Reggae Boyz defender and team Captain Damion Lowe has signed with Egyptian professional football club, Al Ittihad.

Al Ittihad competes in the Egyptian Premier, the highest tier of Egyptian football. The six-time Egypt Cup champions have the third biggest fan base in Egypt, a country whose clubs have won the African Cup of Champions on a record 15 occasions.

This represents the first time a Jamaican international will be plying his trade in the Egyptian Premier League and Lowe looks forward to the challenge.

“I’m excited and very optimistic. I’ve been out of a contract for a couple of weeks since leaving Phoenix Rising and it’s a new adventure for me. I think I’m the first Jamaican to play professionally here, so I see this as me opening doors to another market for other Jamaicans to come,” he said.

Lowe, who arrived in Egypt on Friday, is looking forward to hitting the ground running as the team prepares for the semi-final of the Egypt Cup.

“I’m looking forward to meeting the team and to start training and getting back to playing well and being on my ‘A’ game. We have a semi-final game on Tuesday against the champions Al Ahly in Cairo, and I’m ready for that challenge,” Lowe was quoted as saying.

The 27-year-old Lowe was selected eighth overall by Seattle Sounders FC in the 2014 Major League Soccer SuperDraft and has since played mainly in the US and in Norway. Prior to Phoenix, he played for Norwegian first division side IK Start where he started in 51 matches, scoring three goals.

The Egyptian Premier League will run from November 2020 and is expected to conclude in June, 2021.