Al Ahed FC

This article is about the men's football club from Beirut, Lebanon. For other uses, see Ahed.

Ahed
Full nameAl Ahed Football Club
Nickname(s)القلعة الصفراء (The Yellow Castle)
Short nameAhed
Founded
  • 1964; 60 years ago (1964) (as Al Ahed Al Jadeed)
  • 1985; 39 years ago (1985) (as Nejmet Al Ahed Al Jadeed)
GroundAl Ahed Stadium[a]
Capacity2,000
ChairmanZein Khaife
ManagerJamal Al Haj
LeagueLebanese Premier League
2023–24Lebanese Premier League, 3rd of 12
Current season

Al Ahed Football Club (Arabic: نادي العهد الرياضي, lit. 'The Covenant Sporting Club') is a football club based in Ouzai, a district in Beirut, Lebanon, that competes in the Lebanese Premier League, the top flight of Lebanese football. The club was founded in 1964 as Al Ahed Al Jadeed, initially starting in the Third Division before reaching the Premier League for the first time in 1996.

Nicknamed "the Yellow Castle" (Arabic: القلعة الصفراء), Ahed have won one AFC Cup title, nine Premier League titles, six FA Cup titles, two Federation Cup titles, eight Super Cup titles, and six Elite Cup titles. They secured their first league title in 2008 and have achieved three unbeaten seasons (in 2010, 2018 and 2022). In 2011, Ahed made history by becoming the first team in Lebanon to accomplish both a domestic treble and quadruple, winning the league, the FA Cup, the Elite Cup, and the Super Cup in the same season. In 2019, Ahed defeated North Korean side April 25 in the final of the AFC Cup, becoming the first Lebanese side to win the competition. They reached the final once more in 2024, losing to Australian side Central Coast Mariners.

The club is primarily supported by the Shia community and is affiliated with Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia political party and militant group. Ahed's rivals include fellow Beirut clubs Nejmeh and Ansar. Their ultras group, formed in 2018, is called "Ultras Yellow Inferno". Ahed's stadium, the Al Ahed Stadium, can accommodate 2,000 spectators.

History

Early history (1964–1989)

Ahed were founded in 1964 as Al Ahed Al Jadeed (Arabic: العهد الجديد, lit. 'The New Covenant') in Dahieh, a southern suburb of Beirut. Under the presidency of Muhieddine Anouti, the club initially competed in the Lebanese Third Division.[1][2] During the 1970s, Ahed played in Msaytbeh, an area of Beirut, under the name Al Huda Islamic Club (Arabic: نادي الهدى الإسلامي). However, the club ceased activities as a consequence of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982.[2][3]

In 1984, Anouti acquired a license under the name Nejmet Al Ahed Al Jadeed (Arabic: نجمة العهد الجديد, lit. 'The Star of the New Covenant') but did not establish a club.[2][3] On 2 May 1985, the Lebanese Football Association granted membership to the club to resume playing football, with Mohammad Assi assuming the presidency.[2][3] During the 1988–89 season in the Lebanese Second Division, the team qualified for a playoff match against Al-Majdi. The match ended in a 1–1 draw, preventing Ahed from securing promotion to the Lebanese Premier League.[3]

Lebanese Premier League and first titles (1992–2011)

In 1992, Abdo Saad became the new president and changed the name of the club to Al Ahed (Arabic: العهد, lit. 'The Covenant') because its leaders wanted a name with a Quranic meaning.[2] In 1996, Amin Sherri succeeded Saad as president after his resignation, despite Ahed reaching the Second Division promotion play-offs.[2] On 20 December 1996, Ahed were promoted to the Premier League for the first time in their history.[2] They won their first Premier League game on 18 October 1997, defeating Riada Wal Adab 1–0 at the Bourj Hammoud Stadium; Moussa Bedyan scored the lone goal in the 20th minute.[4]

After two seasons in the Premier League, Ahed were relegated to the Second Division, before they earned promotion back to the Premier League.[2][3] Following the club's second promotion to the Premier League, Sherri resigned as club president and was replaced by Osama Al-Halabawi.[2] Under Al-Halabawi's tenure, Ahed reached the finals of the 2001–02 FA Cup and the 2002 Elite Cup, in addition to securing third place in the league during the 2002–03 season.[2] Between 2004 and 2005, Ahed won two FA Cups, one Federation Cup, and one Super Cup.[2][3][5]

Having won the 2004 FA Cup, Ahed first qualified for an Asian Football Confederation (AFC) competition, the 2005 AFC Cup. They made their continental debut on 9 May 2009, defeating Indian club Dempo 1–0 at home. Ahed finished second in their group of three, which also included Al-Hussein of Iraq, and qualified for the quarter-finals. Despite a 1–0 home victory against Hong Kong club Sun Hei in the first leg, Ahed lost the second leg 3–1 and were eliminated.[6]

