Delhi Dynamos retains Gadze, signs Senegal’s Niasse
The double acquisition will not only fill the club with added firepower while going forward but will also further fortify the defensive unit of this new look side.
Published : Sep 10, 2016 17:55 IST
Delhi Dynamos continued to bolster its squad by announcing the return of its star forward from Ghana, Richard Gadze as well as acquiring the services of Senegalese centre back Baye Ibrahima Niasse for the next season of the Indian Super League.
Baye Ibrahima Niasse is also the brother of Oumar Niasse, who plays as a striker for the English Premier League side Everton FC.
The double acquisition will not only fill the club with added firepower while going forward but will also further fortify the defensive unit of this new look side. Both the players have joined the squad in Sweden, where it is currently undergoing its pre-season training and is expected to feature for the club’s next friendly match against the Swede club Skene IF on September 11.
Gadze, the 21-year-old livewire from Ghana, who was a revelation last year, was expected to be away for a year after going on loan to Finnish giants HJK Helsinki but he cut short his stint to come back to join the Delhi Dynamos squad.
Gadze’s brilliant showing in last year’s ISL that included four goals and two assists, helped Delhi qualify for the semifinals. His performances earned him a call-up to the Finnish club HJK, offering him the opportunity to ply his trade in top flight European football.
The forward who had joined the Finnish club in May, was a regular feature for the club both at the league games and Europe.
“I am happy to be back at Delhi Dynamos. The team and the fans gave me a lot of love and I hope that I can live up to their expectation in my second stint in the ISL. We had a fairly good season last year making it to the semifinals. As we gear up for the third season, with the new coach in place and lots of good players coming in, I am confident that we are capable of pulling it off till the end this year,” said the prolific striker.
Gadze further added, “It was a great experience to play for HJK and rub shoulders with so many talented players across Europe and I hope to put this experience of mine to full use while playing for the Delhi Dyanmos.”
Ibrahima, who hails from the city of Dakar and made his debut in 2006 for the French club Nancy B is well known for his versatility on the field and joins Delhi from Romanian Liga I club Concordia Chiajna.
The Senegalese who primarily plays as a centre-back is also a very effective central defensive midfielder and has appeared in 206 games scoring 20 goals for several clubs including Neuchatel Xamax, Apollon Limassol, Inter Baku and Mordovia.
“I haven’t had much time to interact with my teammates as I have just joined the team, but I did follow their previous games that they played in England and here in Sweden, and the squad looks to be gelling in well. I hope to add to the teams performance with my experience and help the team pull off a fitting closure to our campaign this season,” said the Sengal midfielder Baye Ibrahima Niasse.