The team also chose to not pick up options of the contracts of defender/midfielders Chris Pozniak and Nadir Haroub Ali.
Hirano and Moose will spend their third seasons with the Whitecaps, while Khalifan came to the team from Moro United in Tanzania’s Premier League August 13.
Hirano played in 38 games last season with three assists and was named their Defender of the Year. In his previous two seasons, he played in a total of 68 games.
Moose was limited to 484 minutes over 15 games due to injury versus his 2008 season, where he had two goals and five assists in 1,892 minutes over 30 games. He played for two seasons in Major League Soccer with DC United before joining the Whitecaps.
Khalifan started nine of 14 games last season, including one start in five playoff appearances.
Pozniak saw his second stint with Vancouver come to an end. He rejoined the Whitecaps July 30 and made 14 appearances this season. In his first stint in 2008, he played in nine games then joined Dundee FC in Scotland’s First Division.
Ali was on loan from Young Africans FC in the Tanzanian Premier League and will return there after not appearing in any Whitecaps games this season.
