It seems Malaysian football and Mohamad Ghaddar could not be kept apart. 2019 will be Ghaddar's seventh season in Malaysian football but unlikes previous stints in the top flight, this time he will be featuring in the second division.
Having first appeared for Kelantan in 2012, Ghaddar has gone on to play for Felda United, Johor Darul Ta'zim as well as two more stints with Kelantan. An undoubted goalscorer, it was thought that his playing career was over when he had to be dropped mid of last season due to injuries.
However, football fans in Malaysia have yet to see the last of the 34-year-old as he returns with JDTII for the upcoming 2019 season. Working with Ervin Boban in the Premier League, Ghaddar will have a chance to prove his worth at a comparative easier league.
Johor Southern Tigers
JDTII have nominally been referred to as the development team for Johor Darul Ta'zim and as such the signing of Ghaddar would represent a step away from that considering his age. Had he been a younger import who JDT looked to be able to improve and eventually feature for the Super League team, it would have made more sense.
There's every chance that Ghaddar may rediscover his form that made him such a feared opponent in the 2017 season but with JDT already having recently purchased Diogo Luis Santo, Ghaddar's chances of a mid-season promotion looks slim.
Boban's team are of course restricted from gaining promotion to the Super League by virtue of JDT being in the top flight but should they finish in the bottom two spots in the Premier League, JDTII can still be relegated from the division.
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