Hasimi Fadiga warms up.

ABU DHABI, Aug 9: French professional Hasimi Fadiga may soon leave Al-Arabi, as the technical staff—led by Portuguese coach Marco Alves and his Jordanian assistant Ahmed Hayel—are reportedly unconvinced by his performances during the team’s training camp in Abu Dhabi, which concluded the day before yesterday.

Sources reveal that Fadiga’s form was underwhelming, prompting the club management to initiate talks with former Al-Arabi player, Bahraini Kamil Al-Aswad, about a possible return to the Green Falcons. However, Al-Aswad is reportedly close to signing with a club in the Iraqi league.

Fadiga is one of three foreign signings for Al-Arabi this season, alongside Ugandan Kenneth Semakula and Belgian Julian Ngoy.

Al-Arabi striker Ali Khalaf will miss the AFC Challenge League play-off match against Maldives’ Maziya Sports Club, scheduled for the day after tomorrow, due to a muscle injury. Khalaf did not travel with the team to Abu Dhabi and is expected to be sidelined for approximately 10 days.

Following the Abu Dhabi camp, the Green Falcons resumed training in the Maldives. During the camp, Al-Arabi played three friendly matches against UAE clubs, suffering defeats in all: 2-0 to Al Wahda, 1-0 to Baniyas, and 2-1 to Hatta.

Coach Marco Alves emphasized his strategy of rotating players throughout these friendlies to assess the entire squad’s readiness ahead of the crucial match against Maziya.

Describing the Abu Dhabi camp as “very good,” Marco Alves noted it provided an ideal opportunity to get to know the players better and evaluate their technical skills and commitment.

He said, “The players have absorbed and understood the coaching staff’s ideas, which will be beneficial moving forward.”

Alves highlighted the value of facing strong teams with many foreign players during the friendlies, stressing that this experience would help the team in future competitions.

Looking ahead to the upcoming AFC Challenge League match, he expressed confidence: “Our game against Maziya is Al-Arabi’s first official test. We are ready and determined to win and advance in the tournament.”

By Hassan Mosa

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff