From Israel in sorrow

Is Saidi Abedi running short of suitors? From Belgium to Turkey, to Israel then Morocco and now back to Rwanda, Saidi Abedi can’t seem to find a permanent club, something that put his playing career on line. He’s lost weight, lost his touch, lost his strength, has no form, he’s without a club at the moment and he even had his request to sign for APR or Rayon Sport turned down by Ferwafa. that’s the story of Saidi Abedi Makasi. He cannot play for any of the topflight division clubs in Rwanda but he can feature for any second division team or below, that’s the verdict of the local football governing body, Ferwafa. The player who is supposed to be Rwanda’s main source of goals at the international level is currently training with one of his former clubs, AS-Kigali, mid-table strugglers in the national league but can’t play for them in competitive matches. “At this stage of the season, we can’t process new licences for new players especially for first division clubs, so there is no chance of him playing in the local league (this season). Unless if he wants to play for a second division club,” Ferwafa’s CEO Jules Kalisa stated. The former Rayon Sport striker left Israel club Hapoel Tel Aviv under unclear circumstances at the end of last season with the intention to sign for an unknown Moroccan club but the two clubs failed to agree on any sort of deal. Under those circumstances, the Rwandan international was left without a choice but to return home and start afresh. On his most recent return to Kigali about three weeks ago, he approached Ferwafa and requested them to intervene and possibly convince Hapoel to release him so that he can join another club. “If any local club, APR, Rayon or any other approaches us with the intention to sign him, we’re more than ready to help them get the ITC from Israel but on condition that he can only start playing for them next season,” Kalisa told Times Sport. Ferwafa are key players to the striker’s next move and speaking with first hand information, the federation CEO revealed that Morocco and not Rwanda is Abedi’s desired next destination. He said, “His desire is to sign for the Moroccan club but that can’t be possible without the blessing of his current employers (Hapoel).” “They (Hapoel) refused to let him sign for the Moroccan side possibly due to political reasons but they can certainly let him join an amateur club. “So, if he gets a local club to sign him from Hapoel, it’d be easier for him to join another professional club,” Kalisa acknowledged. Abedi and Olivier Karekezi are Amavubi Stars leading scorers with three goals each for the currently 2010 World and African Cup qualifying campaign but while the latter is struggling to get in the first team at Norwegian second division side Ham Kam, the former can only hope that there is a local second tier club that meet his wages for the time being. Abedi played for 90 minutes against Algeria last Saturday in the opening 2010 World/Africa Cup second round qualifier but he was disappointedly replaced in injury time without having had a single shot on target. According to Kalisa, almost all local second division clubs are salivating at the prospect of having the name Saidi Abedi Makasi’s on their books —and who said Rwanda’s most important striker is short of suitors! Ends

Lifestyle

From Israel in sorrow