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Abdo Rabo in Al Ahli

Egyptian midfielder Hosni Abdo Rabo was yesterday announced as Al Ahli's second professional signing for the new season.

  • By Alaric Gomes, Senior Reporter
  • Published: 00:03 July 24, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Image Credit: WAM
  • Shaikh Maktoum Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Vice-President of Al Ahli Club, in conversation with the club’s latest signing Hosni Abdo Rabo on Wednesday.

Dubai: Egyptian midfielder Hosni Abdo Rabo was yesterday announced as Al Ahli's second professional signing for the new season.

Announcing the signing was Al Ahli Club Chairman Khalifa Saeed Sulaiman. Also present were former UAE midfielder and skipper Saleem Khamis and coach Ivan Hasek as Sulaiman handed over the jersey bearing number 12 to the Egyptian midfielder.

"We believe Hosni is here to add value to the senior team with his exploits on the ground," Sulaiman told an expectant media who were speculating the cost of bringing such a star presence to Dubai.

Of course, at 23, Abdo Rabo lacks a global resonance. But people will remember that he outshone the likes of Samuel Eto'o, Michael Essien and Didier Drogba to be named the best player at the end of the African Nations Cup held in Ghana earlier this year.

"He is a great player and I respect his mentality for the team and the game," Hasek told Gulf News.

"I made some enquiries about this player and all I heard was positive elements in his game."

Abdo Rabo started his professional football career at Esmaili in Egypt, and was the youngest player in the Egyptian first division when his club won the League Championship in 2001-02.

Turning heads

In 2003, he came up with great performances at the Fifa World Youth Cup held in the UAE. Some of the top European clubs such as Juventus, Arsenal, Nantes and Strasbourg showed an interest in signing him, but Esmaili refused to let him go.

He made his debut for the senior national team in 2004 during the African Cup of Nations in Tunisia, but it ended in disappointment for him with a pulled hamstring.

However, Abdo Rabo more than compensated for that disappointment in Ghana this year as he scored four goals to end as joint top scorer and help Egypt clinch the cup.

Al Ahli had shown a keen interest in signing the defensive midfielder, but had to wait until the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled on the matter last week.

In 2005, Abdo Rabo had signed for RC Strasbourg and the French club in turn were seeking compensation for releasing the player. Also joining the fray were Al Ahli, Cairo and Saudi Arabia's Al Nasr.

Last week, the CAS gave a verdict in favour of Esmaili having rights over Abdo Rabo.

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