Al Ansar FC

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This article is about the Lebanese football club. For other uses, see Ansar.
Ansar
Alansar logo.png
Full name Al Ansar Football Club
Nickname(s) الزعيم الأخضر (The Green Leader)[1]
Founded 1951; 73 years ago (1951)
Ground Al Ansar Stadium[lower-alpha 1]
Chairman Nabil Badr
Manager Youssef Al Jawhari
League Lebanese Premier League
2022–23 Lebanese Premier League, 3rd of 12
Current season

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Al Ansar Football Club (Arabic: نادي الأنصار الرياضي‎, lit. 'The Supporters Sporting Club'‎) is a football club based in Tariq El Jdideh, a district in Beirut, Lebanon, that competes in the Lebanese Premier League. Formed in 1951, the club did not win its first Lebanese Premier League until 1988. They went on to set a world record by winning the league 11 seasons in a row.

Ansar is the most successful club in the country, having won the Lebanese Premier League 14 times and the Lebanese FA Cup 15 times. Ansar's major rivalry is with Nejmeh; dubbed the Beirut derby, it is the most anticipated game in Lebanon.

While club's support comes in majority from the Sunni Muslim community in Beirut, the club has fans of all faiths from all around the country; they had been funded by Rafic Hariri and Salim Diab until 2005.[2][3] Nabil Badr has been the club's president and main patron since 2012.[4][5]

History

Early history

In 1948, a group of young Beirutis set up the first administrative board at the club headed by Mustafa Al-Shami. Three years Misbah Dougan, then head of the administrative board, formally requested an official licence for the club allowing them to play football on all Lebanese grounds.[6] They were to be called "Al-Intisar", Arabic for "Victory", however a club with that name was already present. Mustafa Al-Shami proposed "Ansar" in remembrance of the supporters of the prophet Muhammad.[6]

Initially, Ansar was known as a Mount Lebanon team, rather than a team from Beirut. This is because, as Beirut had already too many clubs, the Federation decided to relocate Ansar to Ghobeiry.[6] In 1965, Ansar moved to Beirut and won the 1966 Lebanese Second Division promotion play-offs, gaining promotion to the Lebanese Premier League for the following season.[6]

Recent history

Ansar were crowned champions of the 2020–21 Lebanese Premier League by beating Nejmeh 2–1 in the Beirut derby in the last matchday;[7] they won their 14th title, their first since 2007.[8] They made the season a double, after beating Nejmeh in the Lebanese FA Cup final.[9]

Supporters

Although the club's roots lie in the Sunni community in Beirut,[10] Ansar's support comes from all areas and religions in Lebanon.[7] The club has been associated with the Hariri family from the early 1990s till 2005.[10] In 2018, following the introduction of ultras groups in Lebanon, "Ultras Ansari 18" (UA18) was formed.[11]

Club rivalries

File:Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium 2018 - Beirut derby (Ansar fans).png
Ansar fans during the Beirut derby at the Camille Chamoun Stadium in 2018

The Beirut derby with Nejmeh has historically been the most anticipated game in Lebanon: both located in Beirut, Nejmeh and Ansar have shared the majority of titles. While Nejmeh has been more successful in Asia, Ansar holds the most league titles and FA Cups.[12]

Another important rivalry is with Ahed: located in Beirut, they are affiliated with Hezbollah, with their fan base mostly coming from the Shia community in Beirut.[13] In addition Ansar has a rivalry with Safa, also based in Beirut.

Players

Current squad

As of 1 January 2024[14]

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

No. Position Player
1 Lebanon GK Hadi Kanj
2 Mali DF Yacouba Doumbia
3 Lebanon DF Khaled Ali
4 Lebanon MF Nader Matar
5 Lebanon DF Nassar Nassar (captain)
6 Lebanon DF Maxime Aoun
7 Lebanon FW Edmond Chehade
8 Lebanon MF Ali Tneich
9 Senegal FW Elhadji Malick Tall
10 Lebanon FW Hassan Maatouk
11 Lebanon MF Youssef Al Haj
12 Lebanon DF Abdallah Aich
13 Lebanon MF Yahya El Hindi
17 State of Palestine MF Hamza Hussein
19 Belgium MF Foudil Bouchentouf Idriss
21 State of Palestine MF Mohamad Bou Saleh
No. Position Player
22 Lebanon DF Robert Alexander Melki
24 Lebanon DF Hassan Kaafarani
25 Lebanon FW Ali Alaaeddine
27 Lebanon FW Mohammad Al Massri
30 State of Palestine MF Mohamad Hebous
42 Lebanon MF Hassan Nasser
66 Lebanon DF Alex El Rattel
88 Lebanon MF Omar Bahlawan
91 Lebanon GK Nazih Assaad
99 Lebanon MF Nabil El Ayssi
Lebanon DF Mouhammed-Ali Dhaini
Lebanon FW Hussein Awada
Egypt MF Abdallah Yaisien
Mali DF Ichaka Diarra
Algeria FW Hichem Khalfallah
Lebanon FW Hussein Awada

Notable players

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See also: Category:Al Ansar FC players
File:Lebanon vs Saudi Arabia Mootaz Jounaidi.jpg
Ansar's captain Mootaz Jounaidi with Lebanon at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup
Players in international competitions
Competition Player National team
1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup David Nakhid  Trinidad and Tobago
2000 AFC Asian Cup Jadir  Lebanon
Newton  Lebanon
Jamal Taha  Lebanon
2007 AFC Asian Cup Ahmad Mnajed  Iraq
Salih Sadir  Iraq
2019 AFC Asian Cup Hassan Chaito  Lebanon
Hassan Chaitou  Lebanon
Adnan Haidar  Lebanon
Mootaz Jounaidi  Lebanon
2023 AFC Asian Cup Mouhammed-Ali Dhaini  Lebanon
Yahya El Hindi  Lebanon
Hassan Maatouk  Lebanon
Robert Alexander Melki  Lebanon
Nassar Nassar  Lebanon
Ali Tneich  Lebanon

Honours

Performance in AFC competitions

Chairmen history

  • Lebanon Mustafa El-Shami (1948–1950)
  • Lebanon Ameen Itani (1950–1954)
  • Lebanon Fouad Rustom (1954–1956)
  • Lebanon Abdul Jalil Al-Sabra (1956–1963)
  • Lebanon Jamil Hasbeeny (1963–1965)
  • Lebanon Abed El-Jamil Ramadan (1965–1967)
  • Lebanon Khaled Kabbani (1967–1975)
  • Lebanon Said Wanid (1975–1977)
  • Lebanon Salim Diab (1977–2008)
  • Lebanon Karim Diab (2008–2012)
  • Lebanon Nabil Badr (2012–present)

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Only used as a training ground

References

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  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Template:Al Ansar FC

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