A Star from Jerusalem: Palestinian Footballer Dabbagh is Destined for Greatness

By Sammy Baroud

Oday Dabbagh is Palestine’s brightest younger soccer expertise. Commentators and followers have already recognized him as the way forward for Palestinian soccer. 

The younger Jerusalemite, who lined up for top-flight Portuguese membership Arouca in August 2021, has repeatedly impressed this season as one among Liga Portugal’s most promising strikers. 

The 24-year-old Palestine worldwide has amassed 7 targets in simply 8 begins (video games that he performed within the beginning 11) in Liga Portugal this season, and 11 targets in 12 begins in all membership competitions. These glorious objective tallies are a testomony to his potential and may dispose of any doubt critics held beforehand about if Dabbagh may reach Europe.

But, to totally set up himself in Europe’s elite, the sky’s the restrict for the younger striker who has simply made a switch from Arouca to Belgian league aspect Royal Charleroi Sporting Membership. 

Resulting from Dabbagh’s upward development as a prolific objective scorer, a high-profile transfer to a group within the high 5 leagues is turning into extra doubtless by the day. Whereas his contributions to the way forward for Palestinian soccer have gotten extra apparent, can Dabbagh’s profession stretch past that? Ought to soccer followers be asking if Dabbagh can distinguish himself as one of many future trailblazers of Arab soccer alongside the likes of names like Achraf Hakimi and Yousef En-Nesyri? 

Dabbagh’s Rise

Let’s rewind a number of seasons so we will perceive this extraordinary story that induced Dabbagh to achieve elite European soccer. 

Dabbagh began off his profession with a 2 season stint within the West Financial institution Premier League enjoying within the metropolis of his start for Hilal Al Quds. He began racking up targets and swept two West Financial institution League titles alongside the best way earlier than enjoying in Kuwait for plenty of years.

In Kuwait, he performed for a number of golf equipment between July 2019 and August 2021, when he suited up for Al Arabi SC, Al Qadsia SC, and Al Salmiya SC. He picked up one Premier Division (Kuwaiti League) title throughout his time there. 

In late June 2021, throughout an Arab Cup Qualifier sport for the Palestine Nationwide Crew towards the Comoros, Dabbagh had a sensational efficiency with 3 complete objective contributions (together with 1 objective and a couple of assists) throughout Palestine’s 5-1 win, which certified them for the FIFA Arab Cup. 

It was clear that Dabbagh’s good efficiency on the worldwide stage performed an enormous function in Arouca selecting him up that summer season for 700,000 euros. Upon Dabbagh’s arrival to Liga Portugal, the league was briefly ranked as a high 5 league on the earth above the French Ligue 1. 

This switch alone was a momentous second within the historical past of Palestinian soccer as for the primary time ever, we noticed a Palestine nationwide group footballer enjoying towards legendary golf equipment like Sporting Lisbon, which previously possessed legends like Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo, in addition to Porto, which have a adorned historical past as former UEFA Champions League winners below Jose Mourinho. 

Whereas it was an achievement for Dabbagh to have made it to Liga Portugal, he was removed from at his finest when he got here into the league. He had a gradual begin till the present 2022/23 season the place he already has 11 targets and exhibits no signal of slowing down. 

Now, with a 600,000 euro switch to Charleroi, hopefully, he can proceed this way to deliver his new membership far above their present Twelfth-place spot within the Belgian Professional League.   

What’s Subsequent For Dabbagh?

Dabbagh has discovered a brand new soccer house in Europe and if he continues with this way, he isn’t leaving European soccer any time quickly. However to really rank amongst Europe’s elite, it’s integral for Dabbagh to make a transfer to an even bigger group within the Prime 5 Leagues. 

It should be famous that Dabbagh took a really unorthodox path to European soccer. 

Beginning in an Arab group setup and looking for greater alternatives could be very a lot potential with examples coming to thoughts comparable to Liverpool Star Mohamed Salah, rising to stardom after beginning his profession at Mokawloon Al Arab. Nonetheless, beginning within the West Financial institution League and making it right into a high European league was extraordinary earlier than Oday Dabbagh proved it potential. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3FLebkp2w8

Whereas Dabbagh is but to make it to the caliber of Paris Saint-Germain’s Moroccan famous person Achraf Hakimi – who’s of Dabbagh’s age – the Palestinian soccer star didn’t begin his profession shifting by the youth ranks to the primary group of Actual Madrid. 

Certainly, Dabbagh is already forward of the place some world-class footballers have been at comparable ages – like Jamie Vardy, for instance, who was within the decrease divisions of England on the identical age. This exhibits that Dabbagh nonetheless has the potential to turn out to be one of many Arab World’s finest footballers. 

Together with his pure goal-scoring capacity, his ardour for doing the ‘unattainable’, together with a bent to all the time disprove the critics, the 24-year-old Palestinian Jerusalemite Oday Ibrahim Dabbagh is destined for greatness.

(Photographs: Oday Dabbagh’s Instagram Profile)

– Sammy Baroud is a younger Palestinian-American Sports activities Author and an aspiring footballer. He contributed this text to the Palestine Chronicle. Observe him @sammybaroud