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Akram Afif
Qatar v Lebanon (37) (cropped).jpg
Afif playing for Qatar in 2024
Personal information
Date of birth (1996-11-18) 18 November 1996 (age 28)
Place of birth Doha, Qatar
Height 1.76 m
Playing position Left winger
Club information
Current club Al Sadd
Number 84
Youth career
2004–2006 Al Markhiya
2006–2009 Al Sadd
2009–2014 Aspire Academy
2012–2014 → Sevilla (loan)
2014–2015 Al Sadd
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2015–2016 Eupen 26 (8)
2016–2020 Villarreal 0 (0)
2016–2017 → Sporting Gijón (loan) 9 (0)
2017–2018 → Eupen (loan) 15 (1)
2018–2020 → Al Sadd (loan) 48 (44)
2020– Al Sadd 79 (63)
National team‡
2014 Qatar U19 5 (4)
2014–2015 Qatar U20 7 (1)
2015–2018 Qatar U23 12 (4)
2015– Qatar 121 (39)
Honours
Representing  Qatar
Men's football
AFC Asian Cup
Winner 2019 UAE Team
Winner 2023 Qatar Team
FIFA Arab Cup
Third 2021 Qatar Team
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 24 January 2025.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 27 December 2024

Akram Afif is a talented Qatari footballer born on November 18, 1996. He plays as a left winger for Qatar Stars League club Al Sadd and is a key player for the Qatar national team.

Many people consider Akram Afif to be one of Qatar's most promising football stars. He has won the prestigious Asian Footballer of the Year award twice. The first time was in 2019, after he played a huge part in Qatar winning the 2019 Asian Cup. He won the award again in 2023.

Akram Afif's Family Background

Akram Afif was born in Doha, Qatar. His father, Hassan Afif, is from Tanzania and Somalia. His mother is from Yemen.

Akram's father was also a footballer. After he stopped playing, he became a manager for football clubs. He managed Al-Gharafa and Al-Markhiya for several years. Akram's brother, Ali Afif, is also a professional footballer.

Akram Afif's Club Journey

Starting in Youth Football

Akram Afif began his football journey in the youth teams of Al-Markhiya and then Al Sadd. In 2009, he joined the Aspire Academy. This academy helps young athletes develop their skills.

While at Aspire, Akram went to Spain as an exchange student. He played for the youth teams of famous Spanish clubs like Sevilla and Villarreal. He even scored two goals in a youth tournament for Sevilla.

Playing in Belgium with Eupen

In January 2015, Akram joined the Belgian club Eupen. He scored a goal in his very first game on January 19. In his next match, he helped his team score three goals by providing assists.

He finished his first season with two goals in nine games. In March 2016, he scored two goals in one match, helping Eupen win 4–0.

Time in Spain with Villarreal

On May 8, 2016, Akram Afif officially joined Villarreal. This made him the first Qatari-born player to sign with a club in La Liga, Spain's top football league.

Later, he was loaned to another Spanish club, Sporting de Gijón, for a season. He made his debut in La Liga in August 2016. After playing nine league matches, he returned to Eupen on loan in July 2017.

Becoming a Star at Al Sadd

In January 2018, Villarreal loaned Akram Afif to Al Sadd SC in Qatar. This loan was later extended. During his time on loan, he played incredibly well. In the 2018–19 season, he scored 26 goals and made 15 assists in 22 league games. His amazing performance helped Al Sadd win the league title.

He also won the Best Player Award from the Qatar Football Association (QFA) that season. In July 2020, Akram officially joined Al Sadd permanently, signing a five-year contract.

In the 2023–24 season, he was a key player again. He scored 26 goals and provided 11 assists in 22 matches. This made him the top goalscorer and helped Al Sadd win their 17th league title. He also won the QFA's Best Player Award again.

Akram Afif's International Career

Akram Afif 2018 (cropped)
Afif playing for Qatar U23 in 2018

Akram Afif played for Qatar's youth national teams. In 2014, he helped the Qatar U19 team win the AFC U-19 Championship. He scored the only goal in the final match against DPR Korea.

He was called up to the senior national team in September 2015. He scored his first goal for the senior team in a huge 15–0 win against Bhutan. He also made an assist in that game.

Akram played a huge role in Qatar's amazing 2019 AFC Asian Cup victory. He set a new tournament record by providing 10 assists, helping his team lift the trophy.

In January 2024, he was part of Qatar's squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. He scored two goals in the opening match against Lebanon. He also scored the winning goal against Tajikistan, which helped Qatar reach the knockout stage.

In the knockout rounds, he scored the winning goal against Palestine. In the semi-final against Iran, he scored a goal and made an assist, helping Qatar reach the final for the second time in a row. In the final against Jordan, Akram scored three goals from penalties, leading Qatar to a 3–1 victory. He finished the tournament as the top scorer with eight goals.

Akram Afif's Honours and Awards

Persepolis v Al Sadd SC 2018 (Akram Afif)
Afif in an Al Sadd line-up in 2018

Akram Afif has won many awards and trophies throughout his career:

With Al Sadd

  • Qatar Stars League: 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2023–24
  • Emir Cup: 2020, 2021, 2024
  • Qatar Cup: 2020, 2021
  • Sheikh Jassim Cup: 2019
  • Qatari Stars Cup: 2019–20

With Qatar National Team

Individual Awards

See Also

  • List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
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