The 21-year-old Nigerian recently signed a contract with the Egyptian champions, following a successful trial last week.

Abai, who played for Enugu Rangers and FC Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), is over the moon after joining Abou-Treika.

"Ahli are one of the biggest clubs in Africa, if not the biggest," the promising striker said in an interview with Modern Sport TV.

"I really like Abou-Treika, I could hardly believe it when I saw him beside me in training.

"He wished me good luck with Ahli when I first met him. Abou-Treika and Gilberto are my closest friends right now."

Competition

Abai conceded that carving out a place in Manuel Jose's starting eleven will not be easy, amid the presence of several strikers at the Portuguese's disposal.

"It will be difficult for a player like me to become a regular with Ahli, competition will be tough and I will need time to adapt," he said.

Ahli already have Ahmed Hassan Farag, Osama Hosni, Ahmed Belal and Hani Al-Egeizi all struggling for a regular spot alongside first-choice striker Flavio Amado.