Swibel aims for winning start in Winnipeg
What impressed Valour FC’s head coach Phillip Dos Santos most about Jordi Swibel was his work ethic and attitude, plus his impressive performances last NSW NPL season.
Jewish striker Jordi Swibel not only experienced a change of temperature from 30 degrees to -10 degrees last week when flying from Sydney to Winnipeg, but also a welcome change of scene in his football career, having recently been signed by Canadian Premier League club Valour FC.
“It’s been snowing here and in the minuses [in degrees] since I’ve been here, so other than training in the club’s indoor facilities, I’ve been rugging up and staying warm in my heated apartment,” Swibel told The AJN on Monday, ahead of the club’s first 2024 pre-season training session on February 20.
His arrival in Canada marks the start of a welcome return to the top-flight football scene for the 24-year-old former Hakoah FC junior, who’d played 11 A-League games for Sydney FC in 2020-21, but only two games the following season for the Western Sydney Wanderers, followed by two stints in the NSW NPL men’s competition and a partial season in Israel’s second-tier league in late 2022, in which he played just five games.
What impressed Valour FC’s head coach Phillip Dos Santos most about Swibel was his work ethic and attitude, plus his impressive performances last NSW NPL season for the Marconi Stallions, in which he was their top goalscorer with 15 goals in his 28 games.
“We believe Jordan will add quality and versatility to our attack,” Dos Santos said, “and he’s coming off a great season, where he showed his ability to score goals and be a constant threat around the box.”
Swibel described his last three years in football as being “very testing of my character and resilience”, but said he was grateful for his time at Marconi last year, viewing that as “a platform to push myself forward … as I’ve always been ambitious and hard-working, and set myself the goal of getting back into a professional environment the next season”.
“I had a phone call with Phil [Dos Santos] from Valour FC, who was looking for a natural goal scorer and he showed a lot of belief in me, which was all I needed.”
Valour FC has made significant roster changes after coming last in the eight-team Canadian Premier League in 2023, in a bid to move up the ladder this season – which is a scenario that excites Swibel.
“The coaching staff and the club are very ambitious this year and it’s always exciting when you go somewhere that’s a bit of a blank canvas, to be a part of a fresh start,” he said.
“That has added pressure, but also allows us to bring our own personality and flair to the game.
“This is going to be a great opportunity for me to go and prove myself in a new country, with a new set of eyes and bring success to the club, which is our goal.
“Winnipeg is a very nice place, the club has great people from all walks of life and I’m grateful that a fellow Aussie and good friend of mine, Tass Mourdoukoutas, has signed with Valour FC too.”
Swibel will now look forward to forming combinations with his teammates and attending a two-week team training camp in Portugal in late March, before their opening round match on April 14 in Vancouver.
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