Published Jun 13, 2025 • Last updated 12 hours ago • 4 minute readHalifax Wanderers keeper, Rayane Yesli dives to make a stop during a team training session Friday at the Wanderers Grounds in Halifax. Photo by Tim KrochakWhat stands out most about Rayane Yesli is his height.At six-foot-eight, the Halifax Wanderers first-year keeper is the tallest player to ever play for the Canadian Premier League club.“The first time I saw him, I was like, damn, he is tall,” joked Wanderers goalkeeping coach Jan-Michael Williams.But from the first day of training camp, Williams discovered that there was more to Yesli than being a tall drink of water.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle content“For somebody so tall, he’s quite nimble and moves quickly,” said the 40-year-old Williams, a former keeper who was the Wanderers’ first captain during their inaugural season in 2019 and started in the club’s first-ever match.“He also speaks five languages. So, it’s easy to say he gets along with everybody and can communicate with everybody.“It also lends itself to the level of intelligence that he possesses. He had the opportunity to go to dental school but passed that up. He’s quite an intelligent young man.” Halifax Wanderers keeper Rayane Yesli dives to make a stop during a Canadian Premier League match May 3 in Halifax against Forge FC. – CANADIAN PREMIER LEAGUE Photo by Nick Pearce/Dalhousie UniversityThe 25-year-old puts his polyglotism to good use on the pitch. The Algeria-born, Montreal-raised keeper speaks both English and French to his backline.“I’d rather speak in French,” Yesli said. “Three of the four defenders that have been playing consistently speak French, so it’s really helpful.”The Wanderers backline is heavy with a Quebecois contingent, including Thomas Meilleur-Giguere, one of the top central defenders in the league, Nassim Mekideche, Jefferson Alphonse and Kareem Sow, a former teammate of Yesli’s at the University of Montreal.Article content“There are a lot of guys from Montreal who play on the team. They are people that I trust, and we know each other well,” Yesli said.“It has made for an easier transition. When you get to a new environment, you don’t want any surprises. There are nearly 10 guys that come from Montreal, and we get together to train during the off-season. They gave it to me straight and I like that.”The Wanderers are the third Canadian Premier League club in as many years for Yesli.After learning his chops with Major League Soccer’s CF Montreal academy and a pro stint in Italy, Yesli joined Valour midway through the 2022 season and earned a Golden Glove nomination following an outstanding 2023 campaign, which included a league-best 81 saves. Halifax Wanderers keeper Rayane Yesli. – TIM KROCHAKSurprisingly, Yesli was traded from the Winnipeg-based club to Atletico Ottawa last season. But he only appeared in eight matches with Ottawa as Nathan Ingham took over the reins in the nation’s capital.Article content“Football is a crazy world; you don’t know where you’re going to end up the next year,” Yesli said.In need of a restart, Yesli looked east.“Coming to Halifax and being able to play as many games as possible, I felt this was a good fit for me,” he said. “I know what I can bring to a team. I just try to stay as consistent as I can, train as hard as I can and be ready for the weekend. I’ll leave it to other people to judge if I’m better than what they had before.”What they had before was Yann Fillion, an international veteran who appeared in 52 matches over two seasons in Halifax.After backstopping the Wanderers to a club-best 2023 campaign, Fillion struggled last season behind a shoddy defensive team that couldn’t keep the ball out of their net.Halifax finished sixth in the eight-team league and failed to make the playoffs. The Wanderers conceded a league-worst 43 goals in 28 matches (tied with Vancouver), the most goals allowed in a single season in club history.Article contentAfter Fillion left Halifax for a pro side in Malta, Yesli inked a one-year deal, plus a 2026 option, with the Wanderers.“It was an area that we focused on trying to improve,” Williams said. “We wanted to not only bring in somebody that has the quality and the capability to consistently play at a high level, but add somebody who is a good person and lifts the mood in the dressing room. That’s what Rayane has done.“His talent is definitely there. He could push his game to a level that gets him some international attention and the attention of the national team coach.” Rayane Yesli is in his first season with the Halifax Wanderers after stops with Valour FC and Atletico Ottawa. – CANADIAN PREMIER LEAGUEYesli will be tested this weekend as the Wanderers (5-3-2) host Cavalry FC (9-5-2) in Halifax on Saturday, 4 p.m. The teams are tied with 17 points apiece, four back of first-place Ottawa.Yesli is tied with Ingham for the league lead in minutes played (900), is second in saves (32), third in goals against average (1.10) and has four clean sheets, tied for most in the CPL.He has endeared himself to the raucous Wanderers Grounds faithful, which wasn’t the case when he was the opposition in four previous matches in Halifax. The jeers have turned into cheers.“It’s really nice to be on this side,” Yesli said with a chuckle. “Before our first home game, just walking to warm up, I felt the love. They were cheering me on. It’s really great.“They would give it to me (as the opposing keeper). But after I signed (with the team) some of them came up to me and apologized. I told them, ‘it’s OK, it’s part of the game.’”Article content
Multilingual Yesli stands tall in first season as Wanderers keeper
