Al Hilal Omdurman sport sector head Muhammad Ibrahim Al-Aliqi explained the transfer policy of the Sudanese giants as they gear up to face Egyptian side Al Ahly in the quarter finals of the CAF Champions League.
Competing in Mauritania's top flight Super D1 due to the ongoing civil war in Sudan, Al Hilal continue to navigate through a challenging time.
Al-Aliqi was a guest at Blue Nile TV where he shared some of the pertinent issues regarding the transfer policy of the Omdurman club. The influential Hilal figure said the club never had issues in bringing new players but Africa is now lacking top strikers in recent times. “If you look at Al Ahly of Egypt, they target attackers from Europe. Africa have a scarcity of top striking talent nowadays.”
The notion seems debatable but as Al-Aliqi presented it, some North African clubs have shifted their focus to European strikers. Al Ahly last season signed former Koln FC's French striker Anthony Modeste for example.
Al-Aliqi further noted that Hilal wants strikers that make a difference on the biggest stage. “We do not want a player to play for us in the Mauritanian league or Sudan Cup. We want players that make a difference in the quarterfinals of the CAF Champions League. We also do not want a player from Europe who is injured or at the end of his footballing career.”
Al Hilal tried to sign two players from Europe during the January transfer window. Al-Aliqi said the deals failed to go through. “We targeted two players based in Europe. But the scenarios differ for each of them. Either the club agreed or the other way around. It is difficult for a good player to leave his club in January.”
The rise of Saudi Arabian football has also impacted some African clubs. Top talents from Nigeria and Ghana are being targeted by big spending clubs from the Middle East. As Al-Aliqi put it: “We followed some talents from the two countries for six months. We tabled a good and huge deal but they favored Saudi Arabia.”
Al Hilal are said to be in a good financial state although some Sudanese sources claim the club is struggling in that department. The Blues had a successful training camp in Tunisia before heading to Cairo for their crucial Champions League tie against defending champions Al Ahly.
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