The 2023 winter transfer window will be marked by the one transfer that did not happen. Oday Dabbagh will leave Arouca and head to Charleroi but not until his current contract runs out in the summer.
West Bank Premier League reinforcements
The Jordanian League switching back to a more tradition fall to spring calendar instead of the current model that runs from the spring to the winter. The first domino to fall was Shehab Qombor leaving Wehdat (temporarily) to reinforce Jabal Al-Mokaber’s title challenge.
That was book ended by several Jordanian players with Palestinian origins joining the WBPL until the end of the season. Feras Shelbaieh (Defender, Al-Wehdat) joined Merkaz Balata, A player from Wehdat’s reserve team-Omar Dahbour- agreed to join Al-Am’ary and help in their fight against relegation.
Further up the table, Ahmed Elias (midfielder, Al-Whdat), Mohamed Masha (midfielder, Ma’an), and Aref El-Haj (midfielder, Al-Sareeh) signed with Jabal Al-Mukaber, and fellow title chasers secured the signatures of Ahmed Thaer (Defender, Al-Wehdat) and Shaher Shelbieh (Forward, Al-Wehdat).
The biggest move, however, came in the shape of Mohammed Basim Rashid’s return to the WBPL. The midfielder had been going from strength to strength having signed in the Saudi second division with Al-Jeel during the pandemic he parlayed his good play and moved to Indonesia. His one year there saw the fromer Al-Bireh and Hilal Al-Quds player become one of the stars of Persib and Liga I as they narrowly missed out on promotion.
A move to Smouha in the summer did not pan out as expected- with the since dismissed Tarek Ashry keeping the midfielder out of his team selection.
A move to Jabal Al-Mukaber provides Mohammed Basim Rashid the chance regain his fitness ahead of the 2023 WAFF Championship.
Title holders Shabab Al-Khaleel have sought reinforcements in the shape of national team players Nicolas Zedan and Joaquin Abdala both of whom have scored since signing for the Hebron club.
Yaser Hamed signs for Al-Qadsia
Following an abysmal start to the season that featured a contractual dispute with superstar James Rodriguez you got the sense that scapegoats would be quickly identified. It is no surprise that the foreign player earning the least money was selected to play that role. In the first part of the season, Yaser Hamed was a mainstay of the side that could not score or keep a clean sheet. In late January, a contractual buyout was agreed that allowed Al-Rayyan to secure the signatures of Japanese defender Shogo Taniguchi, Moroccan superstar Sofyan Boufal, and Brazilian goalkeeper Ivanildo.
Those changes have done little to change the level of the team who remain mired in the relegation zone and are conceding even more goals per game now than with Yaser Hamed in the team.
There is no doubt that the Basque born defender can play in the best leagues in the Arab world. He showcased his skill while at Al-Masry and would have remained there had the club continued paying his salary in full and on time. A move to the Kuwaiti league is a step down for Yaser Hamed but will net him playing time and the ability to showcase his skills to prospective employers in the near future.
Mahmoud Wadi goes out on loan to Tal’ea El-Geish
As reported earlier, Wadi has left Pyramids and has already settled into life at his new club. Scoring his first goal in nearly a year.
Yashir Islame signs with Universidad de Concepcion
Yashir Islame has not played for the national team since November 2019 but he has enjoyed successful spells throughout Southeast Asia. Away from the national team, he has been reinvented into a midfielder a surprise move for one of Palestine’s most efficient goalscorers.
Barring a brief stint in the midst of the Pandemic with Rangers which feature 12 minutes of playing time in early 2021. Islame has been in the ASEAN region playing for the likes of PKNP (Malaysia), Barito Putera (Indonesia), Khon Kaen FC (Thailand), and Negeri Sembilan (Malaysia).
A return to the national team will have to be powered by goals and the striker faces stiff competition in the form of Saleh Chihadeh, Shehab Qombor, Mahmoud Wadi, and even Ziad Qombor. All of whom are younger than him. It will be interesting to see if Universidad de Concepcion will deploy the player as a forward- where he had considerable success the last time he played in the Primera B (Chile’s second tier) helping Coquimbo Unido achieve promotion with 6 goals and an assist in 12 games.
