Al-Ahly Club announced today the signing of Palestinian striker Wisam Abu Ali from Swedish side Sirius, on a contract spanning four and a half seasons.
The 25-year-old Abu Ali was chosen by the Swiss coach Marcel Koller and the Al-Ahly planning committee to lead the Red Team’s attack in the current season.
For several years, Al-Ahly has been in search of the foreign striker capable of converting danger into goals and capitalizing on opportunities.
The list of players and nationalities leading Al-Ahly’s attack during the last decade, particularly in the past 14 seasons, after the departure of Angolan Flavio, has reached 14 different nationalities from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Europe.
The outcome may be close to zero, as none of Al-Ahly’s foreign strikers left a clear imprint or significant impact, earning the sympathy and support of The Reds’ fans to lead the attack successfully.
In the 2008-2009 season, after Flavio’s departure, Al-Ahly started its quest with Lebanese striker Mohammed Ghaddar.
Ghaddar, chosen by coach Hossam El-Badry, stirred significant controversy at the time.
However, his promise to shine with Al-Ahly remained unfulfilled, participating in five matches without scoring a goal or making a meaningful contribution to be remembered by the club’s fans.
Liberian Francis Doe accompanied Mohammed Ghaddar in his short journey with Al-Ahly in the 2009-2010 season.
Doe played in 23 matches, scoring only four goals and missing several easy opportunities, possibly entering the Guinness World Records for the level of wastefulness.
In the 2011-2012 season, Al-Ahly signed three new foreign players to accompany Emad Meteb in leading the front line.
However, the trio, including Brazilian Fabio Junior, Tunisian-born Dominican Da Silva, and Ivorian Ousso Konan, did not create many fond memories with the club’s fans.
The struggles continued with two new foreign players in the 2012-2013 season: Ethiopian Salah El-Din Saeedoo and Nigerian Peter Ebimobowei.
Both players failed to make a significant impact and left quickly after disappointing performances.
Al-Ahly renewed hope for distinguished foreign acquisitions with the appointment of Hossam El-Badry as Director of Transfers.
The club succeeded in signing two prominent names, Gabonese Malick Evouna and Ghanaian John Antwi.
Evouna, who left Al-Ahly after a single season, scored 13 goals in 31 matches, leaving an indelible mark, especially in the match against Zamalek in February 2016.
On the other hand, John Antwi, the historic top scorer in the Egyptian league, failed to maintain his prolific goal-scoring form at Al-Ahly. He registered only 10 goals in 29 matches before departing the club.
In the 2016-2017 season, Al-Ahly signed Moroccan striker Walid Azaro, who became one of the players who may have suffered unfair treatment in the club.
Azaro won the league’s top scorer title in his first season with the club but faced criticism for missing easy chances.
He left the club after contributing to 55 goals, including goals and assists, in 89 matches.
The second was Ivorian Suleiman Coulibaly, who left the club after only 12 matches, scoring six goals.
His departure was marked by off-field issues that affected his significant footballing talents.
Senegalese Aliou Badji, known as the “Forest Man,” left Al-Ahly after a single season, scoring four goals in 25 appearances from January 2019 to January 2020.
Despite the initial excitement surrounding the arrival of Anthony Modeste, the 35-year-old Frenchman is yet to make a significant impact with Al-Ahly.
However, he scored a goal in the local Super Cup final, reigniting some hope among the fans.
Now, Wisam Abu Ali, hailing from Palestine, represents a ray of hope for Al-Ahly’s fans, aiming to be a new Flavio leading the Mahrabi’s attack.
However, it comes amidst a tapestry of painful memories, as supporters recall the string of failures by foreign strikers in the past 14 years.
