Jires Kembo Ekoko has earned a second chance with Al Ain, the club have confirmed, as new signing Mohammed Fawzi jetted out to join the squad in Italy.
Kembo Ekoko, who spent last season on loan at Qatari side El Jaish, had been expected to leave the Boss this summer with the club making contact with several potential signings.
However, the former France Under-21 international’s performances in pre-season have been good enough to convince coach Zlatko Dalic to hand the winger a reprieve.
“Zlatko was satisfied by Kembo and renewed his trust in him and after a long test for the player, the technical and professional committee approved him,” said Mohammed Obeid Hammad, Al Ain football first team supervisor.
Fawzi, meanwhile, is due to join up with his new team-mates at their Montecatini training base on Tuesday night, having signed a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee on Sunday.
As part of the move, UAE midfielder Bandar Mohammed Al Ahbabi and defender Abdul Salam Mohammed both headed in the opposite direction, penning five-year contracts.
“Mohammed Fawzi is an important player in the national team and he is an effective one,” Obeid Hammad added. “He has great skills and a good personality on the field along with good experience he earned from his previous team and the national team.”
Obeid Hammad also confirmed that the purchase of Fawzi, and decision to retain Kembo Ekoko, would bring to an end the club’s transfer activity this summer.
Dalic can now plan for the first leg of the AFC Champions League quarter-final against Al Ittihad on August 19 free from distractions, exactly the position he wanted to be in when he reported back for pre-season.
Al Ahbabi’s – recalled from Al Dhafra at the end of last season – and Mohammed’s moves were motivated by a need to shed fringe players from the club’s books, due to the Pro League Committee’s decision to replace the reserve league with a new Under-21 alternative.
However, Obeid Hammad insisted they would still have a home at the club.
“Al Ain will stay their first home and we wish them back to Al Ain in the near future,” he said. “They moved as per the administration directions and for the best of the three parties, Al Ain, Bani Yas and the players so they can get a chance of playing as main players with Bani Yas in AG league.”
