MIAMI (December 21, 2023) – Inter Miami CF selected two players in the Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft 2023 presented by adidas today, ahead of its fourth season in the league. In the first round, the Club selected goalkeeper Cole Jensen from Xavier University (18th overall pick) and midfielder Bachir Ndiaye from UNC Wilmington (47th overall pick) in the second round.
The SuperDraft comes on the heels of MLS unveiling the 2023 Inter Miami CF schedule on Tuesday and the Club announced single-game tickets to the home matches in the first half of the regular season are now on sale. Fans can purchase single-game tickets by going to www.InterMiamiCF.com/tickets or by calling 305-428-0611. For the fans that want to guarantee tickets to all 17 regular season home matches, the only way to do that today, while supplies last, is to join the Heartbeat of the Club and become a Season Ticket Member. Read more on Season Ticket Member benefits here.
Jensen, a 6’5” goalkeeper from Council Bluffs, Iowa, is coming off of a whirlwind junior year in the 2022 season. The 21-year-old was named the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year, alongside an All-BIG EAST First Team Selection. He was also named to the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Men’s All-American Third Team, the United Soccer Coaches All-East Region First Team Selection, and adidas MLS College Showcase all in 2022. He was also BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week two times during the 2022 season. His selection as an All-American was only the second in school history, and was the third Goalkeeper of the Year for the program. He ranked second in goals against average with 0.89, fifth in conference in total saves with 59, and third in school history in shutouts with eight. He helped the Xavier Musketeers match the program record for longest unbeaten streak to start a season with 14 matches, and set the program record for fewest losses in a season with two.
“There are a lot of great goalkeepers in college soccer that they [Inter Miami] could choose from,” said Jensen. “I am very grateful that they have taken a chance on me, and I am excited to see how much work I can put into my game and how much I can develop as a goalkeeper once we get this thing started. Their confidence in me, gives me confidence as well. I am really excited.”
Ndiaye is a 23-year-old midfielder who featured for UNC Wilmington for three years. Most notably in 2022, the Dakar, Senegal native was named to the All-Colonial Athletic Association First Team after starting 15 of 17 games as a senior, while also being named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Atlantic First Team.
“I can’t put into words how much this opportunity means to me. I am very excited to get started with Inter Miami CF. This is a dream come true and I can’t wait to get started in preseason and get to work in South Florida,” said Ndiaye.
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