Arabian Gulf League: Al Dhafra confirm extension for Makhete Diop

Senegalese striker is the only foreigner to be retained by the Western region club, who train in Abu Dhabi, from their last league campaign.

Makhete Diop, left, was Al Dhafra's top scorer with 22 goals in 29 games in all competitions. Mutawakil Mubarak/ Al Ittihad

ABU DHABI // Makhete Diop has been rewarded for a fine 2012/13 season with a three-year contract extension at Al Dhafra.

The powerful Senegalese striker, who turned 25 last week, was the club's top scorer with 22 goals in 29 games in all competitions.

He also finished fourth in the league scoring charts with 18 goals, behind only the Ghana captain Asamoah Gyan of Al Ain (31), Al Ahli's Grafite (24) and Boris Kabi of Ajman (23).

Diop is the only foreigner to be retained by the Western region club, who train in Abu Dhabi, from their last league campaign.

He was the top scorer for Nejmeh in the Lebanese League with 27 goals from 25 games and topped the scoring charts again for Al Karamah of Syria before arriving at Dhafra.

Diop will be joined by Emanuel Clottey, the Ghana international forward – who is on a one-year loan from Esperance of Tunisia – and Bilal Najjarine – the Lebanese international defender who has followed his Emirati coach Abdullah Misfir from relegated Dibba Al Fujairah to Dhafra.

Dhafra are expected to complete the signing of an unnamed Moroccan player shortly, which would complete their quota of the foreign quartet before they begin the conditioning camp on Monday ahead of the new Arabian Gulf season.

According to an official of the club, the negotiations of signing their fourth foreign player is ongoing and a deal is set to be finalised in the next 48 hours.

Dhafra racked up 36 points, their highest ever tally in the league, to finish a eighth last season and will be looking to build on that in 2013/14.

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