Luca SC sign former Garhwal FC skipper Bala Alhassan

The experienced Nigerian midfielder is the first-ever foreign signing of the club.

Kerala-based Luca SC have completed the signing of Nigerian Bala Alhassan Dakir, Khel Now can confirm. The midfielder has previously played for Minerva Punjab, Garhwal FC, FC Kerala and so on.

The signing was confirmed by Waivaw Srivastav, the CEO of Luca Soccer Club. "Yes, we are signing Bala Alhassan for the Kerala Premier League (KPL) 2020-21. He was the captain of Garhwal FC in the Second Division League," he said.

Srivastav further added, "He will become our first-ever foreign signing and fill the leadership void that we had been facing. In my opinion, he will be one of the best players to feature in the tournament." The 32-year-old began his professional career in the Indian subcontinent with Thimphu-based Druk United. He then joined Garhwal FC in 2015, before shifting base to Minerva Punjab the following year. He was with FC Kerala in the 2016-17 season, after which he signed for Peerless SC on a two-year deal.

In 2018, Bala Alhassan returned to FC Kerala and a few months later, re-signed with Minerva Punjab. At the start of the 2019-20 season, Garhwal FC brought him back to their squad and he stayed with them till the end of last year. Overall, he made 15 appearances for Minerva Punjab, 11 for Garhwal and nine for FC Kerala. He has also netted six times so far, four of which came in the Second Division League for FC Kerala.

Meanwhile, Luca Soccer Club have brought in plenty of changes to their squad ahead of the 2020-21 season. They recently signed the likes of former Mohun Bagan player Athul Unnikrishnan and ex-Gokulam Kerala and Kerala Blasters star Sohail T.

AFC A Licensed coach Rajeev P is the Technical Director of their senior team, while their assistant coach Hayden Jose is AIFF D-Licensed. The club also secured foreign investors in Abreco Freight LLC in the summer.

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