Bruno Zebie (born August 14, 1995) is a former professional
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
player who played as a
midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
. Born in France, Zebie represented Canada at youth level.
Early life
Zebie was born in
Cormeilles-en-Parisis
Cormeilles-en-Parisis (, literally ''Cormeilles in Parisis'') is a commune in the Val-d'Oise department in Île-de-France in Northern France.
Inhabitants are called ''Cormeillais(e)''.
Neighbouring communes
* Argenteuil
* La Frette-sur-Seine
* ...
, France, to
Ivorian parents. He acquired
French nationality
French nationality law is historically based on the principles of ''jus soli'' (Latin for "right of soil") and ''jus sanguinis'', according to Ernest Renan's definition, in opposition to the German definition of nationality, ''jus sanguinis'' ( ...
on 29 July 1999, through the collective effect of his parents'
naturalization
Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...
.
He moved to
Lachine, Quebec
Lachine () is a borough (''arrondissement'') within the city of Montreal on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It was an autonomous city until the municipal mergers in 2002.
History
Lachine, apparently from the French term ' ...
at age six, later moving to
Brossard, Quebec
Brossard (, , ) is a municipality in the Montérégie region of Quebec, Canada and is part of the Greater Montreal area. According to the 2021 census, Brossard's population was 91,525. It shares powers with the urban agglomeration of Longueuil a ...
.
His family then moved to
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
when he was 13.
He began playing youth soccer with Edmonton Juventus before joining the
FC Edmonton
FC Edmonton was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Edmonton, Alberta. The club was founded in 2010 and competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 2011 to 2017. The club went on hiatus when NASL ceased competitive operat ...
Academy in 2012.
In 2016, he joined the Edmonton Green and Gold youth academy.
University career
In 2016, he began attending the
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexander Cameron Rutherfor ...
, where he played for the
men's soccer team. In his first season, he was named a
Canada West
The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report on the ...
Second Team All-Star, winning the
U Sports Men's Soccer Championship
The U Sports men's soccer championship is a Canadian university soccer tournament which involves the champions from each of Canada's four regional sports conferences. The championship features eight teams in single-elimination matches to determin ...
with the team. In 2017, he was named a
Canada West
The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report on the ...
First Team All-Star.
Club career
Zebie joined
FC Edmonton
FC Edmonton was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Edmonton, Alberta. The club was founded in 2010 and competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 2011 to 2017. The club went on hiatus when NASL ceased competitive operat ...
's senior side in the
North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League may refer to:
*North American Soccer League (1968–1984), a former Division I league
*North American Soccer League (2011–2017)
The North American Soccer League (NASL) was a professional men's soccer league b ...
on July 3, 2015 on a week-to-week contract. He made his first appearance on July 13 against the
Fort Lauderdale Strikers Fort Lauderdale Strikers may refer to:
*Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–1983), member of North American Soccer League from 1977 to 1983
*Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1988–1994), member of American Soccer League from 1988 to 1989 and American Profes ...
, as a substitution for
Michael Nonni.
After the NASL folded, Zebie played with the
Calgary Foothills for the
2017
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and
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
Premier Development League
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental association football, soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United Stat ...
seasons. The club would end up champions in 2018, capturing the
PDL Championship in a 2-1 victory over
Reading United in the final.
Zebie returned to
FC Edmonton
FC Edmonton was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Edmonton, Alberta. The club was founded in 2010 and competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 2011 to 2017. The club went on hiatus when NASL ceased competitive operat ...
on December 13, 2018, ahead of the inaugural season of the
Canadian Premier League
The Canadian Premier League (CPL or CanPL; french: Première ligue canadienne, links=no) is a professional men's Association football, soccer league in Canada. At the top of the Canadian soccer league system, it is the country's primary nationa ...
. In November 2019, Edmonton announced Zebie would not be returning to the club for the 2020 season.
On February 5, 2020, Zebie signed with Alberta rival
Cavalry FC
Cavalry Football Club, is a Canadian professional soccer club based in the Calgary metropolitan region of Alberta. The club competes at the top of the Canadian soccer league system in the Canadian Premier League, and plays their home matches at ...
, becoming the first player to play for both
Al Classico
AL, Al, Ål or al may stand for:
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Al (''Aladdin'') or Aladdin, the main character in Disney's ''Aladdin'' media
* Al (''EastEnders''), a minor character in the British soap opera
* Al (''Fullmetal ...
rival clubs, reuniting with his former Calgary Foothills coach
Tommy Wheeldon Jr. He appeared in all ten of Cavalry's matches that year. On January 26, 2021, the club announced it had declined Zebie's contract option for 2021 (due to league rules of having 4 international imports), making him a free agent. Following the season, he returned to his hometown of Edmonton to coach.
International career
Zebie has been called up to camps for
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
at the
under-18 and
under-20
Junior is a category of athletics in which athletes compete under the age of 20 years. Countries all around the world compete in athletics. World Junior Athletics Competitions are held every two years which contain the best junior competitors in ...
level.
In 2013, he took part in the
L'Alcúdia International Football Tournament
The Torneo Internacional de Fútbol Sub-20 de L'Alcúdia (''L'Alcúdia International Under-20 Football Tournament''), better known as COTIF, is an annual international invitational football competition for youth teams, open to both clubs and natio ...
as an under-18 Canada team finished fourth in the annual under-20 tournament.
Personal life
Zebie's elder brother
Allan
Allan may refer to:
People
* Allan (name), a given name and surname, including list of people and characters with this name
* Allan (footballer, born 1984) (Allan Barreto da Silva), Brazilian football striker
* Allan (footballer, born 1989) ...
was also a professional soccer player.
Honours
University of Alberta Golden Bears
*
U Sports Men's Soccer Championship
The U Sports men's soccer championship is a Canadian university soccer tournament which involves the champions from each of Canada's four regional sports conferences. The championship features eight teams in single-elimination matches to determin ...
: 2016
Calgary Foothills
*
Premier Development League
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental association football, soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United Stat ...
:
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
Individual
*
Canada West
The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report on the ...
Second Team All-Star: 2016
*
Canada West
The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report on the ...
First Team All-Star: 2017
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zebie, Bruno
1995 births
Living people
Men's association football midfielders
Ivorian men's footballers
Naturalized citizens of France
French men's footballers
Canadian men's soccer players
Soccer players from Edmonton
French sportspeople of Ivorian descent
Canadian people of Ivorian descent
Black Canadian men's soccer players
French emigrants to Canada
Naturalized citizens of Canada
FC Edmonton players
Alberta Golden Bears players
Calgary Foothills FC players
Cavalry FC players
North American Soccer League (2011–2017) players
USL League Two players
Canadian Premier League players
Canada men's youth international soccer players