Ahed won their first league title in 2007–08.[7] They went on a 44-match unbeaten streak in the Premier League from 2 November 2008 to 30 October 2010,[8] winning the 2009–10 league without defeats as a consequence.[9] In the 2010–11 season, Ahed won the league, the FA Cup, the Super Cup and the Elite Cup, becoming the first team in Lebanon to accomplish both a domestic treble and quadruple.[10][11]

Tamim Sleiman presidency and domestic dominance (2014–2024)

2019 AFC Cup final starting lineup

In 2014, Tamim Sleiman was appointed president of the club by unanimous decision.[12] In his first year as president, Ahed secured the 2014–15 Premier League, the club's fourth in total.[13] Their 2016–17 league victory marked the beginning of a historic streak for Ahed, as they went on to win the league in 2017–18 (their second unbeaten)[14][15] and 2018–19, securing their seventh title overall and establishing themselves as three-time defending champions, a position previously held only by Ansar in 1992.[16]

Ahed reached the final of the AFC Cup – the AFC's second-tier club competition – for the first time in 2019, joining Nejmeh in 2005 and Safa in 2008 as the only Lebanese teams to do so.[17] On 4 November 2019, Ahed beat North Korean side 25 April with a 1–0 win in the final, from a header by Issah Yakubu, thus becoming the first Lebanese team to win the competition.[18] Throughout the tournament, Ahed conceded only three goals in 11 matches and achieved nine clean sheets, including five consecutive ones in all five knockout matches, as they maintained an unbeaten record.[19]

In the 2021–22 season, Ahed cleaimed their third league title unbeaten, securing their eighth title overall.[20] They continued their dominance by winning their ninth league title in 2022–23.[21] The match between Ahed and Racing Beirut on 6 August 2023, the first matchday of the 2023–24 league season, marked the inaugural use of video assistant referee (VAR) technology in Lebanese football.[22] On 5 May 2024, Ahed made it to the final of the 2023–24 AFC Cup for the second time, finishing runners-up after losing 1–0 to Australian side Central Coast Mariners. The game marked the conclusion of the AFC Cup, following changes made to the AFC's competition system.[23]

Recent years (2024–present)

Following Tamim Sleiman's 10-year presidency term at Ahed, lawyer Zein Khalife was elected as Ahed's president on 5 August 2024.[24]

Crest and colours

Ahed's primary colour is yellow,[1] a characteristic reflected in their nickname, "the Yellow Castle" (القلعة الصفراء).[25] On 20 May 2022, Ahed unveiled a revamped badge, adopting a minimalist design to commemorate their 2021–22 league triumph. The new emblem features a pictogram representing the three Arabic letters composing the word "Ahed" (عهد).[26]

  • Logo until 2022
    Logo until 2022
  • Logo between 2022 and 2023
    Logo between 2022 and 2023
  • Logo since 2023
    Logo since 2023

Stadium

Ahed owns the Al Ahed Stadium in Beirut. Located near Rafic Hariri Airport, the venue can hold 2,000 people.[27] The club only uses the stadium for training purposes. For their home matches in club competitions, Ahed opts to utilize various other stadiums across Lebanon, such as the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium and the Saida Municipal Stadium, due to their larger seating capacities.[28]

In 2018, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, alleged in a speech that Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia political party and militant group, was using the Al Ahed Stadium as a site for storing missile clusters.[1] Gebran Bassil, the Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, denied these accusations.[29][30]

Supporters

Two smiling men holding a golden plaque together
The general secretary of Ahed (left) and the president of Sepahan (right) in 2009

Ahed's fan base primarily comprises Lebanon's Shia community,[31][32] and the team has strong affiliations with Hezbollah, sharing the same yellow colour.[1][33][34] With the emergence of ultras groups in Lebanon in 2018,[35] Ahed established "Ultras Yellow Inferno".[36]

On 28 January 2009, Ahed initiated an informal partnership with Iranian club Sepahan,[37] which was later formalized on 8 March 2021. This partnership involves collaborative activities such as training camps and friendly matches between the two clubs.[38]

Club rivalries

Match between Ahed (left) and Ansar (right) during the 2020–21 Lebanese Premier League

Ahed shares a rivalry with Ansar, another Beirut-based team. Ansar's affiliation with the Hariri family and their representation of a nationalist stream add depth to this rivalry.[1] In recent years, Nejmeh, also based in Beirut, has emerged as a fierce rival for Ahed.[1] As the most-supported team in Lebanon, Nejmeh's clashes with Ahed have escalated tensions to the extent that the Lebanese Football Association has had to change venues multiple timess.[1]

