Barcelona Athletic is racing to complete the registration of young Egyptian striker Hamza Abdelkarim so he can finally appear in official matches, after joining from Al Ahly on loan in the January window with a purchase option.
The 18-year-old is one of four winter arrivals, alongside Gwensley Onestyn, Patricio Pacifico, and Joaquin Delgado, and has already started training regularly with the team.
Despite this, Abdelkarim remains ineligible for competition while the club works through administrative procedures linked to his move from Africa.
Spanish daily Sport reports that Barcelona is trying to resolve all the required paperwork as quickly as possible so the forward can be registered and available for selection. The newspaper notes that similar African signings last season, such as Ghanaians Aziz Issa and David Oduro and Malian Ibrahim Diarra, also suffered from slow bureaucratic processing.
Until the legal approvals arrive, the focus is on helping Abdelkarim settle into the dressing room, adapt to training rhythms, and understand Barcelona Athletic’s playing style.
He will also have to compete hard for minutes, with Joaquin Delgado currently leading the line and promising talent Oscar Gestao offering another strong option in the center forward role.
