Odisha FC sign five foreign players ahead of ISL 2026-27
Odisha FC have signed five foreign players ahead of the Indian Super League 2026-27, according to a report published on September 22, 2026. The recruitment completes a summer rebuild overseen by Joy Gabriel and head coach T.G. Purushothaman.
The club’s return to clearer finances follows a period of uncertainty that saw Odisha almost succumb to pressure from a delayed ISL start, shut down first-team operations and opt out of the 2025 Durand Cup and the 2025-26 AIFF Super Cup. Unlike last season, when players were signed just a few days before the ISL kick-off, Odisha rebuilt its squad within the summer transfer window and retained head coach T.G. Purushothaman for another season. The club extended contracts for players described in the report as Puitea, VP Suhair, Rahim Ali and Tejas Krishna; a club tweet posted in the same period also confirmed that V.P. Suhair, Puitea, Edwin and Tejas had signed new deals.
One of the foreign additions is centre-back Stephen Eze, acquired from Jamshedpur FC amid uncertainty over that club’s ISL future. The report describes Eze as a dominant defensive presence who wins duels, makes last-ditch tackles and executes key blocks, and notes his aerial threat has yielded 9 goals in over 54 odd ISL games he has played so far. The write-up adds that disciplinary issues are a concern but suggests Eze could match or exceed the impact of previous foreign defenders at the club.
Jaba Aburjania is listed as the club’s midfield foreign signing and is identified in the report as the first-ever Georgian to sign for an ISL club. His career spans Liga Portugal, the Spanish Second Division, the Eredivisie and Copa Del Rey appearances, and the piece records that he moved to Sevilla’s reserves ahead of the 2016-17 season. Aburjania is described as a 31-year-old defensive midfielder, ambidextrous, reliant on positional discipline rather than raw pace, with 39 appearances for the Georgian national team between 2016 and 2023 and experience in UEFA Conference League qualifiers; the report states, “Whether or not the 31-year-old is a potential Jahouh replacement, only time will tell.”
Manu Molina is presented as the biggest name among the signings, with the report saying the Spanish midfielder reportedly rejected offers from his boyhood club Real Club Recreativo de Huelva to join Odisha. Molina has played over 450 games across the top three tiers of Spanish football, with most appearances in the second and third tiers, and the account notes his LaLiga debut came against Real Madrid. The profile describes him as a central midfielder who can operate in a more advanced role, excels at deliveries from dead-ball situations and is technically strong while producing modest goals and assists totals.
Mahmoud Eid arrives as an attacking wide option, the report outlining him as a right winger by trade who can play across the front three. Born in Sweden and developed in Swedish academies, Eid chose to represent Palestine and has made more than 20 appearances for the national team. The piece records that during three years with Bangkok United he registered 59 goal contributions, that last season he registered two assists in four starts in the AFC Champions League Two, and that he is a 33-year-old, left-footed inverted right winger standing at 6'1".
Everton is described as the club’s Brazilian striker signing, arriving off a season in the Indonesian second tier in which he scored 14 goals and registered three assists in 24 games while helping his side gain promotion. The report characterises him as a traditional number nine with physical and aerial strengths and states Odisha have signed him as their main and only striker despite deploying Rahim Ali as striker in the previous campaign; it also notes concerns over his lack of pace and pressing intensity.
The report concludes that Odisha FC have retained head coach T.G. Purushothaman after he joined the club ahead of ISL 2025-26 and that the club will finalise and announce its complete roster in due course. This article will be updated once Odisha FC announce their complete roster for the 2026-27 season; for further updates the report references Khel Now’s social channels and apps.