Laila Ali Al-Qahtani (Arabic: ليلى علي القحطاني; born 25 September 2000) known shortly as Laila Ali is a Saudi professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Saudi Women's Premier League club Al-Shabab and the Saudi Arabia national team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Laila Ali Al-Qahtani | ||
| Date of birth | 25 September 2000[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Saudi Arabia | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Al-Shabab | ||
| Number | 1 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2021 | Riyadh WFC | ||
| 2021–2023 | Al Yamamah | 13 | (0) |
| 2023– | Al-Shabab | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019– | Saudi Arabia Futsal | 16 | (0) |
| 2022– | Saudi Arabia | 1 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 30 December 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 8 January 2024 | |||
Club career edit
Laila started playing football in Al-Nokhba, where the team was basic and less equipped. Training and playing weren't consistent at that time due to limited women's sports in the kingdom.[3]
Later, in 2018, she joined Riyadh based local Club to boost her skills through more intense training, She played there until 2021 when she joined the more professional club, Al Yamamah.[4]
Al Yamamah edit
She debuted for Al Yamamah in the inaugural SAFF Women's Regional Football Championship, where Al Yamamah was crowned champion.[5] Following the establishment of the Saudi Women's Premier League in 2022, Laila excelled even more in the premier league, demonstrating her decisiveness.[6] She was recognized as the best goalkeeper in the league after the 2022–23 season for her outstanding performance and contribution to Al Yamamah finishing third.[7] Al-Qahtani also represent Al-Yamamah's futsal team in the futsal game at the 2022 Saudi Games and in the Saudi Women's Futsal Championship held in Ramadan 2023, clinching silver and gold respectively.[8] She won the latter's best goalkeeper.[9]
Al-Shabab edit
Following Al-Shabab acquisition of Al Yamamah FC in April 2023. Ibrahim signed with Al-Shabab in August 2023.[10][11] On 24 August 2023, She debuted for the club in the 2023 Jordanian-Saudi Women's Clubs Championship.[12] She represented Al-Shabab's futsal team in the futsal tournament at the 2023 Saudi Games, clinching gold.[13]
International career edit
In 2019, Laila got her first call-up for the first Saudi Futsal team to participate in the 2019 GCC games.[4][14] She was also included in the Saudi squad for the 2022 WAFF Women's Futsal Championship in Saudi Arabia, where the team finished as runners-up on home soil.[15]
Al-Qahtani received her first call-up to the Saudi Arabia women's national football team in September 2022 for double friendly matches against Bhutan.[16] On 11 January 2023, she made her debut for the team as she started in a 1–0 win against Mauritius.[17]
Career statistics edit
Club edit
- As of match played 30 December 2023
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Al Yamamah | 2023–24 | SWPL | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | 13 | 0 | |||
| Total | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | 13 | 0 | |||||
| Al-Shabab | 2023–24 | SWPL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 16 | 0 | |||
International edit
- As of match played 12 January 2024
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
Honours edit
Individual edit
References edit
- ^ "Laila Ali Al-Qahtani –player Profile". soccerway.com. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "من هي ليلى علي؟" [Who is Laila Ali?]. arriyadiyah.com (in Arabic). 12 June 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "كل ماتريد معرفته عن ليلي علي القحطاني أفضل حارسة مرمى في السعودية" [All you want to know about Laila Al-Qahtani, the best goalkeeper in Saudi Arabia.]. reyadawefan.com (in Arabic). 4 December 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ a b "من هي ليلى علي أفضل حارسة مرمى سعودية؟" [Who is Laila Ali, the best Saudi goalkeeper?]. arriyadiyah.com (in Arabic). 4 December 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "في دوري كرة القدم للسيدات… اليمامة بطل الوسطى بجدارة.. وحسم "الغربية" غدا" [In the women's football league, Al-Yamamah rightfully secures the title in the central region, while the showdown for the 'Western' region will be decided tomorrow.]. albiladdaily.com (in Arabic). 26 December 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "ليلى القحطاني نجمة الجولة في دوري السيدات السعودي" [Layla Al-Qahtani, the star of the round in the Saudi Women's League.]. kooora.com (in Arabic). 16 January 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "أندية العاصمة تسيطر على السيدات" [The capital's clubs dominate in women's football]. alwatan.com.sa (in Arabic). 12 February 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "بالثمانية.. سيدات اليمامة يتوّجن ببطولة الصالات على حساب النصر" [With an 8-0 victory, Al-Yamamah's women clinch the futsal championship at the expense of Al-Nassr.]. alyaum.com (in Arabic). 9 April 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "حصاد جوائز اليمامة في البطولة الرمضانية لكرة قدم الصالات للسيدات" [The harvest of awards for Al-Yamamah in the Ramadan Futsal Women's Football Championship.]. koraplus.com (in Arabic). 11 April 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "الدوري السعودي للسيدات ينطلق على وقع "الصفقات والجوائز المالية"" [The Saudi Women's League kicks off amidst 'transfers and financial rewards']. aawsat.com (in Arabic). 13 October 2023. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ @alshababfcwomen (20 August 2023). "Welcome with us the stars of the national team and the women of Al-Shabab" – via Instagram.
- ^ ""بطولة أندية السيدات": خسارة أولى لـ"الهلال" و"النصر" و"الاتحاد"" [Women's Clubs Championship: First Defeat for Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, and Al-Ittihad.]. aawsat.com (in Arabic). 17 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ "دورة الألعاب السعودية 2023 : الشباب يتوج بذهبية كرة قدم الصالات للسيدات" [Saudi Arabian Games 2023: Al-Shabab Team Clinches Gold in Women's Futsal Football.]. sabq.org (in Arabic). 5 December 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ "برونزية كرة القدم الأبرز في المشاركة التاريخية للسعودية بدورة الكويت" [The bronze in futsal stands out in Saudi Arabia's historic participation in the Kuwait Games.]. kooora.com (in Arabic). Riyan Al-Jidani. 31 October 2019. Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ "منتخب الصالات للسيدات يحصد فضية بطولة اتحاد غرب اسيا" [The women's futsal national team secures the silver medal in the West Asian Championship]. saff.com.sa (in Arabic). Saudi Arabian Football Federation. 24 June 2022. Archived from the original on 5 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ "قائمة المنتخب السعودي للسيدات استعدادًا لودية بوتان" [The Saudi Women's National Team Squad List in preparation for the friendly against Bhutan]. alwafd.news (in Arabic). 24 September 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
- ^ ""سيدات السعودية" يهزم موريشيوس في "البطولة الدولية"" [Saudi Women's Team Triumphs Over Mauritius in the International Championship.]. aawsat.com (in Arabic). 11 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
External links edit
- Laila Al-Qahtani at Soccerway
- Laila Al-Qahtani at FBref.com
- Laila Al-Qahtani at Global Sports Archive
- Laila Ali at Soccer Donna