Opoku completes Al Wahda's foreign trio

The Ghanaian forward Agyeman Opoku will join the Abu Dhabi club from Qatar's Al Sadd on a one-year loan.

ABU DHABI // Having won a major coup in signing last season's leading scorer Fernando Baiano, who spent the year on loan at city rivals Al Jazira from Real Murcia, and retaining the midfielder Pinga for a third year, Al Wahda have opted for youth to complete their trio of foreign players. The Ghanaian forward Agyeman Opoku, 20, will join the two experienced Brazilians, Baiano (30) and Pinga (28) in the Abu Dhabi club's lineup.

Opoku will arrive from the Qatari club Al Sadd on a one-year loan. Khaled Awadh, Wahda's assistant chief executive, said the two clubs were on good terms following Ismail Matar's move to Doha on loan at the end of last season. "We have a good relationship with Al Sadd and this move to sign Opoku is the outcome of the goodwill we have created," he said. "Opoku is on a one-year loan and will arrive for the medical on Tuesday. He is a talented young player and with him we will have both youth and experience from the foreigners we have in the lineup."

Opoku was a star in the 2005 Africa U17 Championships and was a member of the Ghanaian team at the 2005 Fifa U17 World Championship in Peru. Al Wahda will be in action tonight in the second warm-up friendly against Club Africain of Tunisia at the UAE Football Association training grounds. The first game ended in a 1-1 draw. [e-mail]