Ajman’s transfer bid too late

While other Arabian Gulf League clubs have got their reinforcements, Ajman have yet to see major transfer deals which will determine how they fare in the near future.

Abdulwahab Abdulqadir, the Ajman coach, has been desperately pleading for reinforcements in this transfer window. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

This month has been a busy one for mandarins at most Arabian Gulf League clubs with 18 new foreign players being registered since the winter transfer window opened on January 5, and a horde of Emirati players moving clubs.

Every club have been trying to strengthen their squads, save Al Ahli, of course.

Given their position at the top of the league table, they have felt little need to make changes, although they did sign goalkeeper Ahmed Mahmoud from Al Wasl. And their inactivity in this period has been matched, rather surprisingly, by only one club: the one at the bottom of the standings.

Ajman have not made any changes to their foreign quartet yet and to date, they have brought in only one new recruit this month, midfielder Mohammed Abdulbasit, on loan from Ahli, despite pleas from manager Abdulwahab Abdulqadir for reinforcements.

The Iraqi coach has gone public in his criticism of Ajman’s foreign players and, after initially ignoring his request, the club management have been forced to look for alternatives to underperforming Kuwaiti striker Yousuf Nasser, who has scored only two goals in 16 league matches, and Moroccan playmaker Driss Fettouhi.

Nasser got injured in training earlier this week, while Fettouhi, who has been given a two-year extension, is back on the treatment table after a knock in the last game against Sharjah.

Iraqi defender Ahmed Ibrahim, who spent six months at Al Wasl last season, and Lebanese striker Hassan Mohammed are apparently on their radar, along with a few options from Africa.

Can these changes help Ajman survive in the top division?

It could be an uphill battle. The late arrival of any players could mean they will have little time to adjust to the team and the league.

A better decision would have been to bring them in before the start of this 12-day break in the league, or even earlier.

The other league strugglers – Al Shaab, Emirates and Dubai – have done precisely that.

Among them, Shaab have been the most active, changing three of their foreign players and bringing in experienced Emirati campaigners in the versatile Farid Ismail and goalkeeper Obaid Al Taweela.

Shaab now look a much better side following those changes and if they can keep up that progress, Ajman’s reluctance and procrastination in the winter transfer window could come back to haunt them at the end of the season.

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