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A 15 month ordeal for one of Palestine’s most decorated players is finally over. Rami Hamadi’s club situation had been in limbo since October 7th, 2023 and the former Jabal Al-Mukaber man was left to train on his own in the hopes that a club would sign him.
Hamadi has signed with Al-Markhiya who are currently in second place in the Qatari Second Division with serious hopes of returning to the top flight. A single point separates the side from leaders Al-Khartiyat and the sole automatic promotion spot.
The Shefa ’Amr native responded to hardship spectacularly, keeping clean sheets in five out of ten World Cup qualifiers. Hamadi was critical in leading the national team to the knockout stages of the Asian Cup and the Third Round of World Cup qualifying for the first time in Palestine’s history.
In spite of his spectacular performances, Hamadi received no formal offers in the 2024 transfer windows. To prepare for the national team games he hired a goalkeeping coach at his own cost and arranged to play scrimmage matches with his hometown side.
That preparation paid off as Hamadi turned in one of the standout performances of World Cup qualification thus far, making five saves against Korea Republic and allowing Palestine to escape Seoul with a valuable point in a 0-0 draw.
The shot stopper would suffer an injury four days later that kept him out of qualification matches vs. Jordan and Iraq but time spent in intense rehabilitation at Aspetar in the Qatari capital led to to him attracting interest from several Qatari sides.
The deal is until the end of the season and is made possible by the Qatari government issuing a waiver that allows Hamadi to be registered as a local player. A contract was issued by Al-Gharafa in October but the club failed to convince the authorities to issue an exemption after registering Sergio Rico to play in the Asian Champions League.
Al-Markhiya approached Hamadi in December at the height of the impasse and moved quickly to contract with him and secure an exemption to register him as a local player.
The 30-year old’s contract runs through the league season. As per the arrangements for exempted players he will receive a monthly salary in the low five figures with the club providing housing and transport. Hamadi also stands to make a bonus in the event the club returns to the Qatar Stars League a year after its relegation.
This is the first time Hamadi has played outside of historic Palestine since making his professional debut with Thaqafi Tulkarem twelve years ago.
