'My aim is to rediscover my best form soon'

It's official. Orosco Anonam will again be donning the blue colours of Sliema Wanderers as from tomorrow after his registration papers were filed at the Malta FA yesterday.

Making way for Anonam, who is now available to play for Premier League leaders Sliema in tomorrow's encounter against Hamrun Spartans, is Brazilian striker Edoardo Do Nascimento, better known as Bizu.

Anonam has been at the centre of transfer speculation for the past few months after he returned to Malta from a short, indifferent spell with Cyprus champions APOEL Nicosia.

Birkirkara were the first club to be linked with Anonam and the Nigerian striker even went on record as saying that he had given his word to the Stripes that he would sign for them when the transfer window reopened in January.

Next, Sliema came knocking on the door, expressing bold interest in taking the player back on board.

"I have chosen to sign again for Sliema for a variety of reasons. Suffice to say that, in the light of the many complications that had arisen after I was transferred from Naxxar to Sliema, a move to a different club in Malta, in this case Birkirkara, could have triggered more difficulties.

"I didn't want to find myself caught in the middle of another rift between clubs," Anonam told The Times.

"It's true that I had had negotiations with Birkirkara and I promised that I would sign for them. However, after reviewing the situation, I decided that a move to Sliema was a better proposition for the reasons I have already cited. Before making a decision, I consulted my lawyers and they suggested that I honoured my contract with Sliema.

"I take this opportunity to thank Birkirkara FC, especially their president Victor Zammit, for their interest in me and I hope that my decision to join Sliema is not viewed as a snub to Birkirkara," Anonam said.

Anonam's U-turn was hard to swallow for Zammit, the Birkirkara president. "Up to a few days ago, I spoke to Anonam and he reiterated that he was ready to sign for us. It's a known fact that he was one of our transfer targets but we have to move on.

"What I find difficult to accept is his course of action. Anonam should have made his intentions to rejoin Sliema clear from the outset," Zammit said.

The 23-year-old Anonam, who is tied to Sliema for the next four years, says his no.1 priority is to return to his best form as soon as possible after his three-month sabbatical from football, caused by the unexpected collapse of his transfer to APOEL.

"My chief aim is to start playing again for Sliema Wanderers, the club I know so well. I am hoping to get back into the flow of things immediately in order to help Sliema in their quest to win the Premier League."

Although Anonam is enthusiastic about his comeback to Maltese football, he still harbours ambitions of catching the eye of a foreign club.

"I haven't given up hope of playing abroad again. My agent is in contact with a Division Two club in France but there is nothing concrete as yet. As I said, at the moment I am only concerned with playing football again. Everything else can wait."

Bizu was the striker Sliema chose as a replacement for Anonam in the summer but this time around, the roles have been reversed.

Bizu's close-season move from Floriana to rivals Sliema had been the subject of endless controversy that culminated with the Greens lodging a protest at the MFA over alleged irregularities in the player's registration documents. Their appeal was turned down.

A few weeks on, Bizu was on the brink of a return to Floriana only to discover that Rule 40 of the MFA statute prevents Floriana from registering a player they had previously released during the same season.

Documents show that the Greens had officially granted Bizu his release on July 8 last year. A Floriana spokesman confirmed that Bizu had agreed a contract till the end of season 2003-2004 but the deal fell through after his registration papers were not accepted by the MFA.

Bizu can play in the Premier League again this season but not with Floriana, who have decided not to retain the services of Bulgarian midfielder Boyko Simeonov.

Meanwhile, Dennis Cauchi, who started the season with Marsaxlokk, has returned to Floriana. Cauchi signed a contract until the end of season.

Floriana, who take on Marsaxlokk on Sunday, are also interested in Valletta goalkeeper Ernest Barry.

The Citizens, on their part, are also looking into the possibility of recruiting a midfielder to make up for the imminent departure of skipper Kris Laferla who has filed a transfer request.

Laferla is believed to be keen on a move to Sliema. Jaroslav Marx of Birkirkara is reportedly in the frame of coach Dennis Fenech but Valletta are also in contact with a Bulgarian player.