Delhi Dynamos Football Club continued to bolster their squad by announcing the return of their star forward from Ghana, Richard Gadze as well as acquiring the services of Senegalese centre back Baye Ibrahima Niasse for the next season of the Hero Indian Super League.
Richard Gadze
Baye Inrahima Niasse is also the brother of Oumar Niasse, who plays as a striker for the English Premier League side Everton F.C.
The double acquisition will not only fill the only club in the Hero ISL from North India with added firepower while going forward but will also further fortify the defensive unit of this new look side. Both the players have joined the squad in Sweden, where they are currently undergoing their pre-season training and are expected to feature for the club’s next friendly match against the Swede club Skene IF on September 11.
Gadze, the 21-year-old livewire from Ghana, who was a revelation last year, was expected to be away for a year after going on loan to Finnish giants HJK Helsinki but he cut short his stint to come back to join the Delhi Dynamos F.C’s squad.
Gadze’s brilliant showing in last year’s Hero ISL that included four goals and two assists, helped the Delhi Dynamos FC qualify for the semifinals. This performance from him got him a call-up to the Finnish club HJK, offering him the opportunity to ply his trade in top flight European soccer. The forward who had joined the Finnish club in May, was a regular feature for the club both at the league games and Europa.
“I am happy to be back to Delhi Dynamos. The team and the fans gave me a lot of love and I hope that I can live up to their expectation in my second stint at the Hero ISL. We had a fairly good season last year making it to the semifinals. As we gear up for the third season, with the new coach in place and lots of good players coming in, I am confident that we are capable of pulling it off till the end this year,” said the prolific striker from Ghana, Richard Gadze.
Gadze further added, “It was a great experience to play for HJK and rub shoulders with so many talented players across Europe and I hope to put this experience of mine to full use while playing for the Delhi Dyanmos FC.”
Ibrahima, who hails from the city of Dakar and made his debut in 2006 for the French club Nancy B is well known for his versatility on the field and joins Delhi Dynamos F.C from Romanian Liga I club Concordia Chiajna. The Senegalese who primarily plays as a centre-back is also a very effective central defensive midfielder and has appeared in 206 games scoring 20 goals for several clubs including Neuchatel Xamax, Apollon Limassol, Inter Baku and Mordovia.
“I look forward to my stint with Delhi Dynamos FC this season. I am happy to have joined the club just when I was looking for a new challenge in my career. I haven’t had much time to interact with my teammates as I have just joined the team, but I did follow their previous games that they played in England and here in Sweden, and the squad looks to be gelling in well. I hope to add to the teams performance with my experience and help the team pull off a fitting closure to our campaign this season,” said the Sengal midfielder Baye Ibrahima Niasse.
Welcoming the new recruits, Head coach Gianluca Zambrotta expressed his delight at the return of Richard Gadze as well the arrival of Ibrahima and feels that this will augur well for the club in the season ahead.
“Both the players are immensely talented and I am happy to have them in my team. I am really looking forward to work with both the players. Gadze was phenomenal last year and it was very crucial that he was back with the team, and for Ibrahima, I always liked players who can play in multiple positions as it allows me more option in trying out different strategies,” Zambrotta said.
“We are glad to have Richard back in the team. His attacking abilities have been instrumental in our semifinal finish last season and we hope to take a step forward this year with his presence. Ibrahima’s inclusion only strengthens our midfield, which would play a critical role not only for our forwards but our defenders as well. I am sure that the addition of Gadze and Ibrahim will only help us in moving forward to the final summit this season,” said Vishnu Madhu, Chief Technical Officer, Delhi Dynamos FC.
The Delhi Dynamos FC is currently on their last leg of the pre-season training in Sweden. The Lions finished the first leg in England impressively, becoming the first ever Hero ISL team to play against an EPL team. The team will play its last two of the three friendlies in Sweden and return to India later this month.