A couple of weeks ago you might remember the triumphant news that former Cork City favourite George O'Callaghan had signed none other than perennial public enemy number one, El Hadji Diouf for Sabah FA. Not only that, there were even rumblings that Georgie may even have been trying to team him up with at least one Irish attacker.
Well hold on to your hats because the greatest strike force to ever hit the Malaysian second division is now a reality. Sabah have only gone and signed former Tehran derby hat-trick hero Éamon Zayed, as well as Brazilian defender Tales Dos Santos (above).
Sabah 2015 pic.twitter.com/T8jLBj5IKE
— The real G10 (@georgieoc7) November 24, 2014
O'Callaghan told the Irish Sun that Zayed's eclectic CV, which has seen him play in Ireland, Norway and Iran as well as picking up five caps for Libya, who he qualifies for through his father's family, will help him settle in Malaysia easily.
He has shown he can travel and you can trust him. Since he’s gone back into the League of Ireland, he hasn’t really settled. I think he enjoys being away.
There will be 26,000 at our next game, a friendly against our local rivals Sarawak, and I think the bigger crowds will suit him. He’s 31 and it’s an important time for him and I think he’ll enjoy playing with Dioufy, who will play just behind him.
The former Turner's Cross favourite went on to explain that there are big plans for Sabah, thanks to the financing of the local government.
There are 3.5 million people in the state of Sabah so there’s big potential here. The club is financed by the government. Everything is here in terms of facilities and I think a lot of coaches in the UK would jump at the chance to take this job.
I’ve been lucky enough to have been given the chance. I’ve been given complete control from top to bottom which is quite rare out here.
We are genuinely looking forward to seeing how he gets on this year.
