Wanderers sign Firth, Karajovanovic, Sow

Midfielder Scott Firth of Halifax has signed a one-year contract with club options with the HFX Wanderers.

The 20-year-old enters his third season with the Canadian Premier League club. The deal includes club options for 2022 and 2023.

“I feel the city behind me as well being a local, so I just can't wait to play in front of them again,” Firth said in a news release. “I'm hoping soon enough we can all return home.”

The Wanderers and the rest of the league open the 2021 campaign on June 26 in a bubble format in Winnipeg. Each of the league's eight clubs will play eight games over the course of four weeks in the bubble, concluding on July 24.

It is hoped the remainder of the 28-game season schedule will be played at each team's home stadiums following the Winnipeg bubble when provincial health authorities deem it safe.

Firth is the 20th player officially added to the Wanderers roster for 2021, joining local players Christian Oxner and Kieran Baskett.

Also signed to the team on Thursday was Canadian forward Stefan Karajovanovic.

Karajovanovic, who inked a one-year deal with a club option for 2022, was the Wanderers' seventh overall pick in the CPL-U SPORTS Draft in January.

The 22-year-old striker from Gatineau, Que., scored 35 goals in 37 games with the Carleton Ravens.

“He's a dynamic in-the-box type of striker, very similar to Akeem Garcia in his qualities, likes to get in behind, makes good runs and movement and he's two-footed, so he gives us a little bit of extra depth up top,” Wanderers head coach Stephen Hart said in a news release.

The Wanderers weren't done with the signings on Friday.

The team came to terms with another CPL-U Sports draft pick, Montreal Carabins defender Kareem Sow. The Ottawa native arrived in Halifax last week to begin his 14day quarantine before leaving with the team to Winninpeg.

“He's a central defender," Hart said. "I was excited to get him because he's a cool, calm, collected type of defender with good physical qualities and good ball-playing qualities.”

Karajovanovic and Sow are the sixth and seventh CPL-U Sports draft picks signed by the Wanderers to either a full-time or developmental contract, joining current standouts Oxner, Peter Schaale, Cory Bent and Jake Ruby.