Iris Oppong – From UMSC to Canada’s National Team Pathway and AFC Toronto Academy
Iris Oppong - From UMSC to Canada's National Team Pathway and AFC Toronto Academy
Iris Oppong (2009) joins the inaugural AFC Toronto Academy after progressing from Unionville Milliken SC to Canada Soccer’s National Development Centre (NDC) Ontario program. AFC Toronto officially lists Iris as joining from NDC, previously Unionville-Milliken SC.
Iris has already built an impressive youth soccer resume. After progressing to NDC Ontario, she was selected for Canada’s squad at the 2024 Concacaf Girls’ U-15 Championship, an important step in Canada Soccer’s national youth development pathway.
Her development continued at the provincial level in 2025 when Iris represented Team Ontario at the Canada Games in St. John’s. Ontario captured the women’s soccer gold medal with a 1-0 victory over Quebec in the final. First Touch Football Canada subsequently selected Iris to its Canada Games First Team All-Star squad as a centre back, recognizing her performance during the tournament.
Iris continued to progress within Canada’s national-team pathway in 2026. She was selected as a defender for Canada’s Women’s U-17 camp in Spain in February and was then named to Canada’s roster for the 2026 Concacaf Women’s U-17 Qualifiers. She has remained involved with the U-17 national program, including Canada’s August 2026 camp in the United States.
Her selection for AFC Toronto represents another important stage in that journey. AFC Toronto describes its fully funded Academy as a full-time training and development program within a professional, high-performance environment, designed to create a pathway for talented young players toward the club’s First Team and the professional game.
For UMSC, Iris’s journey is an exciting example of a player progressing from the Club into increasingly demanding development environments – from UMSC to NDC Ontario, provincial competition, Canada’s youth national-team pathway and now the AFC Toronto Academy.
UMSC’s role is to help players build the technical ability, confidence, game understanding and competitive foundation that can prepare them to pursue opportunities at higher levels of the game.
Now Iris adds another important chapter to that continuing development story.
Iris’s selection for the inaugural AFC Toronto Academy is first and foremost a tremendous achievement for her and her family. It is also a proud moment for the coaches and teammates who have contributed along the way – and an inspiring example for young players currently wearing a UMSC jersey.
The pathway is real. The opportunity is there. And it can start right here at UMSC.
Congratulations Iris. Everyone at UMSC wishes you continued success as you take this exciting next step.
