H/T to @m vann for this one: https://sports.walla.co.il/item/3208033 Newly minted US citizen and Guinean international, Hadji Barry inked a 2.5 year deal with Israeli Premier League club Ironi Kiryat Shmona this week after scoring 14 goals for Swope Park Rangers. He obtained his citizenship in October 2018 and was cap-tied by Guinea in the AFCON in November.
So we now have a Hadji and a Haji hanging around YA. I've been around a bit but am not familiar with this surname and its popularity. How common is it? I assume it is in reference to "the Haj" the muslim pilgrimage to Mecca? What's also interesting and not so coincidental is both these guys have very "Anglo" family names Wright & Barry but one grew up in Guinea and the other in US. Small but same world like they say.
https://www.uslchampionship.com/new...yXzuxMA40Ll94oklkNFy-nvCcjnkRL-cwugCU90HEAIvI In what is being described as the largest transfer fee in USL Championship history, Haji has been transferred from the CO Springs Switchbacks to Egyptian Premier League side, Future FC. Huge opportunity for him. He is a US citizen earning citizenship in 2018. Barry is a Guinea international and being in Africa can put him closer to his national teams eyes. Sad to see him leave the Switchback. He was so fun to watch and really helped usher in a new ears of the club with success and a sweet little new stadium. A switchbacks legend without doubt.
@bungadiri @dark knight @thefal Let's combine these 2 threads: https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/haji-barry-transfers-to-future-fc.2122851/#post-40831469 We can rename thread to: Hadji Barry at Future FC (Egypt)
https://www.backheeled.com/hadji-ba...-growing-international-respect-for-usl-stars/ Many USL teams have to weigh the value of competing for trophies with their immediate financial realities. For some USL clubs, Barry’s high-six-figure fee would fund nearly two seasons of player salaries. That money could be used to purchase a replacement striker with hundreds of thousands of dollars left over to expand academy programs or to make improvements to the club’s stadium. Even at the expense of a playoff run, the bottom line on the balance sheet makes these sorts of decisions necessary. That’s simply the reality for USL teams in 2022. Zooming out, Barry’s transfer is yet another endorsement of the USL’s ambition to embed itself in the global transfer market. Young players like Henry, Jose Gallegos, Jonathan Gomez, and Cristian Parano have all earned transfer fees near or well in excess of the six-figure mark, and international clubs are starting to take notice of USL veterans, too. Last offseason, Tolouse FC purchased Birmingham’s Junior Flemmings, a 26-year-old, for a low-six-figure transfer fee.