UAE playmaker Omar Abdulrahman had double cause for celebration after his country’s resounding 6-2 win over Bahrain on Tuesday night.
As just hours before netting the Whites’ final goal against their Gulf rivals, Sport360° can reveal the precocious Emirati put pen-to-paper on a “long-term” sponsorship deal with sports brand giants, Nike.
The lucrative deal underlines Abdulrahman’s burgeoning reputation both here in the UAE and throughout the Middle East and comes on the back of his impressive summer.
Dazzling displays for UAE’s Olympic side at London 2012 was soon followed by a two-week trial with English Premier League champions Manchester City.
Despite impressing City boss Roberto Mancini enough to be offered a permanent deal, Abdulrahman chose to pledge his immediate future to Pro League champions Al Ain as they plot AFC Champions League glory in 2013.
However, with City recently announcing their own six-year deal with Nike, beginning from the 2013-14 season, speculation will no doubt arise over a renewed bid for the starlet given that both will be backed by the same sponsor.
Abdulrahman’s link-up with Nike makes him the fourth UAE star to do so in recent months, following in the footsteps of his international skipper Ismail Mater (Al Wahda) and fellow team-mates Hamdan Al Kamali (Al Wahda) and Amer Abdulrahman (Bani Yas).
The deal undoubtedly strengthens Abdulrahman’s position of one of the leading lights of Gulf football with many commentators predicting a bright future in the game for 21-year-old.
In joining Nike’s stable of the Emirates biggest and brighest talent, Abdulrahman will be seen strutting his stuff in Nike’s Mercurial boots – the same make worn by Real Madrid and Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
Carry on impressing as he has done for both club and country in recent month and it won’t be just boots Abdulrahman has in common with Ronaldo.
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