Akhaa Ahli Aley FC
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| Full name | Akhaa Ahli Aley Football Club | ||
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| Short name | Akhaa | ||
| Founded | 1962, as Akhaa Club 1990, as Akhaa Ahli Aley Football Club | ||
| Ground | Amin AbdelNour Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 3,500 | ||
| Chairman | Samer Khalaf | ||
| Manager | Fadi Kakhi | ||
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| Active teams of Akhaa Ahli Aley FC |
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Akhaa Ahli Aley Football Club (Arabic: نادي الإخاء الأهلي الرياضي عاليه, lit. 'National Brotherhood of Aley Sporting Club'), commonly referred to as Akhaa Ahli or simply Akhaa, is a football club based in Aley, Lebanon, that competes in the .
The club is supported by the Lebanese MP Arkram Chehayeb, who was the key person to ratify the merging of the two clubs Ahli and Akhaa in the city of Aley. The club languished in the Lebanese Second Division before returning to the Lebanese Premier League in the 2010–11 season, staying in the top flight ever since.
History
Origins: Akhaa and Ahli
Akhaa was first founded in 1962 by Adel Baz, who led the club till the early 1980s amid the Lebanese Civil War. The club obtained its license in 1966 and was close to promotion in 1971, failing to reach the Lebanese Premier League in the last match. The club halted its activities in 1982 during the Lebanese war and resumed in 1989.
Ahli Club was established in the 1970s by Ahmad Radwan, an educator and the owner of a school in Aley. Ahli Club obtained its license later and joined the Lebanese Third Division in 1987. Various players who would go on to play in the Lebanese Premier League played for Ahli Club, such as Walid Zeineddine, Fouad Sayegh, Riad Al Halabi, Yazeed Halimi and others. Ahli Club was ranked first in the American University of Beirut Football Cup twice in a row, in 1987 and 1988.
Formation of Akhaa Ahli
In 1990, Bahij Abou Hamzeh, the president of Akhaa, realized that promotion to the Lebanese Premier League would be difficult, so he decided to merge with Ahli Club. The merger added extra value to Akhaa Club as Ahli's team was full of young players of Aley, such as Zaher Andary, who represented the Lebanon national football from 1994 to 2001, Said Abu Muna and Raji Abi Said, who was elected captain of Ahkaa Ahli. Ahli's management found the merger to be of mutual interest as they needed physical and logistical support to get promoted to the Lebanese Second Division.
Promotion and stay in the Premier League
Akhaa Ahli won the Lebanese Second Division in 1992–93. The team managed to hit excellent results during its stay in the Lebanese Premier League, especially in its first appearance. It returned to the first division in 2010, staying there ever since.
Club rivalries
Akhaa Ahli plays the Mountain derby with Safa,[1] as Akhaa is based in Aley, a city in Mount Lebanon, and Safa's support comes from the Druze community in Lebanon, who mainly live in the mountainous regions of the country.
Players
Current squad
- As of 1 October 2020[2]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Notable players
| Competition | Player | National team |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 AFC Asian Cup | Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail |  Iraq
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| Gilberto |  Lebanon
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| Marcílio | Lebanon
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Retired numbers
Between 2020 and 2022, Akhaa Ahli Aley will not issue the squad number 20. It was retired in memory of Mohamed Atwi, who died on 18 September 2020 from a stray bullet to the head.[3]
- 20
Mohamed Atwi, midfielder (2018–2020) – posthumous honour (2020–2022)
Honours
- Winners (2): 1992–93, 2002–03
See also
References
- ^ "جولة دربي الجبل... وملامسة اللقب". Al-Joumhouria. Archived from the original on 19 June 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
- ^ "Akhaa Ahli Aley FC". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
- ^ Mahfoud, Maroun (14 October 2020). "Akhaa Ahli Aley retires number 20". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
External links
- Akhaa Ahli Aley FC at LebanonFG