Moustafa Zeidan signs with Al-Masry as winter transfer activity draws to a close
Zeidan becomes the seventh Palestinian player to appear in the 2025/26 edition of the Egyptian Premier League
Moustafa Zeidan is back in in an Arab League two years after a disastrous loan move to Hatta Club of the UAE. The attacking midfielder has spent the past two seasons on loan to Rosenborg after finding himself a surplus to requirements at Malmö FF.
Zeidan’s time in Norway helped the him rediscover his form and confidence and he ended his season with a goal and seven assists in 25 appearances across all competitions. That output allowed him to work his way back into the national team under Ehab Abu Jazar.
The former Sweden international scored his first goal for Palestine in the 2-1 loss to Catalunya in November. He followed that up by making an instant impact as a late substitute vs. Tunisia in the FIFA Arab Cup- assisting Zaid Qunbar’s equalizing goal in an enthralling encounter.
Not many would have expected Zeidan to sign for an Egyptian side but the move could prove to be a fruitful one on multiple levels. First and foremost, his passing could help unlock goals from the team’s forwards. Al-Masry are the second top scoring side in the division and will need to keep that form up if they want to qualify for continental competition next season.
Second, Zeidan will have an opportunity to partner with Ameed Sawafta in midfield. The former Tubas midfielder has already taken to the league and has notched his first assist for Al-Masry.
Lastly, he will be front and center for future national team selections as the national team staff will find it easier to track and monitor his performance.
In order to succeed, Zeidan will need to continue to adapt to the more physical rigors of Arab football. Should he succeed with Al-Masry his role with the national team will continue to expand.
Zeidan’s contract with the Port Said club runs until the end of the 2028/29 season.
The transfer window has now closed in many countries but there is a possibility that more moves could be agreed with free agents or with leagues that run on a winter-to-fall calendar. Rami Hamadi and Omar Faraj seem to be the main candidates to earn a move in this period. Other players like Ahmed Taha (Al-Wakrah) and Musa Farawi (Al-Arabi) are awaiting exemptions in order to play in the Qatar Stars League as local players.
Intresting move for Zeidan especially after his Rosenborg spell rebuilt his confidence. The Sawafta partnership could be key here, having familiar chemistry at club level translates well to national team cohesion. I tracked similar playermovement patterns in Arab leagues and the physical adaptation point is real, especially comming from Scandinavia.