Al-Arabi has bolstered its roster for the current season with the acquisition of Dutch midfielder and forward Walid El Cheikh. The 26-year-old player, who has Moroccan heritage, brings experience from several European clubs, including German side Eintracht Braunschweig and Dutch teams Heracles Almelo, Roda JC Kerkrade, Volendam, and De Graafschap.
El Cheikh’s signing follows the recent termination of contracts for Senegalese forward Johar Rasoul and Brazilian player Leonardo Sheldon. In addition to this new addition, Al-Arabi is actively seeking another foreign player to strengthen its defensive line. Head coach Goran Sablic is reportedly evaluating several candidates for the central defender position.
Currently, Al-Arabi's foreign player contingent includes Anayo Iwuala from Nigeria, Zaid Qunbar from Palestine, and Kenan Malinco from Ethiopia. The club is positioned 10th in the league standings, having earned two points from their three opening matches. Their season began with a 1-1 draw against Kuwait Club, followed by a high-scoring 3-3 draw with Sulaibikhat, and a 2-1 loss to Al-Jahra.
Al-Arabi is scheduled to play a friendly match against Al-Jahra this evening at 6:00 pm at the Sabah Al-Salem Stadium as part of their ongoing preparations and efforts to improve their standings.