Versatile defender has MLS and Algerian top-flight experience
PAPILLION, Nebr. (January 16, 2026) – Union Omaha has signed defender Sami Guediri, pending league and federation approval. Guediri joins up from Monterey Bay FC and adds more flexibility to Vincenzo Candela’s tactical exploits in the upcoming season.
Guediri most often shows out at left-back, but has experience on both flanks as well as central midfield. The Boca Raton native has 23 appearances in MLS, between Inter Miami CF and DC United in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. With the latter, he had initially showed out for former affiliate Loudoun United with two goals in 13 appearances to earn his way onto the MLS squad through a series of short-term loans. After a couple of seasons in Algeria’s Ligue Professionnelle 1 with ES Sétif, where he tallied a pair of assists in 20 appearances, he returned to the States to play for Monterey Bay FC in 2025.
Said Head Coach Vincenzo Candela of Guediri, “Sami is a quality addition to our group. His ability and quality will improve our product on the field, and his experience and professionalism will enhance our identity in the locker room!”
Guediri’s first experience as a professional came in the lower leagues of German football, with BW Freisdorf and VfL Alfter in 2016 and 2017. After moving back stateside to his home state of Florida to play for USL League Two SIMA Águilas, he stepped up to Greenville Triumph for the inaugural USL League One season in 2019. He moved to Fort Lauderdale CF the following season, which allowed him to get a look-in to their parent club’s squad with Inter Miami.
- Name Pronunciation: [SA-mee geh-DEE-ree]
- Position: Defender
- Height: 5’11”
- Weight: 165 lbs.
- Date of Birth: 8/18/1997
- Born: Boca Raton, Florida
- Previous Team: Monterey Bay FC
2026 ticket packages are now available. The Owls are moving downtown to Creighton’s Morrison Stadium for the 2026 USL League One season, making for an exciting new atmosphere in the heart of Omaha. Fans can call 402-884-8053 for more information.
ABOUT UNION OMAHA
Union Omaha, the 2021 and 2024 USL League One Champions, is the premier professional soccer team in the state of Nebraska. USL League One is a United States Soccer Federation-sanctioned professional men’s soccer league that occupies the third tier of the American soccer landscape, below USL Championship (tier two) and Major League Soccer (tier one). Union Omaha will play its 2026 USL League One home matches at Morrison Stadium in downtown Omaha. The team is led by General Manager Alexis Boulos in the front office and by Head Coach Vincenzo Candela on the pitch.
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