Alex SongFacebook/AS Arta Solar 7

Former Barcelona and Arsenal star Song unveiled by Djiboutian club AS Arta Solar 7

Alexandre Song has been officially unveiled as AS Arta Solar 7’s newest player on Thursday morning, after signing for the club in the Djibouti Premier League.

The former Arsenal and Barcelona star arrived in the country on Wednesday and penned a two-year contract in Djibouti City to begin life as a player for the 2019-20 Caf Confederation Cup campaigners.

Song was among the players fired by Swiss top-flight side Sion in March for refusing to take a slash in salary following the outbreak of Covid-19.

Apart from his playing role, the former Cameroon international will be expected to help with the team’s youth development.

“Welcome to Djibouti! The international footballer, Alexandre Song arrived yesterday afternoon in Djibouti, where he has signed a two-year contract with AS Arta Solar 7,” the club wrote on Facebook.

“This is the eighth club that this Franco-Cameroonian midfielder has played for since the start of his career. He is here for the president of AS Arta Solar 7, Timoro Nickoss Tommy to not only make this team the flagship club of the Republic of Djibouti, but also to raise, in general, the level of the nation's football.

“To improve the playing techniques of AS Arta Solar 7 so that this young team becomes invincible in international football tournaments, is one of the objectives of the president of this Djiboutian club, Tayoro Nickoss Tommy.

“To achieve this, he's hired Alexandre Song, a footballer who has played at a very high level in major European teams, to the heart of this team.

“In any case, Alexander Song represents real added value for this Djiboutian club, because with him, AS Arta Solar 7 has a bright future ahead of it.”

Song has been handed the No 7 jersey and his presence is expected to boost the Stade El Hadj Hassan Gouled giants in next season’s Caf Confederation Cup, where they face Egyptian Premier League side Arab Contractors in the preliminary round.

AS Arta Solar 7 crashed out of this year’s edition of the continental club competition after losing 4-1 on aggregate to Sudan’s Al-Khartoum.

Song played for Arsenal between 2006 and 2012, before moving to Barcelona where he won La Liga in 2013.

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