Wessam Abou Ali signed for Columbus Crew from Egyptian giants Al Ahly and made his Crew debut as a 57th-minute substitute in a loss to the New England Revolution. The 26-year-old featured in 35 Egyptian Premier League matches over the last two seasons, scoring 28 goals and providing seven assists. He scored a hat-trick in a 4-4 draw with Porto at the Club World Cup. Abou Ali described a warm welcome from fans and said he feels motivated to represent his family and nation and to repay supporters. Columbus face a major Eastern Conference match against the New York Red Bulls next.
"I had a very good welcome in the warm-up and every time I went to warm up as well on the other side during the game. I heard the roar when I came on as well. It's a big thing for me. Of course, I'm representing myself, my family, a whole nation. "So, it gives you a reason to give something back to these people and really work hard to make them happy and live up to those expectations."
"That's why I came to get going, to start playing, to get to know my team-mates. "It's been a quick, quick week, but I'm happy and I'm proud to make my debut. Obviously, it's a nice feeling, and a warm welcome from the fans. "It was actually very amazing. I'm so grateful for the people that were here supporting the team."
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