ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico United announced on Wednesday the club had acquired midfielder Ousman Jabang via transfer from Club de Foot Montreal of Major League Soccer club CF Montreal.

The 23-year-old joins United following two seasons in Quebec, which had selected the Georgia native with the 75th overall pick of the 2023 MLS SuperDraft. This past campaign, Jabang competed on loan in the USL Championship for Las Vegas Lights FC, where he recorded 17 appearances and logged one assist and four chances created in 1,259 minutes of action in helping the Lights reach the Western Conference Final of the 2024 USL Championship Playoffs.

“‘Ousman is a player that New Mexico United has been monitoring and have had interest in for a long time,” said New Mexico United Sporting Director Itamar Keinan. “When the opportunity to bring him in presented itself, we were quick to move, and are excited to have him here. He is a versatile, top-level midfielder, and we are confident that he will achieve big things in Black & Yellow.”

Prior to entering the professional ranks, Jabang competed collegiately at Mercer College, where he recorded nine goals and 14 assists in 65 appearances across four seasons. In 2021, Jabang was voted to the All-Southern Conference First Team and the United Soccer Coaches All-South Region Third Team.

At New Mexico, he reunites with Head Coach Dennis Sanchez after their time together in Las Vegas a season ago. Jabang proved a key defensive midfielder for the Lights, posting a 91 percent passing accuracy rate while winning 15 tackles at a 71.4 percent success rate and 74 duels at a 58.7 percent success rate and notching 13 interceptions and 66 recoveries.