Barcelona’s signing of 18-year-old Egyptian striker Hamza Abdelkarim has generated huge excitement in Egypt and plenty of curiosity in Catalonia, but his first appearance remains on hold.
Since the deal was officially announced on 1 February, he has trained regularly under new Barcelona Atlètic coach Juliano Belletti and started adapting well to his new surroundings. However, as Mundo Deportivo reports, his competitive debut is blocked by administrative hurdles, most notably the work permit he needs to play for the B team.
Club officials at the Ciutat Esportiva say there is still no clear timeline for the permit to be granted, stressing that the process is bureaucratic and unpredictable rather than a matter of a few days or weeks. For now, Barcelona can do little but wait.
On the pitch, Abdelkarim is making a strong impression in training, arriving in good physical and technical shape and showing quick understanding of Belletti’s ideas. Previous cases like Mamadou Mbacke and Mikayil Faye show how paperwork has delayed debuts before. Until the documents are finalised, Abdelkarim’s promising talent will remain confined to the training ground rather than the Barcelona Atlètic matchday squad.
