Ahead of AFC Cup: Saddam signs contract with K-Electric

National champions looking to add depth in defensive third

KARACHI: Former FC Dordoi midfielder Saddam Hussain signed a contract with K-Electric (KE) as the Pakistan Premier Football League champions look to add more depth in the squad before taking on Bahraini club Al-Hidd in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup qualifiers, scheduled to begin from February 9.

Saddam, who has also played for KRL and Kyrgyzstan’s FC Dordoi, will bring in his experience of playing in Bahrain, where he spent four months with Isa FC last year.

The midfielder joined KE after negotiations took place last month and bagged a handsome amount in the contract. He said that playing at the AFC Cup with them is an opportunity he has been wanting to bank on for a while.



“KE is the best team in the country at the moment and it was just the right thing to do. They also offered me a good contract,” Saddam told The Express Tribune. “They are impressive because they take football seriously and are passionate about taking the sport to the next level. I’ve spent two weeks with the club so far; the facilities and treatment of the players is top-notch.”

The 23-year-old said that he will be playing as a defender for the team in the AFC Cup as KE need more depth in their defensive line-up. “They told me that they would use me in defence and I’m happy to play in any position where the coaches want me. It’s only going to help the team. I can tell from my experience that KE can win this leg; the conditions in Bahrain will suit us.”



Meanwhile, KE head coach Hasan Baloch said that the team will leave for Bahrain on February 7, while Nigerian players Sunday Abayomi and Wilson Abayomi will leave on February 3 as their visas are expiring. The third Nigerian player Okpala will join the team in Bahrain too.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2016.

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