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Aberdeen Sign Palestinian Striker Oday Dabbagh

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Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen has secured the signing of Palestinian international striker Oday Dabbagh on loan from Belgian club Charleroi, with an option to buy.

The 26-year-old, capped 45 times for Palestine, will join the squad once visa and immigration formalities are completed.

The news was first broken yesterday by the writer of this article, who highlighted the significance of Dabbagh’s move, continuing his journey as a trailblazer for Palestinian footballers in Europe.

Dons manager Jimmy Thelin expressed his excitement about the signing, stating: “Oday is a clinical finisher who has an exceptional work ethic, and his combative qualities will be a real asset for us. He has a strong personality, both on and off the pitch, and we believe he will be a positive addition, adding another dimension to our attacking options as we work to get back to winning ways.”

Dabbagh began his career with Hilal Al-Quds in Jerusalem before moving to Kuwait, where he played for Al-Salmiya, Qadsia, Al-Yarmouk, and Al-Arabi, eventually becoming the league’s top scorer. He then made the leap to European football in 2021, signing for Portuguese club Arouca. After a successful stint there, he joined Charleroi in 2023, featuring in 15 matches this season in Belgium’s Jupiler Pro League.

BabaGol noted its historic nature upon his move to Portugal, writing, “It's quite remarkable that the first Palestinian player ever to join a proper European side will play with an Israeli teammate. Oday Dabbagh and Or Dasa at Portuguese side Arouca FC will be quite a story this season, and football, as both players, are the winners.”

Reflecting on his move to Aberdeen, Dabbagh said: “I am very happy to be joining AFC and look forward to meeting my teammates, the coaches, and people around the Club. I am looking forward to the challenge and I am hopeful that I will repay the trust everyone has shown in me with good performances for the team.”

Aberdeen, currently struggling with a 14-game winless streak in the league and five consecutive matches without a goal, will be hoping Dabbagh’s arrival can provide the firepower needed to turn their fortunes around.

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