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According to reports, Hijazi Maher has decided to extend his contract with East Bengal FC and stay with the club until the end of the 2025-26 Indian Super League (ISL) season.
According to reports from TOI reporter Marcus Mergulhao, the Jordan defender has signed a two-year deal with the Kolkata-based club.
He wrote on X:
"Hijazi Maher has agreed on two year extension with East Bengal despite plenty of interest from elsewhere. Important signing."
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Despite several offers from various ISL clubs and clubs outside India, the center-back decided to stay with East Bengal.
The 29-year-old player played 17 matches in the ongoing edition of the Indian Super League. He clocked a total of 1,457 minutes as a center-back in his debut season in the Indian top-tier league.
Hijazi Maher also played all five Kalinga Super Cup 2024 matches and was on the pitch for all 480 minutes. The Jordanian played a key role in guiding the Kolkata giants to winning the title.
He scored a couple of goals for East Bengal FC during their Super Cup campaign. The first goal came against Sreenidi Deccan FC in the group-stage encounter. Hijazi headed in an assist from left-back Nishu Kumar to open the scoring for the Red and Gold Brigade. They went on to win the game 2-1.
His second goal came against Jamshedpur FC in a semi-final clash on 24th January. Hijazi found the back of the net in the 19th minute, thanks to an assist by Saul Crespo. East Bengal FC won the match 2-0 to enter the summit clash of Kalinga Super Cup 2024.
East Bengal FC fail to secure a place in the ISL playoffs
East Bengal FC finished ninth in the Indian Super League standings with 24 points from 22 encounters. They registered six wins, six draws, and 10 losses in the landmark edition of the Indian top-tier league.
The Kolkata-based club succumbed to a 4-1 defeat against Punjab FC in a must-win encounter to end their ISL playoffs hopes. A win would have seen them through to the next round of the competition.
