AFC Toronto

{{Infobox football club

| clubname = AFC Toronto

| image = AFC Toronto.svg

| upright = 0.8

| fullname = Association Football Club Toronto

| founded = {{start date and age|April 26, 2023|}}

| stadium = {{Ubl|York Lions Stadium|North York, Ontario}}

| capacity = 4,000

| league = Northern Super League

| owntitle = CEO

| owner = Helena Ruken

| mgrtitle = Head coach

| manager = Marko Milanović

| season =

| position =

| current = 2025 Northern Super League season

| website = {{URL|https://afctoronto.ca}}

}}

AFC Toronto is a professional women's soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario, that competes in the Northern Super League, a league at the top of the Canadian soccer league system.

History

In April 2023, AFC Toronto was established by a group of local soccer community members, including Helena Ruken, Brenda Ha, Jill Burgin, Billy Wilson, Mike Ruthard, Kamal Sandhu, and Shamez Mangalji.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/canada-pro-soccer-league-matheson-toronto-1.6821841|title=Toronto named 3rd franchise in Canadian women's pro soccer league set to start in 2025|date=April 26, 2023|work=CBC Sports|first=Myles|last=Dichter}} They became the third club to enter as a founding member of the Northern Super League, which will launch its inaugural season in 2025.{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/article/breaking-through-is-possible-matheson-thrilled-toronto-joining-pro-womens-league/|title='Breaking through is possible': Matheson thrilled Toronto joining pro women's league|date=April 26, 2023|work=Sportsnet|first=John|last=Molinaro}}{{cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/9652373/afc-toronto-city-canadian-womens-pro-soccer-league-2/|title=AFC Toronto City becomes 3rd team to sign on to Canadian women's pro soccer league|first=Neil|last=Davidson|work=Global News|date=April 26, 2023}} Although several of the founders held a connection with the North Toronto Nitros, including Ruken who serves as the Nitros President, AFC Toronto will operate as a separate entity.{{cite web|url=https://canadiansoccerdaily.com/2023/04/28/toronto-is-an-untapped-pool-of-talent-afc-toronto-city-ceo-helena-ruken/|title=Toronto 'an untapped pool' of women's soccer talent: AFC Toronto City CEO Helena Ruken|date=April 28, 2023|work=Canadian Soccer Daily}} In January 2024, Canadian Olympic sprinter Andre De Grasse joined the club as an investor.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/summer/trackandfield/andre-de-grasse-investment-afc-toronto-city-women-soccer-1.7086758|title=Star sprinter De Grasse invests in AFC Toronto City women's soccer team|date=January 17, 2024|work=CBC Sports}}{{cite web|url=https://canadiansoccerdaily.com/2024/01/18/sprinting-to-kickoff-andre-de-grasse-invests-in-project-8s-afc-toronto/|title=Sprinting to kickoff in Canadian pro women's soccer: Andre De Grasse invests in Project 8's AFC Toronto|date=January 18, 2024|work=Canadian Soccer Daily}}

In June 2024, the club unveiled their official branding, maroon and vermillion serving as the team's colours, and their crest, which features a letter T at the centre symbolizing Toronto and mirrored 7s on either side representing the team's original seven founding members, as well as the city's original six boroughs plus the GTA.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/soccer/torontos-pro-womens-soccer-team-unveils-its-crest-with-kickoff-set-for-next-year/article_c0da46be-21b1-11ef-8379-f3ca6efaa341.html|title=Toronto's pro women's soccer team unveils its crest, with kickoff set for next year|date=June 3, 2024|first=Gilbert|last=Ngabo|work=Toronto Star}}{{Cite web|url=https://canadiansoccerdaily.com/2024/06/03/northern-super-league-afc-toronto-unveil-branding-ahead-of-inaugural-season/|title=Northern Super League's AFC Toronto unveil branding ahead of inaugural NSL season|date=June 3, 2024|first=Tom|last=Nightingale|work=Canadian Soccer Daily}} It was announced that the team would play at York Lions Stadium as their home venue for the 2025 season, sharing the venue with Canadian Premier League club York United FC and MLS Next Pro side Toronto FC II.{{Cite web|url=https://northerntribune.ca/afc-toronto-stadium-york-lions/|title=AFC Toronto To Play From York Lions Stadium Next Year|date=August 28, 2024|work=Northern Tribune|first=John|last=Jacques}}{{Cite web|url=https://canadiansoccerdaily.com/2024/08/28/northern-super-leagues-afc-toronto-will-share-york-lions-stadium-with-cpl-side-york-united/|title=Northern Super League's AFC Toronto will share York Lions Stadium with CPL side York United|date=August 28, 2024|work=Canadian Soccer Daily}} In October 2024, Jade Kovacevic was unveiled as the club and league's first ever player signing.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/article/jade-kovacevic-excited-to-live-dream-as-afc-torontos-first-ever-signing/|title=Jade Kovacevic excited to live dream as AFC Toronto's first-ever signing|date=October 21, 2024|work=Sportsnet|first=John|last=Molinaro}}

