PETALING JAYA: Seeing the love from Malaysians, especially their solidarity for Palestine in the Gaza war, is a strong reason why Oday Kharoub (pic) decided to take up the offer to play in the Super League.
The 31-year-old midfielder, who played in the recent Asian Cup for Palestine, has signed a one-year deal with East Coast club Kelantan United for the new season.
Kharoub, who has won 23 caps with his nation, last played for Palestinian club Hilal Al-Quds, and comes in with a reputation for being a top-notch box-to-box midfielder.
He is also capable of playing as a defensive midfielder, thanks to his high work rate and intelligent play on and off the ball.
Kharoub said that he joined the club after seeing the strong support of the Malaysian public for Palestine, especially in Kota Baru.
“I chose this team because Malaysians support the Palestinian cause verystrongly. I want to show the world that we are still free, especially having the chance to play football, and tell the world a Palestinian is playing in the Malaysian Super League,” he said.
“Many of my teammates, including my head coach, have passed away due to the war in Gaza. I am here to represent Palestine to the best of my abilities and also play my heart out for my fallen mates.”
Kharoub is not the first Palestinian player to have played in the Malaysian League. In the past, striker Matias Jadue played for the now-defunct club PKNS, and playmaker Yashir Pinto used to play for sides like Perak, Negri Sembilan, PKNP and Melaka.
Then there was striker Johnathan Cantillana who played for Kuala Lumpur and winger Patricio Acevedo who featured for Kelantan.
Besides Kharoub, Kelantan United also announced the signing of nippy wingers Wan Mohamad Fazli Wan Ghazali and Fazrul Amir Mohd Zaman.
