I-League: Dempo in talks with Mumbai FC’s Zohib Islam Amiri

Five-time Indian champions Dempo are in talks with Afghanistan national team skipper Zohib Islam Amiri, Sporstkeeda can reveal.

Amiri, who is capable of playing both in defence and midfield, has been at Mumbai FC since January 2012 but the 26-year-old could leave Khalid Jamil’s side and join Dempo before the Federation Cup. If the deal gets completed, the Afghan international will be a replacement for Japanese defender Shinnosuke Honda, who was released by the Goan outfit last month.

Dempo had also released Irish striker Billy Mehmet and former Churchill Brothers striker Akram Moghrabi could be roped in. Another ex-Churchill Brothers forward Henri Antchouet is also on Dempo’s radar but Lebanese international Moghrabi is the favourite as of now.

Moghrabi, who scored 10 I-League goals in 17 appearances for Churchill Brothers last season, was accused of match fixing along with 20 others last year and was in the danger of facing a one-year ban from the Lebanon football federation. But Sportskeeda learnt that the 28-year-old was given a clean chit and thus has been playing for Lebanon club Al Nejmeh.

Dempo are confident of filling the two vacant foreigner slots before the start of their Federation Cup campaign while former East Bengal captain Sanju Pradhan was recently loaned from IMG-Reliace.

Arthur Papas’ side have been placed in Group D alongside Mohammedan Sporting, United Sikkim and Bhowanipore. They will be desperate for a good showing in India’s FA Cup following a poor start in the I-League where they are currently tenth in the 13-team table.