Mahari To Guttarna
Busy Bees defender Hj Mahari bin Hj Yussof, whom Adinath Pant had described as one of his best recruits, would transfer to Swedish V.558 side LV Guttarna FF for S$114000, after a multi-way bidding contest. Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü 1903 (Swiss Division Six) and F.C. Atletico Bucuresti (Romanian Division Six) had driven the price up, but it seemed that Italian fourth division leaders Polisportiva Matteotti were poised to snatch the 17 year-old up, before Per Andersson made an offer than Hj Mahari couldn't refuse.
This, it seemed, was an immediate entry to the team's rotation, made possible by Andersson's planned wholesale clearout. Guttarna's entire backline of Filip Fryda, Alex Klachbrenner, Tinus Boudry and Dan Nilsson have already been officially transfer-listed, and while several other promising youngsters have been signed alongside the International man, the odds had to be good.
Pant himself had no compunctions about going to bat for Hj Mahari. "He is a total defender, even at this tender age." the scout boasted. "There may be a long way for him to travel yet, but he's got a headstart on just about any other boy his age."
Hj Mahari admitted to toying with a free transfer offer from Maltese Division Three club molta malta, with Turkish sixth division frontrunners KarssporBJK36 having also suggested that. However, the lure of guaranteed playing time proved overwhelming. "It was too good to turn down." he said.
