Gulf News - Argentine striker Walter
Silvani Rios signed up to play for Al Wasl till the conclusion of the
2002-2003 season.
Silvani commenced training with Al Wasl on Saturday under the UAE
coaches Khalifa Mubarak and Hasan Mohammed. The duo are operating as
caretaker coaches for the Al Wasl following the sacking of Dutch coach
Johan Boskamp at the end of last month.
The Argentine striker will make his debut on Friday in the league match
against Al Jazira in Abu Dhabi.
Silvani will replace Iranian midfielder Hamid Kavianpour who signed for
Al Wasl last June.
Kavianpour, a member of the Iranian national team, failed to give his
best in the league matches played so far. The club officials and
supporters asked the board to replace him with a striker who can score
goals.
Al Wasl are now in the 10th place in the league table with three points
from six games, they are still looking for their first win in the
league.
Rios is expected to play alongside Iranian striker Farhad Majiedi who is
in his third straight season with the club. Walter Silvani, 31- years-
old, said that Al Wasl's negotiations with him were serious from the
beginning.
"I noticed that Al Wasl expressed a great desire to sign with me.
Abdullah Lootah the club's board deputy chairman, contacted me to play
for Al Wasl and I agreed to sign for the current season."
Silvani said that he was playing with Mexican club Pachuca for the last
two years. "We won the domestic championship last season. I scored
19 goals in 18 matches."
The Argentine striker said that he began playing at home with famous
club River Plate from 1989 to 1994. After that he played in Chile and
Spain before joining Pachuca for the last two seasons.