Players

Current squad

As of 07 September 2024[39]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
4 DF Lebanon LBN Nour Mansour
7 MF Lebanon LBN Ali Al Haj
8 DF Lebanon LBN Hussein Dakik (captain)
10 MF Lebanon LBN Mohamad Haidar
11 MF Lebanon LBN Karim Darwich
13 GK Lebanon LBN Shaker Wehbe
15 MF Lebanon LBN Badreddine Kawam
17 FW Lebanon LBN Adam Kobeissi
23 DF Lebanon LBN Ali Hadid
24 DF Lebanon LBN Hassan Farhat
25 GK Lebanon LBN Hussein Kdouh
30 MF Lebanon LBN Mahmoud Zbib
71 FW Lebanon LBN Zein Farran
No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK Lebanon LBN Mahdi Khalil
— MF Lebanon LBN Ali Manaa
— MF Lebanon LBN Hussein Ezzeddine
— FW Lebanon LBN Mohammad Nasser
— FW Lebanon LBN Hussein Hawi
— MF Nigeria NGA Andrew Ikefe
— DF Lebanon LBN Hussein Rida
— MF Lebanon LBN Ali W. Al Haj
— DF Angola ANG Ito
— FW Mauritania MTN Mamadou Niass
— DF Egypt EGY Ibrahim Eid [1]
— MF State of Palestine PLE Samer Zubaida

Notable players

See also: Category:Al Ahed FC players
Ahed's captain Haytham Faour with Lebanon at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup
Players in international competitions
Competition Player National team
2019 AFC Asian Cup Rabih Ataya  Lebanon
Samir Ayass  Lebanon
Haytham Faour  Lebanon
Mohamad Haidar  Lebanon
Mehdi Khalil  Lebanon
Nour Mansour  Lebanon
Ahmad Al Saleh  Syria
2023 AFC Asian Cup Mohammad Abu Hasheesh  Jordan
Mohamad Haidar  Lebanon
Ali Al Haj  Lebanon
Mehdi Khalil  Lebanon
Khalil Khamis  Lebanon
Nour Mansour  Lebanon
Mostafa Matar  Lebanon
Walid Shour  Lebanon
Hasan Srour  Lebanon
Hussein Zein  Lebanon
Mohammad Al Marmour  Syria

Honours

Domestic

Continental

Performance in AFC competitions

Main article: Al Ahed FC in Asian football

Ahed first participated in an Asian competition in the 2005 AFC Cup, where they were drawn in the group stage with Indian club Dempo and Jordanian club Al-Hussein. After finishing second in the group, Ahed faced Hong Kong club Sun Hei in the quarter-finals, to whom they lost 3–2 on aggregate.[6]

Before they won the competition, their best performance was in 2016, when they reached the semi-finals before Iraqi club Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya eliminated them 4–3 on aggregate.[40] In 2019, Ahed defeated North Korean club April 25 to win the AFC Cup, becoming the first Lebanese side to do so. Previous finalists Nejmeh and Safa were defeated in the 2005 and the 2008 finals, respectively.[18] They reached the AFC Cup final once more in 2024, losing 1–0 to Australian club Central Coast Mariners.[23]

2005: Quarter-finals
2006: Group stage
2009: Group stage
2010: Group stage
2011: Round of 16
2012: Group stage
2016: Semi-finals
2018: Zonal semi-finals
2019: Champions
2020: Cancelled
2021: Zonal semi-finals
2023–24: Runners-up

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Only used as a training ground

