Moussa Sow begins Dubai return after another Fenerbahce switch fails

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  • Unwelcome return: Moussa Sow (l) is not likely to stick around at Al Ahli (Chris Whiteoak).

    Wantaway Senegal star Moussa Sow will travel with the new Shabab Al Ahi Dubai Club to the Netherlands after he was picked in the merged side’s 30-man training squad.

    Sow, 31, has been unable to find a permanent buyer or temporary destination in the wake of last season’s return to Fenerbahce. This situation saw him begin training in Dubai on Sunday with the shadow roster selected by Cosmin Olaroiu in the wake of May’s shock amalgamation of Al Shabab, the coach’s Al Ahli and promoted Dubai CSC.

    A skeleton list will fly to Europe on Thursday as no UAE internationals from the senior and Under-23 teams are available because of their summer commitments. In total, 16 players were chosen from Ahli, 12 from Shabab and just two from Dubai.

    Sow had headed straight back on loan to Turkey’s Fener in 2016/17, just one season after he had been sold by them for €17 million (Dh70m) in September 2015. He struck 13 times in 24 appearances as the title was won, but cut a detached figure throughout.

    Shabab’s Moldova forward Henrique Luvannor and Ahli’s Senegal striker Makhete Diop will be in their four-man foreign quota.

    Squad

    Ahli provided four starters – goalkeeper Majed Nasser, right-back Abdulaziz Sanqour, defensive midfielder Khamis Esmail and Al Jazira-bound forward Ahmed Khalil – plus one unused substitute – centre midfielder Habib Fardan – when the Whites disappointingly drew 1-1 in Thailand on June 13 to effectively end their hopes of making World Cup 2018.

    For Shabab, anchorman Hassan Ibrahim remained on the bench.

    Coach Edgardo Bauza wants to work with his squad in Europe next month, after his limp debut in east Asia.

    The junior players face a trio of qualifiers from July 15-19 in Al Ain for next January’s 2018 AFC U-23 Championship.

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