Uganda Cranes striker Emmanuel Okwi has sealed a move to Egyptian top tier side Al Ittihad Alexandria Club.
Okwi who impressed at the just concluded AFCON 2019 finals in Egypt has been a free agent ever since his deal with Tanzania’s Simba SC expired a couple of months ago.
He was linked to South African-Soweto Giants Kaizer Chiefs but will instead play in Egypt.
Okwi is understood to have signed a two-year deal at Alexandria based side.
Al Ittihad confirmed Okwi’s capture via a statement on their official website.
“Club president Mohamed Mosselhi finalized the deal with Emmanuel Okwi Today and the Ugandan striker signed a two-year contract until 2021,” read the statement.
Okwi was arguably Uganda’s best performer at AFCON 2019, scoring two goals.
He scored the second as the Cranes defeated DR Congo in their opener before opening the scores in the 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe.
Okwi, a 26-year-old has had an adventurous journey which is rooted at SC Villa. He featured for the Jogoos in the 2009 and 2010 seasons before securing a move to Simba SC.
At Simba, he lasted three seasons from 2010-2013 before moving to Etoile du Sahel where he played only one league game. He then returned to Villa but his second stint was short-lived as he moved to Young Africans for the 2013/14 season.
After one season, he made a return to Simba where he played the 2014/15 season before moving to Denmark’s SonderjyskE. At SonderjyskE, he last two years but his stay was troubled as he featured in only four league games, scoring no goals.
For a third time, he signed for SC Villa in 2017 and after 6 months, he once again returned to Simba SC where he played until AFCON 2019.
Okwi is a full Uganda Cranes international, playing 67 games and scoring 22 goals since his debut in 2011.
He becomes the third Ugandan to seal a move to Egypt post-AFCON 2019, following into the footsteps of Khalid Aucho and Abdul Lumala.
About Okwi’s Egyptian side
Al Ittihad Alexandria Club is an Egyptian football club that plays in the Egyptian Premier League.
The team was founded in 1914 in Alexandria. It has the fourth-largest number of fans in Egypt, after Al Ahly, Zamalek and Ismaily.
The club is the first club that rushed to endorse the idea of founding the Egyptian Football Association in 1921 which contributed to increased popularity in Alexandria.
It was established in 1906 under the name of the club of the Union headed by Hassan Ismail. In 1908 they change the name of the club from Union club to the Union National Club.
Al Ittihad have never won the Egyptian Premier League but have triumphed in the Cup on 6 separate occasions with the last coming in 1976.
