Pacific FC have had a tough start to 2025, but despite that, there have been several positive stories in their ranks.
One of those has been the return of Aly Ndom, who missed most of 2024 with an Achilles injury, which derailed a strong start to the season for him and his team.
Since returning at the beginning of this 2025 season, the 29-year-old hasn’t looked out of place, immediately slotting in as one of the team’s rocks at the back, doing well to pick up where he left off 11 months earlier.
“I feel good. It was a long journey, but I feel good, I’m integrated into the team,” Ndom told CanPL.ca in French this week. “We’re indeed having a bit of a difficult moment in the league, but I feel that we’ll get over that hill and that things will turn for the better. It’s still early in the season, so it’s all about finding consistency.”
In particular, his leadership has been a welcome presence, as he’s played a big role in helping shepherd a young Pacific team through this tough stretch. With over 90 games of Ligue 2 and 20 games of Ligue 1 experience in France under his belt, he’s seen a lot in his time as a professional, and he’s done his best to share that with his younger teammates, showing the value of having him in this group.
“We’ve got a very young team, so since I’m one of the older players, I need to bring that experience to help them develop,” he offered. “But I find that it comes naturally, the youngsters do a great job of listening, I try to share with them stories of my journey where I can, to help them.”
For Ndom, however, while he’s embraced becoming a leader on this team, he’s also made the most of his personal experience in Canada, even if his first year didn’t go as planned. Quickly, he’s taken to what his new country has to offer, especially in terms of soccer.
That last point is key, as Canada gets set to co-host the World Cup next year, which will provide the opportunity for the sport to hit another level, especially in terms of fan interest and support.
Having had the chance to grow up in a soccer-mad country like France, he knows how the sport can truly bring an entire population together, and he’s already starting to feel that energy in Canada, with more and more people paying attention to the CanMNT with 2026 on the horizon, as well as other domestic soccer, including the CPL.
“Every time Canada plays, there’s a fever here that is incredible, everyone knows it,” Ndom said. “It’s true that soccer isn’t always the biggest sport here, but with the World Cup, everything will change, and you can feel that every time Canada plays, whether it’s here or away.”
“I’ve seen it in France, things can develop quickly, and Canada has seen that with their team, and they’re betting on this World Cup pushing it further. We’ve already seen what it can do with the CPL, and how that’s pushed the league, and I think that it’s only going to grow.”
Speaking of France, Ndom also has some fond memories of past World Cups from his time in the country. He was all but two years old when France won the World Cup on home soil in 1998, so that one brings back no memories for him, but he has great memories of the World Cups that came after.
In particular, two stand out to him - first, there was 2002, when first-time participants Senegal famously beat defending champions France in the tournament’s opening game, sparking a run to the quarter-finals. For Ndom, who is of Senegalese descent, with both of his parents having grown up in Senegal before moving to France, that was an incredibly special moment for him to witness, as he got to experience the intersection of the two cultures he grew up with.
“In 2002, I’ve got a few memories,” he reflected with a smile. “I remember how my family members were screaming when Senegal beat France, and just how amazing it was to see the journey they had that year. I remember watching the goals and then how they defended. I’ve, of course, got that double culture in my life, and I’m proud of it. I grew up in France, but I’ve got a lot of family in Senegal, I even went back (to Senegal) last year to see them.”
Then, of course, 2018 was pretty special, as France claimed their second World Cup crown. At the time, a 22-year-old Ndom had just helped his club, Stade de Reims, get promoted from Ligue 2 to Ligue 1, so he was in France when they won.
For a young guy who had grown up calling France home, it was quite a special feeling to live, but doubly so given his status as a Ligue 1 player for Stade de Reims and later for SM Caen, as in that 2018-2019 season he then got to face several players from that World Cup winning team, including Steve Mandanda, Flaurian Thauvin, Adil Rami and Djibril Sidibé, which is quite the unique opportunity for any soccer-loving person to experience.
“You’ve gotten a taste of what it’s like with PSG’s recent win, but yeah, in 2018, quite frankly, it was incredible, all of France were behind them,” Ndom said of the 2018 celebrations. “Every time France played, people were outside, everyone was watching, and during that time, you forgot all of your problems. Then, to be in a country where they win a tournament like that, it’s unbelievable.”
When looking back at Ndom’s journey towards becoming a professional, however, it’s clear to see how those memories have influenced his game, as he brings that French style that players who grew up in the country have, but he’s also got a bit of Senegalese flair. Everyone knows how good France has been, and given that the Lions are one of the quickest rising international teams of the last two decades, winning their first AFCON in 2023 and reaching the World Cup in 2018 and 2022 after having only qualified in 2002, that’s not a bad stylistic mix to have as a player, as Ndom notes.
“When I play, I try to show Senegalese characteristics, but also that Parisian style,” he said. “There are a lot of players with a similar flair, and it’s what’s helped me get to this point. You can see in my desire to win, my passion, I’ve got the heart of a Lion de la Terenga.”
While Ndom has a lot of pride for both France and Senegal, who he’ll continue to follow and cheer on in each tournament they play, Ndom admits that he might now have a third side to support in 2026 - Canada.
In the time he’s spent in the country, he’s quickly learned a lot about his new home, especially in terms of the burgeoning soccer scene.
Once upon a time, most wouldn’t know when the CanMNT were playing games, for example - all of a sudden now, their games are must-watch TV, especially with the World Cup coming next year.
Plus, it’s helped that they’ve had some pretty big results over the last year, including their impressive run at the 2024 Copa América. In particular, that last tournament helped draw a lot of eyeballs - Ndom’s included.
Since then, he’s taken a bit of affinity for his new home, so when asked about whether he’d want to see a world in which Senegal, France or Canada could play each other next summer, he said he’d prefer not, a sign of his newfound support for Canada.
“I prefer that they don’t all play each other, and if they do, that it’s way later in the tournament,” he said, laughing. “Since I’ve moved here, I’ve learned more about Canada, I didn’t know much before. Now, being here, and seeing the energy people have for the team, watching games last year, I got swept up and started supporting them, and didn’t even know why, that energy around was contagious.”
“At the World Cup, I’ll be a little bit of a Canada supporter, too, along with France and Senegal, so I hope they don’t all face each other.”
Certainly, Ndom won’t be the only one getting swept up in that momentum, however. As he’s seen first-hand, having grown up in France post-1998 World Cup, he knows what can happen to a country after this tournament.
Having just gotten the small taste of what Canada can be like when at a major tournament with last year’s Copa, he’s confident that next summer is going to be special, leaving a tangible impact that will be long felt across the country, including within the CPL.
“It’s an event that can change everything in a country, being at home,” he offered. “It gives a boost to the country, especially in terms of the sport, as people are going to discover the Canadian team a little more, because maybe the team isn’t as fully well known yet, and then globally it’s going to put Canada on the map, while showing that there’s a good level here. Plus, maybe it’ll push players to come play here, too, which can only help the league.”
Before seeing the long-term effects of this tournament, however, Ndom is looking forward to enjoying some matches next summer. Of course, given that he’s on Vancouver Island with Pacific FC, he knows that it’s an easy journey to Vancouver to catch games at BC Place, so he’ll look to catch a Canada game or two as part of their World Cup journey - and maybe, if he’s lucky, he might be able to see Senegal or France, which would truly represent a full circle moment for him to live in his new country.
“In terms of going to games… why not?” he said with a smile. “It’s not every day you get to watch a World Cup, it happens every four years, and it’s usually very far away, so I’ll enjoy this, and I’ll hope I can go see Senegal and France along with Canada.”
