Ahli Dubai have officially presented Egyptian midfielder Hosni Abd-Rabou as their newest signing in a press conference on Wednesday. "We are proud to present Hosni Abd-Rabou as our newest signing," Ahli chairman Khalifa Soliman told reporters. "I don't think he needs an introduction as he is the best player at the 2008 African Cup of Nations." Soliman spoke about the reasons for postponing the conference and the unveiling of the former Ismaili player. "Negotiations with Ismaili took a very long time and that triggered a lot of media speculation both in Egypt and UAE. "We had to wait till everything was finalized an official before we present the player," he added. Soliman dismissed any worries about the stance of Abd-Rabou and his move to Ahli Dubai especially after Egyptian champions Ahli, who claim rights to the player, filed a complaint to FIFA.
"We always take the official channels and we are not worried about any complaints that Ahli of Egypt should file to FIFA." Ahli Dubai's Czech coach Ivan Hasek also attended the conference and sang Abd-Rabou's praises. "He is a good and important player, I have asked my friends in Strasbourg about him and they had great things to say," said the former Czech international. "Abd-Rabou will be really useful for us in the upcoming period," Hasek added. The Egyptian international also talked to the reporters about how he looks forward to representing Ahli Dubai. "I'm really happy to be in the UAE where I feel I'm in my home country and among my family," Abd-Rabou said. "Ahli is a great club and I know that many of their players represent the UAE national team."
