UAE goalkeeper Ahmed Dida has left Arabian Gulf League champions Al Ahli in pursuit of first-team football, with Bani Yas stalwart Mohammed Jaber going the other way in a part-exchange deal.
Dida, 27, made only six top-flight appearances last term after injury saw him usurped by Whites No1 Majed Nasser during the winter. Frustration at the situation saw the ex-Al Wasl and Al Shabab star decline to extend a contract which was to run out next summer.
The managerless Sky Blues moved quickly to take advantage of the situation, snapping him up on a four-year deal after agreeing to allow centre-back Jaber, 27, to head to Rashid Stadium.
This switch sees the one-club man end a long association with his boyhood team and split him up from brother Yousif.
“The goalkeeper Ahmed Dida signed a contract with Bani Yas first team for four years,” the Abu Dhabi-outfit tweeted.
“The contract states the transfer of Bani Yas player Mohammed Jaber to Al Ahli. We wish best of luck for both players.
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— نادي بني ياس (@BaniyasClub) July 13, 2016
The goalkeeper Ahmed Dida signed a contract with Baniyas first team for four years
“Bani Yas would like to thank Al Ahli for the success of this coopera- tion between the two clubs.”
The transfer ends a largely-frustrating, two-and-a-half-year stay at Ahli for Dida, who started just 14 AGL games during this time. He did, however, play a prominent role as the club made the final of the 2015 AFC Champions League after rival Nasser picked up a lengthy suspension.
Dida will add significant quality to a weak area of the Bani Yas squad. None of Mohamed Khalaf, Adel Fadaq or Mohsin Al Hashmi were able to fully stake their claim to the starting spot under either Luis Garcia or Dr Abdullah Misfer as the club limped home ninth.
Meanwhile, Dibba Al Fujairah’s foreign contingent for 2016/17 con- tinues to take shape after they completed a deal for miniscule Ivorian winger Hamed Kone.
Kone, 28, has signed up from Romanian strugglers Voluntari. His five goals in 30 appearances helped them to narrowly avoid relegation from Liga I.
They previously bought South Korean centre-back Heo Jae- won, 32, from Qatar’s Al Khor.
