HIBERNIAN sprang a surprise yesterday when they signed the Moroccan striker, Abdessalam Benjelloun, who could come into the reckoning for theirTennent's Scottish Cup semi-final tie against Hearts at Hampden Park next month.
The 21-year-old has been training at Easter Road for 2 1/2 months while the club tried to cut through the red tape which was holding up his transfer from the Moroccan side, Moghreb Fes. He had not been eligible for a work permit because he had not played in 75-per cent of his country's recent international matches.
HoweverTony Mowbray, the Hibernian manager, successfully argued at a Football Review Panel at Hampden yesterday that the player had the potential to win full international caps.
Benjelloun played for Morocco in the World Youth Championships in Holland last summer and only injury has kept him out of the full international squad.
Mowbray said: "He will be back in Scotland early next week and possibly play in a reserve game the following week. He's ready to go and will be in the squad competing for a place like everybody else."
Winning a work permit for the player is a huge boost to Hibs who recently lost Garry O'Connor to Lokomotiv Moscow, while his fellow striker, Derek Riordan, will leave when his contract expires in the summer.
More significantly, Riordan is also suspended for the Scottish Cup semi-final against Hearts which left Hibs with only Chris Killen as their only regular front man. Paul Dalgish is cup-tied so Steven Fletcher, who has been on the bench most of the season, and Benjelloun will come into contention for the semi-final.
Hibs sources last night said it was too early to evaluate his chances of playing in the vital match but said his signing gave Mowbray more options in attack for the game.
The signing represents something of a coup for Mowbray, who is trying to offset the loss of a number of key performers following another impressive season for the Edinburgh club. O'Connor makes his debut for Lokomotiv Moscow this weekend, Gary Caldwell will join Celtic in the close season and Riordan has been linked with a move to Rangers.
One man who believes Mowbray's side will overcome those departures and continue to flourish is Terry Butcher, the manager of today's opponents, Motherwell.
"Hibernian always catch the eye, " said Butcher. "They have had two great years underTony Mowbray and MarkVenus and they are an exciting team to watch. Garry O'Connor is a good young player but they have a lot of talented young players they can play in that position, and in the summer they will use that money to strengthen."
Butcher also believes Riordan's imminent departure will not prove too injurious. "It's not just Derek Riordan, " said the Englishman. "It's a question of how you stop Ivan Sproule and the others? They have a formidable front three. If you keep your eyes on one player somebody else will get you."
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