Players and staff

= Players =

{{Fs player|no=7|nat=CAN|name=Mya Jones|pos=FW|other=on loan from San Diego Wave}}

{{Fs player|no=17|nat=DRC|name=Nyota Katembo|pos=MF|other={{Cref2|A|group=1|1}}}}

{{Fs player|no=18|nat=PHI|name=Ivymae Perez|pos=MF|other={{Cref2|A|group=1|1}}}}

{{Fs player|no=21|nat=POR|name=Sierra Cota-Yarde|pos=GK|other={{Cref2|A|group=1|1}}}}

{{Fs player|no=22|nat=SKN|name=Cloey Uddenberg|pos=MF|other={{Cref2|A|group=1|1}}}}

{{Fs player|no=24|nat=CAN|name=Amanda West|pos=FW|other=on loan from Houston Dash}}

{{Fs player|no=94|nat=CAN|name=Victoria Pickett|pos=MF|other=on loan from North Carolina Courage}}

{{Cnote2|A|group=1|n=1|Counts as a domestic player as she also holds Canadian nationality}}

= Current staff =

{{updated|August 7, 2024|}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.afctoronto.ca/news/afc-toronto-welcomes-marko-milanovic-and-sylvia-forbes-as-new-coaching-team|title=AFC Toronto Welcomes Marko Milanovic and Sylvia Forbes as New Coaching Team|date=August 7, 2024|work=AFC Toronto}}

class="wikitable"
style="background:#AC162C; color:white;" scope="col" colspan="2"\|Executive {{Fb cs staff \|bg= \|p=Chief Executive Officer \|s= Helena Ruken}} {{Fb cs staff \|bg= \|p=Chief Operating Officer \|s= Kamal Sandhu}} {{Fb cs staff \|bg= \|p=Vice-President, Brand and Partnerships \|s= Kathleen Hegarty}} {{Fb cs staff \|bg= \|p=Sporting Director \|s=Billy Wilson}}
style="background:#AC162C; color:white;" scope="col" colspan="2"\|Coaching staff {{Fb cs staff \|bg=y \|p=Head coach \|s= Marko Milanović}} {{Fb cs staff \|bg=y \|p=Assistant coach \|s= Sylvia Forbes}} {{Fb cs staff \|bg=y \|p=Goalkeeping coach \|s= Rasih Pala}} {{Fb cs staff \|bg=y \|p=Head Athletic Therapist \|s= Karla Leong}} {{Fb cs staff \|bg=y \|p=Sports Science & Performance coach \|s= Mariana Gonzalez Moreno}} {{Fb cs staff \|bg=y \|p=Athletic therapist \|s= Kia Halsall}}

class="wikitable"

style="background:#AC162C; color:white;" scope="col" colspan="2"|Executive

{{Fb cs staff |bg= |p=Chief Executive Officer |s= Helena Ruken}}

{{Fb cs staff |bg= |p=Chief Operating Officer |s= Kamal Sandhu}}

{{Fb cs staff |bg= |p=Vice-President, Brand and Partnerships |s= Kathleen Hegarty}}

style="background:#AC162C; color:white;" scope="col" colspan="2"|Coaching staff

{{Fb cs staff |bg=y |p=Head Athletic Therapist |s= Karla Leong}}

{{Fb cs staff |bg=y |p=Sports Science & Performance coach |s= Mariana Gonzalez Moreno}}