Abass: Rijeka seal short-term deal for Ghana and Mainz winger

Ghana U23 winger Issah Abass has left German Bundesliga outfit Mainz 05 for Croatian fold Rijeka on loan.

The attacker will spend the entire duration of the 2021-22 season with the Rijecki Bijeli after being deemed surplus to requirements at Opel Arena.

He spent the second half of the 2020-21 term with Dutch side FC Twente where he made eight appearances in the Eredivisie.

"Abass Issah will play for HNK Rijeka in the coming 2021-22 season. The 22-year-old Ghanaian is on loan to the Croatian first division club for a year," Mainz have announced on their official website.

"Issah played three competitive games for the 05ER last season before being loaned to Twente Enschede. There, he was in eight games of the Dutch Eredivisie on the field."

Abass began last season with Mainz but after making only two appearances during the first half of the Bundesliga campaign, he pursued a move away to Twente in search of more playing time.

In the entire duration of the term, he failed to find the back of the net.

"For Abass to develop, it is important that he can continue to gain match practice at the highest possible level," said Mainz sports director Martin Schmidt.

"HNK Rijeka is one of the top Croatian clubs and has every chance of playing internationally with their entry into the Uefa Europa Conference League qualification.

"We wanted to give Abass this opportunity."

Mainz secured the services of Abass from Slovenian side Olimpija Ljubljana in 2018.

In the 2019-20 term, the 22-year-old was sent out on loan to Dutch outfit Utrecht, where he made 15 league appearances, starting 10 of the matches and twice putting his name on the score sheet.

Yet to be capped by Ghana at senior level, the winger will hope to make an impression on Black Stars coach CK Akonnor while out at Rijeka for a first call-up.

He represented Ghana at U17 level before leaving Ghanaian lower division outfit Asokwa Deportivo for Olimpija. In 2019, he featured for Ghana at the U23 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.