2012/13 WBPL Season Preview (Part I)

After a three-month layoff, domestic football is back! We've been treated to two great Cup Finals to open this season with Shabab Al-Dhahrieh beating league champions Hilal Al-Quds in the Super Cup and Al-Am'ary returning to its title-winning ways with a 3-1 Yasser Arafat Cup win over Balata. 

With the league expanding once again to 12 teams, this season promises to be even more competitive with ambitious sides like Islami Qalqilya and Ahli Al-Khaleel looking to punch above its weight. So who will win the league this year?  And who will be going down? First a preview of the eight teams that managed to stay up last year. With a second part later this week assessing new boys Ahli Al-Khalil, Hilal Jericho, Islami Qalqilya, and Jenin. 

Our predictions after the jump....

Palestinians Abroad: The Complete List

I've put together this list to keep track of the growing amount of Palestinian players playing their football abroad. Only players previously uncapped by a national side will be included (please do not mention the Sharbini brothers).

Belgium (1): Omar Jarun (Sporting Charleroi)

Chile (3): Egardo Abdala (CD Arturo Fernández Vial/3), Roberto Bishara (Palestino), Leonardo Zamora (Curicó Unido/2)

Egypt (2): Ramzi Saleh (Smouha), Mohammed Samara (Al-Dakhliyeh)

Denmark (1): Hani Naboulse (Lyngby BK*)

France (1): Mohammed-Ali Shatrit (FC Issy Les Molineux/5)

Italy (1): Bruno Pesce (Olympia Agnonese/5)

Jordan (4): Fadi Lafi (Al-Jazira), Ashraf Nu'man (Al-Faisaly), Ahmed Abu Arab (That Ras),Ismail Amour (Yarmouk)

Kuwait (1): Majed Abusidu (Yarmouk/2)

Lebanon (11): Mustafa Hallaq (Al-Ahed), Mohammed Abu Ateeq (Al-Ahed), Mohammed Qasim (Al-Nejmeh), Wasim Abdelhady (Al-Ansar), Ibrahim Swidan (Tripoli SC), Mohammed Ghannam (Tripoli SC), Samir Salmun (Tripoli United), Haitham Khadouj (Tadamon Sour), Mohammed Blawni (Safa Beirut) Ali ElKadi (TBA), Ahmad Abu Al-Ardat (Ahli Sidon/2)

Poland (1): Alexis Norambuena (Jagiellonia Bialystok)

Qatar (1): Abdullah Al-Battat (Khatriat SC)

Saudi Arabia (1): Abdelatif Bahdari (Hajer FC)

Sweden (2): Imad Zatara (Åtivdabergs FF), Hicham Ali (Limhamn Bunkfelo/3)

Ledger:

*Denotes youth team player

/2: Plays in Second Division

/3: Plays in Third Division 

/5: Plays in Fifth Division

Transfer Watch: Amour to Al-Yarmouk, ElKadi to Al-Mabarrah, & more

Jordan bound: Ismail Amour

After much speculation, Ismail Amour, regarded as on of the premier talents in the WBPL has elected to move abroad. Al-Yarmouk (JOR) did not disclose the transfer fee paid to Al-Am'ary to secure the services of the Gazan speedster (but it is assumed that he is on a one-year contract). The loss of Amour represents a blow to Al-Am'ary who were hoping to retain him for the final stage of the AFC President's Cup where the Ramallah side will face KRL of Pakistan and Taiwan Power Company with a place in the final at stake.

Ismail Amour becomes the fourth Palestinian plying his trade in the Jordan Premier League alongside  Fadi Lafi (Al-Jazira), Ashraf Nu'man (Al-Faisaly), and Ahmed Abu Arab (That Ras).