Ammouta’s advice helps Wydad land Jordan international Al-Rashdan

Wydad have completed the signing of Jordan midfielder Nizar Al-Rashdan after former coach Hussein Ammouta recommended the player to the Moroccan club, despite reports linking him with Egyptian giants Al Ahly.

Wydad confirmed that the 27-year-old has joined on a free transfer, signing a one-year contract with the option of an extension. The move comes only six months after Al-Rashdan joined Qatar SC.

A source close to the negotiations told Kooora that, although media reports had claimed Al Ahly were interested in signing the Jordan international, the Cairo club never opened formal negotiations with him.

Those reports followed suggestions that Ammouta, who was then coach of Al Ahly, wanted to reunite with Al-Rashdan after previously working with him in the Jordan national team.

However, the source said Portuguese agent Tadeu Martins – who represents several Jordanian players as well as manager Carlos Queiroz – offered Al-Rashdan to a number of Arab clubs at the player’s request. Wydad were among the teams approached, with Portuguese coach Paulo Sergio one of the managers contacted.

Wydad welcomed the possibility of signing Al-Rashdan, particularly after his performances for Jordan at the 2026 World Cup. He scored Jordan’s goal in their group-stage match against Algeria.

The source added: “Wydad officials contacted Ammouta, who coached the team in two previous spells, to ask for his opinion on the deal, especially because he had also coached Al-Rashdan with the Jordan national team.”

Although Ammouta was not enthusiastic about bringing Al-Rashdan to Al Ahly as a replacement for Tunisia midfielder Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, he advised Wydad to complete the signing. He also helped bring the two sides closer together before the agreement was finalised.

Al-Rashdan made 14 international appearances for Jordan under Ammouta between June 2023 and 2024, becoming an important part of the midfield during the Moroccan coach’s time in charge.

The midfielder has won 43 caps overall, but his frequent movement between clubs had raised concerns among Wydad officials. As a result, the Moroccan side opted for an initial one-year agreement, with the possibility of extending it if he performs well under Sergio.

Al-Rashdan has played for several clubs over the past three years. His recent career has included spells with Jordanian club Al-Faisaly, Iraqi sides Newroz and Al-Zawraa, Emirates Club, Bahrain’s Al-Khaldiya and Qatar SC.

He now continues his career in the Moroccan league with Wydad, who have been active in the summer transfer market.

The club have also recruited experienced players including Yahya Attiyat Allah, Yahya Jabrane and Aymane Hassouni. All of those deals, like Al-Rashdan’s move, were completed as free transfers, meaning Wydad did not pay transfer fees for any of the players.