Vancouver's FC's most recent acquisition secured his team a dramatic road win over Valour in Winnipeg Sunday, April 25, with Ayman Sellouf scoring a well-placed shot into the bottom right corner in the 97th minute to put his team up 2-1 – on his birthday, no less.
GOAL🦅🦅
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) August 25, 2024
Have yourself a day Ayman Sellouf!@vanfootballclub's newest arrival looks to have secured his team a dramatic road win over Valour, scoring in the 97th minute to put his team up 2-1, on his birthday, no less
🔴Watch the @TonyBet_Canada #CanPL MOTW LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/eHqEjTSEDH
Sellouf was named player of the match. His goal gives Vancouver a six-point lead over Valour for the fifth and final Canadian Premier League playoff spot.
Earlier this month, the Langley-based team did a deal with Island-based Pacific FC, which swapped Sellouf for striker Moses Dyer.
Both players are on loan until the end of the 2024 season.
A dream birthday for Ayman Sellouf 🤩
— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) August 25, 2024
No better way to introduce yourself to the Vancouver FC fans than a 97th minute winner 👏#CanPL pic.twitter.com/BIFp8GUhJV
“Obviously you’re going to think about it,” Sellouf said after the match about scoring on his birthday.
“I said before at the team breakfast that we had that the only birthday gift that I want is that we win the game, and that’s what we did, we won the game. That’s the birthday gift that I wanted and that I also scored the goal is more like like a dessert.”
Gabriel Bitar scored first for VFC in the 30th minute, finishing off a successful counter-attack by firing a shot into the top right corner, taking a deflection on the way through.
It looked like that goal would end up being the winner, but then, former Eagles striker Shaan Hundal tied things up from close range in the 87th minute, only to have Sellouf score 10 minutes later to win the game for the visitors.
Despite being pleased with the victory, and the lead it has opened up over the pack of teams chasing them, Vancouver head coach Afshin Ghotbi is not satisfied.
“Obviously we want to make playoffs, but I have higher ambitions for the group,” Ghotbi said after the game. “We feel that we can be in the top three and we’re going to go after it."
Valour also ran into a hot goalie, with Vancouver’s Callum Irving making a number of key saves,one a diving stop to deny Tass Mourdoukoutas’ header from a corner kick.
Callum Irving, incredible save 🤩
— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) August 25, 2024
Well deserved @AllstateCanada Save of the Match 👏#CanPL pic.twitter.com/BgAqseXMQy
Next, Vancouver heads to the nation’s capital to play Atlético Ottawa on Saturday Aug 31 at 4 p.m.
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