January 11, 2023...York United FC Accounces Signing of Canadian Winger Clement Bayiha (from York United FC website)

YORK UNITED FC ANNOUNCES SIGNING OF CANADIAN WINGER CLÉMENT BAYIHA

The 23-year-old has joined The Nine Stripes on a two-year deal.

York United FC is delighted to announce the signing of Canadian winger Clément Bayiha.

The 23-year-old joins The Nine Stripes on a two-year deal from Hamarkameratene in the Norwegian
top-flight.

A native of Yaoundé, Cameroon's capital city, Bayiha moved to Canada in 2010 with his family following
a number of years in France. After cutting his teeth with PLSQ side AS Blainville, he joined
the Club de Foot Montreal Academy in 2016. Having impressed during the 2018 preseason with the senior
squad, Bayiha was encouraged to sign with the Ottawa Fury - then plying their trade
in the United Soccer League (USL) - to gain more experience. While there, Bayiha made two appearances,
playing alongside a fellow York off-season acquisition Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé during that stint.
In the summer, he was called back to the CF Montreal squad and named on the bench for a Canadian
Championship clash against the Vancouver Whitecaps while he was also a part of various underage
Canada squads, making his debut for John Herdman's Under-21s in a friendly against Japan during
the Toulon Tournament in June. Four days later, he featured again in a clash with hosts France.

Upon returning to CF Montreal at the end of the year, he was rewarded for his development with his
first Major League Soccer contract as a Homegrown Player and finished 2018 representing his country
once again in the Under-20 CONCACAF Championship where he made five appearances, scoring in Canada's
group stage win over Martinique.

Under Head Coach Remi Garde, Bayiha made his MLS debut for CF Montreal in March 2019, getting 36 minutes
off the bench in a heavy away defeat to Sporting Kansas City. Two weeks later, he was handed a very
first start in a scoreless draw with DC United and shortly after registered his first assist
in a 3-0 win over New England Revolution. Injury interrupted his impressive momentum but he returned
to make a further five MLS appearances that season.

Bayiha also played a crucial role in his team's run to the 2019 Canadian Championship title, starting
four of the cup games, including the 1-0 second leg win over York United in the third round
and the derby decider with Toronto FC. That second leg clash memorably went to extra-time
and penalties, with Montreal ultimately prevailing.

2020 proved a frustrating season for Bayiha as a groin injury hampered his preseason and the chance
to play in the CONCACAF Champions League Round of 16 tie against Saprissa. The domestic campaign
was put on temporary hiatus due to the pandemic, though he was involved with the CF Montreal squad
during the MLS Is Back bubble tournament in Orlando. However, under new Head Coach Thierry Henry,
his on-field opportunities were limited and he was restricted to just one more MLS start once the
season returned. In total, he made four appearances for the team across 2020.

The following year, Bayiha featured a lot more under Wilfried Nancy, who replaced Henry as Montreal
boss. Early on, he started back-to-back MLS games against the Whitecaps and Inter Miami and contributed
heavily from the bench too during the first half of the season. There were also notable appearances
in another victorious Canadian Championship odyssey, including keeping his nerve during a shootout
with Forge FC in a tense semifinal.

At the end of the 2021 season, Bayiha moved to Norway's top tier and signed for Hamarkameratene
(HamKam), making his debut for the club in a 2-1 loss to Tromso in April. Bayiha made a further
seven appearances in the league, and also featured in a domestic cup assignment with Furnes Fotball.

"Clément is someone that we’ve been chatting to for a while," says Angus McNab, York United FC's
CEO/President and GM.

"I actually approached HamKam last summer and enquired about a loan but there was an injury to another
of their players so it wasn’t the right time to make a deal. We obviously stayed in touch with
the club and once we had agreed on the principals of an agreement, they gave us permission to discuss
terms and the project with Clément."

"Clément had two years remaining on his deal in Norway so we had to convince him about how serious
we were about giving him a platform to perform and really showcase the attacking side of his game.
We are extremely happy he’s agreed to a contract with us, which shows just how much he believes
in what we are building here."

Head Coach Martin Nash has also admired Bayiha over a period of time and believes he's another crucial
jigsaw piece for The Nine Stripes ahead of the 2023 season.

"Clément is a player I’ve had my eye on for a while," Nash says.

"He’s an exciting young talent with top-level speed and technical quality. An important addition
to our squad and who will add a real dynamism to our right side."

Bayiha becomes the latest acquisition for the club during a busy off-season.

Arrivals include a trio of Canadian midfielders - Elijah Adekugbe, Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé
and Markiyan Voytsekhovskyy, Canadian forward Brian Wright and Dutch defender Lassana Faye.

Familiar faces also return for next season.

Goalkeepers Niko Giantsopoulos and Eleias Himaras are both confirmed while midfielder Matthew Baldisimo
is back on a permanent basis after arriving on loan from Pacific FC towards the end of last term.
Defender Paris Gee and forward Austin Ricci have also committed to new deals.

Earlier in the off-season, the club confirmed striker Osaze De Rosario had signed a two-year extension
and will remain with The Nine Stripes through 2024.

A handful of players are also under contract for the upcoming season: Tass Mourdoukoutas, Max Ferrari,
Mo Babouli and Kevin Dos Santos.

YORK UNITED FC PLAYERS UNDER CONTRACT FOR 2023 (17)
1) Niko Giantsopoulos
2) Paris Gee
3) Tass Mourdoukoutas
8) Elijah Adekugbe
9) Brian Wright
11) Kevin Dos Santos
12) Clément Bayhia
16) Max Ferrari
18) Mo Babouli
22) Austin Ricci
24) Osaze De Rosario
27) Ronan Kratt
28) Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé
33) Matthew Baldisimo
43) Lassana Faye
67) Eleias Himaras
70) Markiyan Voytsekhovskyy

back to 2023 York United FC menu