Sporting Kansas City II announced today the acquisition of 19-year-old midfielder Haris Alisah ahead of the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season.
Alisah joins on a year-long loan from FK Sarajevo in his native Bosnia and Herzegovina, with Sporting KC II holding an option to buy the player at the end of 2024.
Alisah has logged 74 total appearances for hometown side FK Sarajevo, including 45 games for the U-19s, 26 games for the U-17s and three matches with the senior team. Capable of playing as a defensive midfielder, central midfielder and center back, Alisah has already amassed four major championships at Sarajevo—a U-17 league title in 2019-20, a U-19 league title in 2022-23 and consecutive U-19 Bosnian Cup triumphs in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
The 2021-22 campaign saw Alisah score two goals in 24 matches for a U-19 Sarajevo team that captured the Bosnian Cup and finished third in league play. Alisah took another step forward in 2022-23, guiding the U-19s to a league and cup double in addition to earning his first team debut in the top-flight Bosnian Premier League on Aug. 30, 2022.
On the international stage, Alisah has made seven appearances for the Bosnia and Herzegovina U-19s—five friendlies during the summer of 2022 and two starts in UEFA Euro U-19 Championship qualifying in the fall of 2022.
Alisah arrives from a historically dominant FK Sarajevo side that has won the Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup a record seven times in addition to claiming five Premier League titles. The club is ranked first in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina all-time table and is the country's most prominent representative in European competitions, including the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. Numerous talented players from the heralded Sarajevo academy have made successful transfer to top European leagues and the club continues to generate premier talent in the Balkan region of Europe.
With the acquisition of Alisah, Sporting KC II now has six players under MLS NEXT Pro professional contracts entering the 2024 campaign.
Sporting KC II Roster (as of Dec. 22, 2023):
- Defenders (2): Nati Clarke, Coby Jones
- Midfielders (3): Haris Alisah, Ethan Bryant, Sebastian Cruz
- Forwards (1): Pau Vidal
Transaction: Sporting Kansas City II (MLS NEXT Pro) acquires midfielder Haris Alisah on loan from FK Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina).
VITALS
Haris Alisah
Position: Midfielder
Born: 11/3/2004 (19 years old)
Height: 6-2
Weight: 175 lbs.
Birthplace: Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Citizenship: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Former Club: FK Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
