Al-Wehdat doesn't have the luxury of waiting this time, and its fans no longer have room to practice patience. The "Green Giant," having stayed away from championship podiums for a long time, enters the new season with a different tactical identity, a new coaching staff led by Wasim Al-Bazour, a squad that looks more varied, and financial backing that arrived during one of the club's harshest periods. All of this places the team before a single question: can Al-Wehdat come back from far behind, and reclaim the league title that has eluded its trophy cabinet since the 2020 season?
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This isn't an exaggerated question, nor a passing fan wish, but a duty imposed by Al-Wehdat's identity and history, and even more so by the frustration left behind by last season, which ended in what could be described as a "zero season," leaving fans facing a bitterness that has become unbearable.
For this reason, Al-Bazour doesn't begin his mission from square one, but from atop a mountain of expectations, criticism, and waiting. The fans don't just want a good team, don't just want a single match win, or a signing that looks good on paper; they want the Al-Wehdat they know, and that rivals know too, as a team that steps onto the pitch knowing it's there to compete for the title.
The Super Cup: A Loss With a Different Taste
It's true that Al-Wehdat lost 1-2 to Al-Faisaly in the season's first competition, in the new four team Super Cup format, but the loss this time wasn't as harsh on the fans as it could have been.
That's because Al-Wehdat looked better, leaving behind a performance that carried a creeping sense of reassurance for its fans, a bit of comfort, and a glimmer of hope that what's coming might be different. Herein lies the importance of that match: Al-Wehdat didn't win the cup, but it gained something it badly needed, recovering part of its fans' trust.
The real test begins now, as Al-Wehdat faces its traditional rival Al-Faisaly at the start of the Professional League, in a match carrying more than just three points at stake. It's a bigger technical statement about the new Al-Wehdat's identity, and a fresh opportunity for Al-Bazour and his players to tell their fans: we are here, and we want the title.
Al-Dumaisi: A Glimmer of Hope
Amid the toughest financial circumstances the club has faced, the support of the club's honorary chairman, businessman Imad Al-Dumaisi, emerged as one of the most notable signs of this new phase.
Al-Wehdat's fans received his appearance and support as though it were a gift from the heavens at a particularly harsh time. The man didn't stop at words or moral support, but put his financial weight behind the team, personally funding the signing of four foreign players, alongside contributing to bringing in local players and Palestinian player Mahmoud Abu Warda.
This step doesn't mean Al-Dumaisi bought success, nor that money alone can build a championship team, but it does mean Al-Wehdat found someone extending a hand at the exact moment it needed one.
From here, the ball is now in the court of the entire green setup. Al-Dumaisi has given what he can, management has provided the options, and the coaching staff has chosen and shaped the team's features. The rest is up to the players and Al-Bazour.
Many Names, One Question
Looking at Al-Wehdat's current squad, Al-Bazour has wide ranging options across every position.
In goal there's Mohammad Al-Amwasi, Ahmad Arbash, and Mohammad Al-Tarayra. At left back, Mustafa Kamal and Muhaisen Abu Jabla, while right back includes Nour Al-Din Fayez, Shawqi Al-Qaza'ah, and Firas Shalabaya.
At center back, there's Botswana national team captain Thatayaone Ditlhokwe, Daniel Afana, Arafat Al-Hajj, and Ayham Al-Samamra, while the midfield includes Fawzi Abdul Muttalib, Fadi Awad, Mohammad Kahlan, Ahmad Sabra, Bashar Diabat, Mohammad Al-Dawoud, Omar Al-Azazmeh, Abdul Rahman Saq Allah, and Mohammad Salah. The wings offer variety with Bafa Diop, Mahmoud Abu Warda, Hamza Al-Naeem, and Abdul Halim Al-Zagheer. Up front, Al-Wehdat relies on Junior Sambo, Jimmy Siaj, Mohammad Hindoumeh, and Abdul Qader Al-Alam.
The new head coach knows, better than anyone, that Al-Wehdat is no ordinary club, and that its seat doesn't give its occupant much time to experiment.
The fans will give him a chance, but they'll be watching the details: the team's character, its boldness, its ability to impose its style, how it handles big matches, and most importantly, its ability to turn names into a system, the system into results, and the results ultimately into a title.
From the "zero season" to a season of return, this may be the moment when Al-Wehdat's fans need more than just optimism.
They need to see a team that fights, players who understand the value of the badge, and a coaching staff that isn't afraid of big matches.
They need management and backers who understand that the road to the podium isn't built with a single signing or statement, but through continuous work.
From here, the match against Al-Faisaly opening the league tomorrow evening (Friday) isn't just an opening match; it's the first page in the story of the new season, and the first real test for a team that wants to say Al-Wehdat is back. If Al-Bazour succeeds in assembling his team's pieces, if the names of the professionals and new signings turn into real strength, if the experienced players reclaim their presence, and if everyone plays with the value of the jersey in mind, then the Green Giant can knock on the doors of the top once again.
