Al Ahed FC facts for kids
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| Full name | Al Ahed Football Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | القلعة الصفراء (The Yellow Castle) | |||
| Short name | Ahed | |||
| Founded |
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| Ground | Al Ahed Stadium | |||
| Capacity | 2,000 | |||
| Chairman | Zein Khaife | |||
| Manager | Jamal Al Haj | |||
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Al Ahed Football Club is a football team from Beirut, Lebanon. They play in the Lebanese Premier League, which is the top football league in Lebanon. The club started in 1964 as Al Ahed Al Jadeed. They began in the Third Division and reached the Premier League for the first time in 1996.
People call Ahed "the Yellow Castle" (Arabic: القلعة الصفراء). They have won many important titles. These include one AFC Cup (a big Asian competition), nine Premier League titles, and six FA Cup titles. They also won the Lebanese Federation Cup twice, the Lebanese Super Cup eight times, and the Lebanese Elite Cup six times.
Ahed won their first league title in 2008. They had amazing seasons where they didn't lose any games in 2010, 2018, and 2022. In 2011, Ahed made history. They were the first team in Lebanon to win a domestic treble (three major trophies) and a quadruple (four major trophies) in one season. This meant they won the league, the FA Cup, the Elite Cup, and the Super Cup all in the same year.
In 2019, Ahed won the AFC Cup. They beat a team from North Korea called April 25 in the final. This made them the first Lebanese team to win this important Asian competition. They reached the final again in 2024 but lost to an Australian team, Central Coast Mariners.
Ahed's fans are mainly from the Shia community in Lebanon. The club is connected to Hezbollah, a Lebanese political group. Ahed has strong rivalries with other Beirut clubs, Nejmeh and Ansar. Their fan group, called "Ultras Yellow Inferno," started in 2018. Ahed's home stadium is the Al Ahed Stadium, which can hold 2,000 fans.
Contents
Club History
Starting Years (1964–1989)
Ahed began in 1964 as Al Ahed Al Jadeed (Arabic: العهد الجديد, lit. 'The New Covenant'). This was in Dahieh, a southern area of Beirut. The club first played in the Lebanese Third Division. In the 1970s, they played as Al Huda Islamic Club. However, the club stopped playing football because of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982.
In 1984, the club got a new license under the name Nejmet Al Ahed Al Jadeed. On May 2, 1985, the Lebanese Football Association allowed the club to play again. In the 1988–89 season, playing in the Lebanese Second Division, Ahed almost got promoted to the top league. They drew 1–1 in a playoff match, which stopped them from moving up.
Reaching the Top League and First Wins (1992–2011)
In 1992, the club's name changed to Al Ahed (Arabic: العهد, lit. 'The Covenant'). This new name had a special meaning from the Quran. In 1996, Ahed was promoted to the Lebanese Premier League for the first time. They won their first Premier League game on October 18, 1997. They beat Riada Wal Adab 1–0.
After two seasons, Ahed went down to the Second Division. But they quickly earned promotion back to the Premier League. After this, Ahed started winning trophies. Between 2004 and 2005, they won two FA Cups, one Federation Cup, and one Super Cup.
Because they won the 2004 FA Cup, Ahed played in an Asian competition for the first time. This was the 2005 AFC Cup. They played their first Asian game on May 9, 2009, winning 1–0 against an Indian club. Ahed finished second in their group and reached the quarter-finals. They won the first game against a Hong Kong club but lost the second, so they were out.
Ahed won their first league title in 2008. They had an amazing run, not losing a single game in the Premier League for 44 matches. This streak lasted from November 2008 to October 2010. They won the 2009–10 league season without any defeats. In the 2010–11 season, Ahed won the league, the FA Cup, the Super Cup, and the Elite Cup. This made them the first team in Lebanon to win four major trophies in one season.
Winning Many Titles (2014–2024)
In 2014, Tamim Sleiman became the club's president. In his first year, Ahed won the 2014–15 Premier League. This was their fourth league title. Their win in the 2016–17 league started a historic winning streak. They won the league again in 2017–18 (without losing a game) and 2018–19. This gave them seven titles in total and made them champions three times in a row.
Ahed reached the final of the AFC Cup for the first time in 2019. This is the second-biggest club competition in Asia. On November 4, 2019, Ahed beat North Korean team April 25 by a score of 1–0 in the final. This made them the first Lebanese team to win the competition. During the tournament, Ahed only let in three goals in 11 matches. They also kept nine "clean sheets" (meaning the other team didn't score).
