Emami East Bengal FC has roped in 26-year-old Jordanian centre-back Hijazi Maher as Jordan Elsey’s replacement for Indian Super League 2023-24. Maher is currently a member of the Jordan senior national squad.
Commenting on Maher’s inclusion, Mr Sandeep Agrawal from Emami Group said, “After Elsey’s unfortunate injury, we started working immediately to find the best replacement in the market at the given moment. Hijazi is a great young talent and a regular member of the Jordan national team camps. We believe he will play a huge role in bolstering our defence.”
Welcoming Maher to the Emami East Bengal family, Head Coach Carles Cuadrat said, “After playing in the Iraq Premier League last season, the Jordan international player was ready to keep playing in another interesting Asian league to have the opportunity to show his talent and be ready for a national team call-up. Only some fortunate circumstances and quick action from Emami allowed me to travel to Jordan in 48 hours and find him as a free agent at that moment. It’s nice to find a solution to Elsey’s injury in a young player who is ready to fight for a place and wants to make an impact in Indian football.”
Having played for the Jordan Premier League side Al-Hussein SC and the Iraq Premier League side Zakho SC on loan, Maher featured in 29 matches and scored 5 goals last season. The tall defender has won two Jordan FA Cups and a Jordan Super Cup, and holds the record for the most minutes played by a player in the 2021 season.
Expressing his delight at joining Emami East Bengal FC, Maher said, “I am very happy to join this historic club and play in the Indian Super League. I thank the coach and the club for giving me the opportunity to play here. Everyone can see the huge popularity that the league has garnered in recent times. I’m very excited to meet the fans and play in the iconic Kolkata derby.”
The player registration is subject to completion of regulatory processes and final medicals in Kolkata.
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