Al-Naft SC have completed the signing of Ghanaian centre-back Habib Mohammed from his previous status with an unknown club, adding the 28-year-old defender to their squad in the Iraq Stars League. The move was finalised on 2026-02-05, with the contract running until an undisclosed end date. The transfer has been registered as a standard deal, with the fee officially listed as “?” and no current market value recorded for the player.
Mohammed’s arrival strengthens Al-Naft’s defensive options as the Baghdad-based side compete in Iraq’s top flight. Primarily a centre-back, the 1.82 m Ghanaian joins as a free-moving asset from an unregistered club situation, following a period outside the spotlight after leaving Ethiopian side Fasil Kenema SC in 2025. His move marks a confirmed step back into a fully professional environment and places him in a league outside his home country once again.
This transfer continues a career that has already taken Mohammed across several African leagues. After emerging in Ghana with Ashanti Gold SC, he moved to domestic giants Asante Kotoko SC in 2019, where his market value peaked at €125,000 between 2020 and early 2021. He later switched to Dreams FC, remaining in the Ghanaian Premier League before securing a move to South Africa’s Sekhukhune United FC in 2022. That spell in the South African top flight was followed by a stint without a club, then a shift to Ethiopia with Ethiopian Insurance Corporation SA, Adama Ketema FC and subsequently Fasil Kenema SC.
The trajectory shows a player accustomed to adapting to new environments and competitive levels. His experience spans top-tier football in Ghana, South Africa and Ethiopia, and now extends to Iraq, where he is set to compete in the Iraq Stars League for Al-Naft SC. With his last recorded market value dropping to zero during his spell without a club in early 2023, this latest move presents an opportunity to rebuild both his reputation and his valuation on the international stage.
Born on 01 Apr 1997, Mohammed is entering what are typically considered peak years for a central defender, combining physical maturity with accumulated experience from multiple clubs and leagues. Al-Naft SC, for their part, secure a player with a history at some of West Africa’s most recognisable clubs, including Asante Kotoko and Dreams FC, without a disclosed transfer fee, which could represent efficient business if he re-establishes the form that once made him a six-figure asset in the market.
There are no detailed recent match statistics, goals, or appearance numbers supplied in the current data, nor specific performances in individual fixtures, but Mohammed’s consistent presence in professional set-ups across several seasons in different countries underlines the level at which he has operated. His repeated recruitment by clubs in competitive leagues suggests he brings reliability and defensive stability, qualities Al-Naft will expect him to provide in Iraq.
For Ghanaian observers, the move adds another expatriate to the growing list of players carrying the country’s flag abroad, this time in a less traditional destination compared with Europe or mainstream African leagues. In Iraq, Al-Naft supporters can view the signing as a calculated attempt to reinforce their back line with an experienced, mobile centre-back who has dealt with varying tactical demands in three different national leagues.
If Mohammed takes this chance to reassert himself, his spell at Al-Naft SC could redefine the next phase of his career, transforming a period of relative anonymity into a platform for renewed prominence in regional football and potentially reopening doors to higher-profile moves in the future.
