (USL) Championship. The forward was a key feature for Tulsa, scoring four goals and registering five assists in 30 appearances across all competitions.

Prior to his venture in the USL, Dyer established himself in Canada as a dynamic attacker during his three seasons with Valour FC. Dyer’s 19 goals in all competitions with the Winnipeg-based team made him Valour’s all-time leading goalscorer at the time of his departure in 2022, registering nine goals in consecutive seasons and one goal in the shortened 2020 CPL season. In 2022, Dyer registered five goals in a career high four-game scoring streak and led Valour that season in aerial duels won with 43, edging out now-VFC teammate Rocco Romeo by three.



RELATED: CPL Off-Season Roster Tracker: Who's in and who's out for 2024?



Dyer spent the CPL off-season between 2020 and 2021 on loan to Manukau United FC in his native country of New Zealand where he scored three goals in four appearances including a brace in his debut for the team. Dyer returned to Valour ahead of the 2021 CPL season and proceeded to record his then-career high nine-goal season. In his 57 all-time appearances for Valour, Dyer logged nearly 4,000 minutes played and registered seven assists.

“We are very excited to sign Moses to our squad as another example of our ambition as a football club,” said Afshin Ghotbi, Head Coach, Vancouver FC. “Moses is a proven goalscorer in the CPL and combines all the qualities of a top striker including pace, power, timing, and a nose for the goal. He will add more fire power to our already exciting front line.”

Before joining Valour, Dyer spent two seasons with Florø SK in the Norwegian football league system, signing with the club in 2018. The international attacker made his European debut in September 2018 and proceeded to score nine goals in 29 appearances in Norwegian football.



Dyer made his professional debut in his native of New Zealand, signing his first contract with Wanderers SC in 2014, before representing various teams including Onehunga Sports FC, Eastern Suburbs AFC, and spending a brief stint with Australia’s Northcote City in 2017.

Internationally, Dyer made the jump to New Zealand’s senior national team in March 2015 at just 18-years-old. He made his debut in an international friendly against South Korea and proceeded to register a total of 11 caps including appearances in World Cup qualifiers in 2016 and 2017, where he was teammates with fellow CPL-er, Myer Bevan, in the latter year. Dyer’s most recent cap for New Zealand came in 2018 at the Intercontinental Cup against India where he scored his first international goal in memorial fashion as a second half substitute to notch the game-winning goal.

Dyer also previously represented New Zealand at the U20 and U23 level, including the FIFA U20 World Cups in 2015 and 2017. He registered three goals and two assists in 17 caps at the youth levels for New Zealand.

Vancouver also today announced the mutual termination of forward Mouhamadou ‘Mamadou’ Kane’s contract. The 20-year-old attacker made two starts in eight appearances for VFC in their inaugural season. Vancouver FC wishes Kane all the best in his future endeavours.

VFC will kick off their second season in the CPL on Sunday, April 14 at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET when the club hosts Dyer’s former team, Valour FC.

Continue reading...