Riyad Mahrez arrives in Doha to complete his move to the north of Qatar

Algerian international Riyad Mahrez arrived in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Monday, in preparation for completing the procedures for his transfer to the Qatari Al-Shamal Club in a free transfer deal.

Al-Shamal Club stated through its official account that Mahrez arrived in Doha in order to undergo the necessary medical examinations, in a step prior to completing the official procedures and signing the contracts for his joining the team.

The negotiations between Al-Shamal and the Algerian player had witnessed development over the past few days, before an agreement was reached regarding his transfer, so that the deal became close to the official announcement after completing the medical examination and completing the contractual aspects.

Mahrez, 35 years old, has a long career in European football, where he excelled with Leicester City and helped win the English Premier League title in the 2015-2016 season, before moving to Manchester City, with whom he won many local and continental championships, including the Champions League.

Mahrez played his last experience with Al-Ahly Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he led them to win two consecutive titles in the Asian Elite League before he became available for a free transfer.

It is expected that Mahrez's arrival will represent a prominent offensive addition to the North, and will also bring him into the team with his compatriot Baghdad Bounedjah, if the deal is officially completed during the coming period.

Egyptian international Hamdi Fathi, the Qatari Al-Wakrah midfielder, returned to his team’s group training after recovering from the injury that kept him out of the stadiums during the recent period.

Fathi appeared in Al Wakrah's final training session wearing a protective mask at the level of the nose, after undergoing surgical intervention following the injury he suffered during the match against Al Sailiya in the Qatar Cup, before the start of the final international break.

The player's return came at a time when Al-Wakra is preparing to face Al-Gharafa, next Thursday, at Khalifa International Stadium in the fifth round of the Qatari League, while his position on participating primarily in the match has not yet been determined.

The injury prevented Hamdi Fathi from joining the Egyptian national team during the recent break.

Fathi is considered one of the main players in Al-Wakrah’s ranks, after he joined the team in the summer of 2023 from Al-Ahly of Egypt, before the club renewed his contract to continue within its ranks until June 2029.

The player's return to training remains a positive indicator for Al Wakrah's technical staff before the resumption of league competitions, in light of the reliance on him as one of the influential elements in the midfield.

The Bahrain Football Association announced the termination of its contract by mutual consent with the technical staff of the first team, led by Croatian coach Dragan Talajic, following the team’s exit from the group stage of the Arabian Gulf Cup “Gulf 27” tournament held in Jeddah.

The decision came after a disappointing participation by the defending champion of the last edition, as he lost his three matches in the second group. Against Qatar 0-2, the UAE 0-3, and Yemen 2-5, ending his campaign in fourth place without points, after scoring two goals and conceding 10 goals.

The Board of Directors of the Bahraini Federation extended its thanks and appreciation to Talajic and the members of his technical staff for the efforts they made with the team during the past period, wishing them success in their next stop.

The Bahraini Federation did not reveal the identity of the technical staff that will take over the leadership of the national team to succeed Talajic.