Demba Ba, Eden Hazard and Yohan Cabaye are investing in an NASL expansion team

San Diego is set to have a professional soccer team thanks to the former Chelsea forward, who is heading a group of investors that includes Eden Hazard, Yohan Cabaye – Ba's former team-mate at Newcastle – and fellow Senegalese forward Moussa Sow.

The new club is set to compete in U.S. soccer's second tier from spring 2018.

Ba, who is currently on loan at Turkish club Besiktas, is confident that the new side can enjoy great success.

"If you look at San Diego there are not many pro teams, and there are no pro teams for football," Ba told Goal. "We think it is a very good market, and if we go in, do good and work hard, we can be successful.

"It's a market that's growing very quick and very good, and we wanted to be a part of it because every time America puts its hands into something they succeed. So we wanted to be a success with them."

The club's name, logo and strip are currently undecided, but there are fixed plans in place to build a 10,000-seater stadium inside a complex alongside the franchise's training centre. In the meantime, the club will play at University of San Diego's Torero Stadium.

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