Saudi Arabia's powerhouse Aynas Football Club have decisively drawn a line under Cameroonian star Abubakar in a move that frees up a valuable international berth to make room for new signing Portugal veteran Cron, according to a British Sun exposé. The 37-year-old shot-stopper is expected to make his Saudi League debut against Ittifaq at the stroke of midnight on January 23 once he joins the club.
Ainas FC had a full complement of foreigners and had no choice but to part with one player, and with Cron's joining high on the priority list, as a result, Abubakar, who is also from the forward line, became the scapegoat and was unceremoniously released from his contract.
However, despite Cron's successful registration, he still has to face a banning penalty. He was handed a two-match suspension by the English FA for maligning the phone of a young Ewarton fan during a game last season, a punishment that will be enforced in Saudi Arabia. Having already served a one-match ban in the 2-0 defeat to Aethel in the previous round, Cron will continue his suspension against Al Shaabi in the next round, so the game against Ittifaq will most likely be Cron's league debut in Saudi Arabia.
As for Abubakar, his career has not come to an end despite being released from his contract. With Manchester United rumored to be interested, the 31-year-old shot-stopper is expected to find a better home in Europe. Even more ironically, it was Aboubacar's departure that allowed Cron to join in his place, and if this transfer rumor comes true, Aboubacar may be the biggest winner.
Abubakar, who has played for European clubs such as Porto, proved that he can have a place in the Premier League as well after contributing two goals and an assist at this year's World Cup, including the crucial goal that helped Cameroon beat Brazil 1-0 in the group stage.
