Emirati strikers Maroof, Khamis join The Boss
I take pride in defending the Al Ain club logo and being the UAE’s ambassador at the Fifa Club World Cup
Jamal Maroof
dubai — With a little over a fortnight to go for UAE football’s traditional season opener and a little more than three weeks left to the start of the Arabian Gulf League, defending champions Al Ain have finally dipped their feet into the summer transfer market.
The record League champions have invested in Emirati talent by bringing in strikers Jamal Maroof and Saad Khamis from Sharjah and Shabab Al Ahli respectively.
The garden city club announced the twin signings on their official twitter handle as well as their official website with both joining on a free transfer.
“Al Ain has completed the signing of Jamal Maroof and Saad Khamis on a free transfer to strengthen the team in what is an important season,” the club said.
The two players are expected to join The Boss’ pre-season camp currently underway in Slovenia.
Maroof said that joining Al Ain was like a dream come true for him.
“I take pride in defending the Al Ain club logo and being the UAE’s ambassador at the Fifa Club World Cup,” said Maroof, who penned a two-year contract.
“The truth is that joining Al Ain was a dream for me. I’m well aware of the value and place of the club to which I belong now and I will work to show my best and I will increase my efforts and repay the faith by achieving the club’s ambitions.
“Wearing this logo is a great honour for any football player on the continent. I’m prepared to show the fighting spirit and dedication to defend the League title and the President’s Cup and other competitions in the new season. I hope to be a good addition to the team under coach Zoran Mamic,” the 26-year-old added.
Maroof began his career at Al Nasr in 2009 and then had two loan spells with Emirates until 2016. He then went on to complete a permanent move to Sharjah.
Meanwhile, Saad Khamis said joining Al Ain presented a new challenge in his fledging career.
“I’m very proud to wear the Al Ain club logo. I’m well aware that I’m facing an extraordinary challenge in my career with Al Zaeem (Al Ain), the most prominent club in Asia, which requires me to redouble my efforts and show the spirit of fight.
“I would like to thank the management, the coach and the fans for the confidence they have placed in me and I wish success to me and my colleagues in the team in achieving our goals,” said Khamis, who signed a threeyear deal.
The 23-year-old started his career with Al Shabab in 2015 before becoming a part of the merged Shabab Al Ahli last year. He was loaned out to Hatta last season.