Free agent Ahmed Belal has joined Smouha on a three-year deal, after his contract with Ahli ran out this summer. "Belal traveled to Alexandria and has already put pen to paper," Smouha president Farag Amer told FilGoal.com. Smouha, who secured a top-flight promotion last season, have been trying to land Belal over the last weeks. Zamalek and Ismaili were also interested to run the rule over the former Ahli prodigy but he eventually moved to Smouha on a free transfer. Belal has been seeking to leave Ahli over the past two years in order to play regular first-team football elsewhere. The 29-year-old striker struggled to secure a starting berth at the Cairo club during Manuel Jose's reign. After Hossam Al-Badri took charge of Ahli last summer, Belal's status as an outcast remained the same. Eight years ago, Belal used to be a prolific hitman with Ahli, having been named the Egyptian Premier League top scorer in the 2002-2003 season with a 19-goal tally. He left the Red Devils in 2005 to join Turkish club Konyaspor, where he spent a dull two-year spell. Belal then joined Ankaragucu on loan in another attempt to prove his worth in Turkey but again failed to impress, before returning to his boyhood club Ahli in 2007.