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Yaser Hamed Mayor has signed with Qatari side Al-Gharafa for the remainder of the 2024/25 season.
The centreback, who made his Palestine debut in August 2019, has been training with the side since the fall. The defender had prioritized a return to Qatar, with Al-Gharafa being his first choice, since parting ways with Zamalek this past summer.
The Cheetahs have been active in the transfer window loaning out Romanian winger Florinel Coman to Serie A side Cagliari. The club have a slew of foreign players that they use for their Asian Champions League Elite campaign. Those players include Icleand captain Aaron Gunarson, former PSG goalkeeper Sergio Rico, Tunisia fullback Wajdi Kechrida, and Argentine centreback Matías Nani.
Given the club’s dalliance with several foreign players it seems unlikely the Qatari Football Association will green light an exemption to allow Yaser Hamed to be counted as a local player.
Hamed figures to be a big part of Al-Gharafa’s ACLE campaign with the side in action against direct rivals Pakhtakor tomorrow and Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia in a fortnight’s time. The Qatari side has had one of the worst defensive records in the competition shipping 14 goals in six encounters.
Yaser Hamed is now the ninth Palestinian player plying his trade in Qatar joining his borther Jamal at Al-Gharafa and following in the footsteps of Mohammed Saleh, Amid Mahajneh (Al-Rayyan), Alaa Aldeen Hassan (Al-Arabi), Ataa Jaber (Qatar SC), Michel Termanini, Musab Al-Battat (Al-Wakrah), and Rami Hamadi (Al-Markhiya).
