Al Qabila FC (Arabic: القبيلة lit. "the tribe") commonly referred to as Al Qabila, is a football club based in Dubai, UAE. From the year 2024, the club competes in the UAE Third Division League, the fourth tier of Emirati football.

Al Qabila FC
Full nameAl Qabila Football Club
Nickname(s)The Tribe
Founded2023
ChairmanSheikh Ahmed Bin Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan
ManagerSteven Taylor
LeagueUAE Third Division League
Websitehttps://alqabilafc.com

Al Qabila FC was created by professional footballer Soheil Varahram[1] and Daniyal Sheikh.[who?] Using YouTube, TikTok and other social media platforms, the club was formed in 365 days. On October 18, 2023, the name of the club was chosen to be Al Qabila, meaning "the tribe" in Arabic.

History

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The Al Qabila FC concept was started on October 15, 2023, by Soheil Varahram. Using YouTube, TikTok and other social media platforms, the club signed their club license with FIFA within the first 180 days.[citation needed] On April 18, 2024, they chose Steven Taylor as the head coach. On April 23, the kit was chosen and Jerseybird was selected as the manufacturer. The team was sponsored by SupremeFx. On April 25, the team partnered with Fleetwood United FC in the UAE First division. On May 30, 2024, the team made connections[clarification needed] with Rapid Wien. On July 1, 2024, Sheikh Ahmed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan was appointed as the club president. The Youth Academy was announced on July 12, 2024, to be formed in September. On July 21, 2024, the team announced Antonios Assad as the strength and conditioning coach.

Al Qabila's first competitive fixture was played on September 22, 2024. The team were victorious 3–1 over TFA Dubai, with Richie Danquah scoring the team's first competitive goal.

Squad

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   JOR Rajai Ardakani
2 DF   ENG Zackary Chislett
4 DF   ENG Richie Danquah
- GK   GER Armin Herbert
7 DF   AUT Soheil Varahram
8 MF   NIR Charlie Owens
10 MF   ENG Jack Hodnett
11 FW   POR Martim Aleixo
13 FW   CIV Bi Djehe
15 FW   GHA Macaulley Kuma
21 MF   UAE Juma Alfalasi
22 MF   CIV Dramane Traore
23 GK   NED Koen Geven
No. Pos. Nation Player
25 MF   ENG Charlie Machell (on loan from One Knoxville)
28 MF   GHA Roland Kumi
33 DF   KOS Rrustem Shehaj
40 DF   GHA Silas Mensah
45 MF   DEN Gabriel Kamavuako
49 GK   ENG Callum Stanton
77 MF   COL Ivan Mejia
99 MF   ENG David Webb

Coaching Staff

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Position Tenure Name
Club President 2024- Sheikh Ahmed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan
Head Coach 2024- Steven Taylor
S&C Coach 2024- Antonios Assaad

Scouting

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On January 3, 2024, a contest was held for the team to scout 5 new players using hashtag, #RoadToAlQabilaFC. On May 1, they chose three players with a $10,000 prize. They scouted players in locations such as South Africa, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Spain, Portugal and India.

References

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  1. ^ "Forgotten Newcastle star appointed as boss of new UAE team in bizarre video". talkSPORT. April 19, 2024.