Akhaa Ahli Aley FC
Akhaa Ahli Aley Football Club (Arabic: نادي الأخا الأهلي الرياضي عاليه, lit. 'National Brotherhood of Aley Sports Club'), or simply Akhaa Ahli, is a Lebanese football club based in Aley. 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 Football League in the 2010–11 season, staying in the top flight ever since.
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| Full name | Akhaa Ahli Aley Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Black Horse | ||
| Short name | Akhaa, AKH | ||
| Founded | 1962, as Akhaa Club | ||
| Ground | Amin AbdelNour Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 3,500 | ||
| Chairman | Akram Chehayeb | ||
| Manager | Abdul Wahab Abou Al Hail | ||
| League | Lebanese Football League | ||
| 2017–18 | Lebanese Football League, 5th | ||
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Contents
HistoryEdit
Origins: Akhaa & AhliEdit
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 Fooball 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 Football 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.
Birth Of Akhaa AhliEdit
In 1990, Bahij Abou Hamzeh, the president of Akhaa, realized that promotion to the Lebanese Football 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 Football LeagueEdit
Akhaa Ahli won the Lebanese Second Division in 1992. The team managed to hit excellent results during its stay in the Lebanese Football League, especially in its first appearance. It returned to the first division in 2010, staying there ever since.
PlayersEdit
Current squadEdit
- As of 24 January 2019[1]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loanEdit
- As of 7 September 2018.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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ReferencesEdit
- ^ "Akhaa Ahli Aley Players and Stats". lebanonfg.com. Retrieved 29 January 2019.