Bani Yas rope in Oman striker Al Dhabit

Hani Al Dhabit, Oman's top striker and world's leading scorer in 2001 according to FIfa, has signed a contract to join Bani Yas senior team in the second round of the UAE's first division league from March 20.

Bani Yas, in their attempts to upgrade their performances and results in the league, have also signed a deal with former Egyptian international goalkeeper, Thabit Al Battal to work as assistant to their German coach Rainer Zobel, who started his task with the club this week. Al Battal has worked with Zobel while the German was leading Ahli Club of Egypt.

Al Dhabit won the top scorer title of the 15th Gulf Cup in Riyadh, January this year, after netting five goals leading Oman to their best performances in the history of the regional tournament.

Mohammed Suhail Al Kathiri, the Secretary General of Bani Yas, signed the deal in Muscat on Saturday with the officials of Dhafar Club, where Al Dhabit was playing. The officials of the Omani club refused to announce the financial details of the deal.

Al Wakra Club, from Qatar, was also interested in signing Al Dhabit, but Bani Yas offer was better.

Al Dhabit has joined the club's trainings yesterday after arriving to Abu Dhabi, under the guidance of Zobel and Al Battal, who arrived here yesterday.

Al Dhabit was selected by Fifa as the World's Top Striker in 2001 after scoring 22 international goals for Oman. He was selected the Best Player of the Month by the AFC(Asian Football Confederation) twice and the best player in the GCC Clubs Championship twice.

He is the first Omani player to play professional football outside his country. Al Dhabit has a brief experience with Ghent Club, from Belgium for a week and the club was interested in signing him but after his brilliant performances in the Gulf Cup, he changed his plans and announced that he prefers to play professional in the GCC countries.

He was approached by a large number of clubs in the region from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE but he signed for Bani Yas who are suffering from bad results and are placed 11th on the standings of the first division with four points only from 11 matches and faces relegation together with Al Khaleej, the 12th and last team by the end of the first round of the competition.

Al Dhabit is expected to replace Algerian striker Farid Ghazi in the line up of Bani Yas.