Forge FC announced Tuesday that the club has promoted Jelani Smith to Director of Soccer Operations.

“Jelani has been an instrumental part of Forge FC from the beginning serving as the club’s Manager of Soccer Operations.” Said Head Coach & Sporting Director Bobby Smyrniotis. “His continued growth within the club and expertise of the soccer landscape makes him the ideal candidate for this role and I am excited to work alongside him to continue to build on the identity and culture we have set here at Forge FC.”

Jelani Smith is entering his fifth season with Forge FC having served as Manager of Football Operations since 2018. Smith has worked directly under Costa Smyrniotis since the beginning of the club learning the ins and outs of running a top-class soccer organization. As a former Canadian U-20 national team player, Smith has made a name for himself in the world of soccer. Smith played for the Guyanese Men’s national team and was contributing member of the 2019 squad that qualified for the Concacaf Gold Cup, the only time in the Caribbean Nations history. In his time spent in Europe, Smith went on to play for Sturm Graz in the Austrian Bundesliga. After returning to Canada, Jelani has since transitioned into a managerial role with Forge FC, where he utilizes his vast knowledge and experience in the sport to help guide the team toward success.

“I am thrilled to be taking on this new role and thankful to the Hamilton Sports Group for providing the opportunity to move forward with the club,” said Director of Soccer Operations Jelani Smith “I have had the opportunity to learn from both Costa and Bobby’s extensive wealth of knowledge over the past 5 years and will use the experiences I have gained to aid in the continued development of the vision and identity of Forge FC.”