Kalmar FF sporting director Mats Weinblad hails acquisition of Morocco defender Achraf Dari

Kalmar FF sporting director Mats Weinblad has hailed the acquisition of Moroccan international Achraf Dari ahead of the Swedish league campaign.

The 26-year-old, who is contracted with Al Ahly until 2028, will spend the remainder of the season in Sweden, wearing the number 20 jersey.

The move comes after Al Ahly removed Dari from their squad list to make room for another foreign signing, fellow Moroccan Youssef Belamri.

“We are very happy to have reached an agreement with Al Ahly regarding Ashraf. He has a lot of experience, and that is one of the things we were looking for. Dari is a very fast defender with high physical capabilities, and he is also good at heading both defensively and offensively. It will be very exciting to see him in a Kalmar shirt.”

Dari, who joined Al Ahly from French club Stade Brestois 29 at the start of last season, made seven appearances this term, including three during the Cairo Capital Cup and Egypt Cup, after missing 16 matches due to injury.

Kalmar, who secured promotion to the Swedish Premier League after finishing second in the second division last season, will kick off their league campaign on April 4th, with Dari expected to play a key role in their top-flight ambitions.

At the international level, the enterprising centre-back has made seven appearances for the Moroccan national team, scoring one goal since his debut in 2021.