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Levy, Uri (4 October 2018). "The Hezbollah Club". BabaGol. Archived from the original on 17 February 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Gedeon, Abdo. "Mohammad Assi". abdogedeon.com (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f نادي: العهد [Club: Ahed]. kooora.com (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  4. ^ رياضة والعاب [Sports and games]. An-Nahar. 20 October 1997. p. 14.
  5. ^ a b c d e Stokkermans, Karel. "Lebanon – List of Cup Winners". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 4 June 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  6. ^ a b Stokkermans, Karel. "Asian Club Competitions 2005". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  7. ^ a b Fujioka, Atsushi. "Lebanon – List of Champions". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 4 June 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  8. ^ Stokkermans, Karel. "Al-Ahed's series of 44 matches unbeaten in the Lebanese League". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  9. ^ Abboud, John. "Lebanon 2009/10". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  10. ^ "Al Ahed SC". Soccerway. Archived from the original on 10 July 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  11. ^ Schöggl, Hans. "Lebanon 2010/11". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 15 January 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  12. ^ تميم سليمان رئيساً لنادي العهد الرياضي [Tamim Sleiman, president of Al Ahed FC]. alahednews.com.lb (in Arabic). 25 June 2014. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  13. ^ العهد يحتفل بالدوري اللبناني بعد تعادله مع الأنصار [Ahed celebrates the Lebanese League after its draw with Ansar]. Kooora (in Arabic). 8 May 2015. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  14. ^ العهد توج أمام النجمة بسجل نظيف من الخسارة [Ahed were crowned in front of Nejmeh with an unbeaten record]. Al-Anbaa (in Arabic). 17 April 2018. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  15. ^ Stokkermans, Karel. "Unbeaten". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 16 December 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  16. ^ العهد بطل لبنان [Ahed champions of Lebanon]. Al Akhbar (in Arabic). 22 April 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  17. ^ العهد الى نهائي كأس الإتحاد الآسيوي لأول مرة في تاريخه [Ahed to the AFC Cup Final for the first time in its history]. Football Lebanon (in Arabic). 1 October 2019. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  18. ^ a b "Al Ahed clinch historic title". AFC. 4 November 2019. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  19. ^ a b "Al Ahed's Khalil named MVP". AFC. 4 November 2019. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  20. ^ العهد توج بلقبه الثامن بطلا للبنان في كرة القدم بسجل نظيف من الخسارة [Ahed won their eighth Lebanese football championship with an unbeaten record]. NNA Lebanon (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  21. ^ العهد يرفع الكأس التاسعة تحت شعار نحو العاشرة [Ahed raises the ninth league title under the slogan "Towards the Tenth"]. Al Akhbar (in Arabic). 22 March 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  22. ^ Khaled, Nasser (26 July 2023). تقنية الفيديو حاضرة في لقاء العهد والراسينغ [Video technology will be present in the match between Ahed and Racing]. Kooora (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  23. ^ a b c "AFC Cup: Alou Kuol strike secures Central Coast Mariners historic title". AFC. 5 May 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  24. ^ زين خليفة رئيساً لنادي العَهد [Zein Khalife is the president of Al Ahed FC]. Al-Akhbar (in Arabic). 5 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  25. ^ Al Zawi, Amin Mustafa (23 July 2017). مجموعة الزمالك.. العهد اللبناني "القلعة الصفراء" [Zamalek's group.. Lebanese club Ahed "the Yellow Castle"]. Al Bawaba (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 24 April 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  26. ^ شعار جديد [New logo]. Elsport (in Arabic). 20 May 2022. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  27. ^ Klaiber, Timo. "Al Ahed Stadium". klaiber-it.de (in German). Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  28. ^ "Lebanese League 2018/2019". Goalzz. Archived from the original on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  29. ^ زاسبيكين من ملعب العهد: ما تدعيه إسرائيل غير صحيح ويجب أن نكون حذرين [Zasypkin from the Al Ahed Stadium: "What Israel is claiming is incorrect and we must be careful"]. Elnashra News (in Arabic). 1 October 2019. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  30. ^ باسيل يجول في ملعب العهد ويدحض مزاعم إسرائيل [Bassil tours Al Ahed Stadium and refutes Israel's allegations]. Elsport News (in Arabic). 1 October 2018. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  31. ^ Maugendre, Axel (31 August 2018), "Ethnography of the Lebanese Football Clubs" (PDF), Athens Journal of Sports, 5 (3): 213–226, doi:10.30958/AJSPO.5-3-3, archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2019
  32. ^ Alami, Mona (1 September 2009). "Religious about football". NOW Lebanon. Archived from the original on 19 April 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  33. ^ Montague, James (24 October 2007). "In Lebanon, even football is tainted by sectarian strife". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  34. ^ Levy, Uri (3 October 2016). "Derbies and defining history: Middle East football this week". alaraby. Archived from the original on 17 February 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  35. ^ "Ultras Supernova: Lebanon's First Ultras Group". COPA90. 21 March 2018. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2019 – via Facebook.
  36. ^ Zeineddine, Ali (7 December 2018). مباريات قويّة في الجولة العاشرة [Strong matches in the tenth round]. Al Akhbar (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  37. ^ مراسم خواهر خواندگی تیم‌های فوتبال سپاهان و العهد لبنان [Ceremony of partnership of Sepahan and Lebanese football team Ahed]. Mehr News Agency (in Persian). 29 January 2009. Archived from the original on 29 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  38. ^ Abou Diab, Rami (8 March 2021). "Ahed partners up with a foreign club". FA Lebanon. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  39. ^ "Al Ahed SC". Global Sports Archive. Archived from the original on 7 October 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
  40. ^ "2016 AFC Cup: Iraqi club Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya makes the final, set to play either of Bengaluru FC or Johor Darul Ta'zim". Yahoo! News. 18 October 2016. Archived from the original on 21 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
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