OH Leuven recall Sawaneh from Muaither

Ibou Sawaneh returns to Leuven

Belgian Jupiler Pro League club OH Leuven have recalled Gambia striker Ibou Sawaneh from his loan spell at Qatar Stars League side Al Muaither Sports Club, this blog can reveal.

The 27-year-old striker scored two league goals in ten appearances since joining the Qatari side in September.

He left Belgium for Qatar where he was expected to play until the end of the 2013/2014 season but Muaither president Saleh Al-Aji, has apparently declared that all ‘non-Qatari players should leave the club’, thereby allowing the Gambian striker to terminate his loan deal and return to Leuven.

OH Leuven, who this month appointed caretaker boss Herman Vermeulen as permanent manager, currently lie 14th in the Jupiler Pro League table, two points clear of the relegation zone.

According to Leuven’s official website, Sawaneh is eligible to play in their match against KRC Gent this weekend, provided they receive his international transfer clearance (ITC) from the Qatar Football Association.

The 5ft 10in forward joined Leuven from RAEC Mons in 2012, scoring 19 times in 36 league appearances in the 2012/2013 Belgian Jupiler Pro League campaign.

He was one of the five nominees for the Ebony Golden Shoe, an award given to the best player in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League with African roots.

Sawaneh was the country’s most talked about player in the summer transfer window when he courted interest from four different clubs.

English Championship club Reading, French Ligue 1 side AS Saint-Étienne, Dutch Eredivisie club FC Utrecht and Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1 side Club Africain were all interested in the striker but Leuven spurned those offers saying it is not near their valuation of the forward.

Sawaneh began his career at Polish Ekstraklasa [top-tier] side Lech Poznań in 2004, spending two seasons at the club before moving to KSK Beveren in Belgium where he notched in 23 goals in 39 appearances during his two-year stint at the East Flanders-based club.

He later moved to West Flanders where he joined KV Kortrijk in 2008. During his time at the club, he was sent on-loan to KV Mechelen and RAEC Mons [who had an option to make the loan permanent].