Oday Dabbagh shushed the Charleroi supporters in the heat of his celebration moment.
Now the Palestinian is pining for Pittodrie cheers after arriving at Aberdeen on loan. Dabbagh spent much of this season tormented by the boos of his own fans as scapegoat for the club’s striking struggles. The 26-year-old hit back after ending a goal drought with a last-minute leveller against Standard Liege in November.
Dabbagh went direct to his critics in the Charleroi faithful with a finger to his lips. And he followed up hours later by posting a picture of his gesture on social media. That was the beginning of the end for Dabbagh, who made four more brief outings off the bench in Belgium before Dons swooped.
In the first of those, Dabbagh was sent off just three minutes after coming on as a substitute. Yet relations with supporters had sunk to such a low level that he got no sympathy from them despite the harsh nature of the dismissal.
His loan exit to the Scottish Premiership was seen as the ideal solution for a popular and hard-working teammate. Fellow Charleroi forward Nikola Stulic reckoned being the perennial late substitute had become a source of frustration from Dabbagh before his outburst.
Serbian cap Stulic said: “I hadn’t seen his celebration against Standard, because I had just hit the post for my missed opportunity. But, you know, we have a lot of pressure, so I can understand his reaction.
“It’s not easy to go on every time five minutes before the end of the match. We react badly because there are all these emotions that invade us. But I live near him, Oday is a very good friend. I can tell you that he is an excellent guy on a human level. And, against Standard, he brought us a point.”
Dabbagh arrived in 2023 with big expectations from posting impressive numbers with Arouca in Portugal and was presented as a striker set to net at least 15 goals a season. He got off the mark nine minutes into his first league game against OHL.
Yet he suffered from that top billing and having hard No 9 acts to follow in Victor Osimhen and Vakoun Bayo. Six of his 11 goals last season were for Palestine in Asian Cup or World Cup qualifying.
Felice Mazzu was sacked before the relegation play-offs, bringing to an end his second stint in charge. Current head coach Rik De Mil wasn’t able to tease more prolific form from Dabbagh this term, although the team has risen to mid-table.
However, Dabbagh did come good on a promise for his boss with that now infamous goal against Standard. De Mil said at the time: “I didn’t see Dabbagh’s reaction but it’s no secret that a lot of people talk about our attackers, about the fact they don’t score.
“All these elements bring a lot of frustration, which is released with scoring this important goal at the last second while playing 10 minutes. First of all, I am happy for him. It’s important to see that the players who come into the game give their all.
“Before going on, he told me he was going to score his goal for me. This attitude shows that we are truly united.”
Jimmy Thelin described Dabbagh as a ‘clinical finisher who has an exceptional workrate’ after sealing a deal until the end of the season. He is Palestine’s record scorer with 15 goals in 45 caps and earned a move from Kuwait to Portugal on the back of a brilliant 2020/21 season for Al-Arabi SC.
Dons will hope a change of scenery – and the welcome backing of the Red Army – will allow Dabbagh to recapture his best form.
Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football.