Bobcats add Kenyan midfielder Meron

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This article was published 05/08/2025 (242 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Deborah Meron is ready for a massive change.

The Kenyan soccer star sought to take her talents worldwide, so she signed with Sports Recruiting USA, an international recruiting agency specializing in soccer. That connected her with Brandon University, and the five-foot-three midfielder has signed with the Bobcats for the 2025 Manitoba Colleges Athletic Conference season.

“It’s going to be very helpful for my career development in football,” Meron said via phone interview, adding BU was an attractive choice on and off the pitch.

“The good performance of the previous season, the team did really well and that’s one thing that can attract any player to their team.

“About the academic side, it’s a university that has the course of my choice, which is computer science.”

Meron is as versatile as rookies come. A member of the True Talents of Africa program, she’s played all over the pitch and the highlight reel she put together for recruiting proves it.

It starts with a long, right-footed volley tucked under the crossbar, catching the goalkeeper off guard. Her ability to defend and create offence through the middle of the field is on display, along with her blistering speed and work rate to track down strikers on breakaways.

She wants her team to possess the ball, in turn controlling the game, something the Bobcats have done better than anyone in the MCAC over the past two seasons under coach Orlin Chalmers in 2023 and Diego Rodriguez Sr. last year.

She’s willing to play just about any role as BU looks for a third straight league title.

“I’ve played centre back, I’ve played attacking midfield, defending midfield, I’ve played striking, I’ve played wing and even fullback. I enjoy playing central midfield,” Meron said. “I can play all those positions, well, except keeper.”

Meron is joining Brandon’s Kaylee Dittmer, Saskatoon’s Sofia Kalyar and Yorkton’s Sara Switzer in the rookie class for the fast-approaching season. BU kicks off the 12-match campaign on Sept. 7.

While Meron is eager about the move across the world, she doesn’t hesitate to say what she’s most excited about.

“The games. That’s the thing I’m really looking forward to,” she said.

“I want to experience travelling to other schools and seeing how they are, getting to play against opponents I’ve never had the chance to play against.”

She’ll have some unique conditions to adjust to. Her highlight video includes field conditions from flawless to grassless (dirt) and everything in between. With the opening of Cougars Field at the Maple Leaf Foods Sports Complex, three of the five MCAC teams now call artificial turf fields home.

More importantly, Meron said the coldest weather she’s played in is about 18 C.

That might be close to the warmest one she’ll suit up for this fall, with some late-season contests near freezing.

“I don’t think that will be something that will stop me from performing well,” Meron said. “It’s all about my mental strength and that’s where I shine most.”

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