When reports emerged linking Celtic with a move for Nir Bitton’s fellow Israel international recently, the immediate temptation was to compare one against the other. An Israeli midfielder from Celtic’s past and an Israeli midfielder from Celtic’s future.
But the positions in which they go about their business in the centre of the park are where those similarities stop. If Bitton’s job was to put out fires, then it’s Abu Fani who provides the spark and lights the proverbial touchpaper.
YouTube compilations should always be consumed with a pinch or two of salt but scroll along to 54 seconds in and marvel at the way Abu Fani turns nothing into something. One moment, he’s surrounded by three defenders, with his back to goal. Blink and you miss it, the ball is nestling in the bottom corner the next.
Celtic’s new midfield magician?
And that is Abu Fani in a nutshell. The 24-year-old is not the most prolific of footballers but, when he does score, its usually something special. You could say the same about the man he may soon be tasked with replacing in the heart of Ange Postecoglou’s midfield. No one else in the Celtic squad – or the whole of Scotland, for that matter – is capable of matching Tom Rogic’s outrageous technical gifts in the centre of the park.
That could be about to change. Israeli publication One claiming that Maccabi Haifa will not stand in Abu Fani’s way if he wishes to embark on a new challenge.
“I want to fulfil a dream,” the 5ft 4ins pocket rocket told Israel Hayom a couple of weeks ago. “But it will not be at any cost.
“I will not go to a team less good than Maccabi Haifa. I’ll only go to a big club where I can progress. Whether I go or not, I have won trophies at Maccabi Haifa and fulfilled a dream.”
Maccabi Haifa claimed the Israel league title again in 2021. And, from a domestic standpoint, Celtic may feel like something of a sidewards step. In terms of continental competition, however, there is no real comparison. Celtic are guaranteed a place in the Champions League group-stages next term; A competition Maccabi Haifi have not qualified for in over a decade.
Abu Fani will be a terrific addition to Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic
Abu Fani is not just a magician capable of leaving opponents spell-bound with a trademark swish and flick. A tally of 14 yellow cards from 2021/22 showcases another, nastier, more ruthless side of his game. As does that video. The one that went viral a couple of months ago, in which Abu Fani wastes no less two minutes at the end of a vital win by keeping possession by the corner flag, using his tiny frame to remarkable effect.
Diminutive and dynamic, two-footed and supremely technical, lavishly talented but boasting the kind of mean streak required to succeed in Scotland, Abu Fani has more in common with, say, a Jota than he does compatriot Bitton. He boasts the unpredictability and raw talent of Rogic, coupled with the bravery and the tenacity of captain marvel Callum McGregor.
An enthraller and an enforcer all wrapped up in one 5ft 4ins package.
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