In the 2021–22 season, Ahed won their third league title without losing a game. This was their eighth league title overall. They continued to win, getting their ninth league title in 2022–23. On May 5, 2024, Ahed reached the AFC Cup final again. They finished second after losing 1–0 to the Australian team Central Coast Mariners.
Recent Changes (2024–Present)
After Tamim Sleiman's 10 years as president, Zein Khalife was chosen as Ahed's new president on August 5, 2024.
Club Colors and Logo
Ahed's main color is yellow. This is why their nickname is "the Yellow Castle" (القلعة الصفراء). On May 20, 2022, Ahed showed off a new logo. It has a simple design that shows the three Arabic letters for "Ahed" (عهد).
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Logo until 2022
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Logo between 2022 and 2023
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Logo since 2023
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Home Stadium
Ahed owns the Al Ahed Stadium in Beirut. It is close to the Rafic Hariri Airport. The stadium can hold 2,000 people. The club mostly uses this stadium for training. For their actual home games in competitions, Ahed often plays in bigger stadiums in Lebanon. These include the Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium and the Saida Municipal Stadium.
In 2018, the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, claimed that the Al Ahed Stadium was being used to store certain items. The Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gebran Bassil, denied these claims.
Club Supporters
Most of Ahed's fans are from Lebanon's Shia community. The team has connections with a Lebanese political group, Hezbollah, and they share the color yellow. In 2018, Ahed started its own fan group called "Ultras Yellow Inferno."
On January 28, 2009, Ahed started a partnership with an Iranian club called Sepahan. This partnership became official on March 8, 2021. They work together on things like training camps and friendly matches.
Club Rivalries
Ahed has a rivalry with Ansar, another team from Beirut. Ansar is linked to the Hariri family and represents a different group of fans. In recent years, Nejmeh, also from Beirut, has become a strong rival for Ahed. Nejmeh is the most popular team in Lebanon. Games between Ahed and Nejmeh are often very intense. Sometimes, the Lebanese Football Association has to change where these matches are played because of the high tension.
Team Uniforms
Here is a list of companies that have made Ahed's team uniforms.
| Period | Kit manufacturer |
|---|---|
| 2003–2006 | A-Line |
| 2006–2008 | Adidas |
| 2008–2009 | Nike |
| 2009–2014 | Lotto |
| 2014–2016 | Joma |
| 2016–2018 | Jako |
| 2018–2021 | 14Fourteen |
| 2021–present | Kelme |
Players
Current Team Members
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Players on Loan
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Famous Players
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Some players from Ahed have played in big international competitions.
| Competition | Player | National team |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 AFC Asian Cup | Rabih Ataya |  Lebanon |
| Samir Ayass | Lebanon |
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| Haytham Faour | Lebanon |
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| Mohamad Haidar | Lebanon |
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| Mehdi Khalil | Lebanon |
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| Nour Mansour | Lebanon |
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| Ahmad Al Saleh |  Syria |
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| 2023 AFC Asian Cup | Mohammad Abu Hasheesh |  Jordan |
| Mohamad Haidar | Lebanon |
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| Ali Al Haj | Lebanon |
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| Mehdi Khalil | Lebanon |
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| Khalil Khamis | Lebanon |
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| Nour Mansour | Lebanon |
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| Mostafa Matar | Lebanon |
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| Walid Shour | Lebanon |
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| Hasan Srour | Lebanon |
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| Hussein Zein | Lebanon |
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| Mohammad Al Marmour | Syria |
Coaching Staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Sporting director | Mohamad Assi |
| Head coach | Jamal Al Haj |
| Assistant head coach | Mohamad Ibrahim |
| Assistant coach | Ali Ossayli |
| Head of goalkeeping | Mohamad Hammoud |
| Head of medical staff | Melhem Chamas |
| Under-18 head coach | Abbas Kenaan |
Club Achievements
National Titles
- Lebanese Premier League
- Winners (9): 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23
- Lebanese FA Cup
- Winners (6): 2003–04, 2004–05, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2017–18, 2018–19
- Runners-up (5): 2001–02, 2006–07, 2015–16, 2022–23, 2023–24
- Lebanese Federation Cup
- Winners (2; joint record): 2004, 2023
- Lebanese Elite Cup (no longer played)
- Winners (6): 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2022
- Runners-up (7): 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2012, 2017, 2021
- Lebanese Super Cup
- Winners (8; record): 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019
- Runners-up (2): 2004, 2009, 2023
Asian Titles
- AFC Cup
- Winners (1; Lebanese record): 2019
- Runners-up (1): 2023–24
Ahed in Asian Competitions
Ahed first played in an Asian competition in the 2005 AFC Cup. They were in a group with teams from India and Jordan. Ahed finished second in their group. They then played against a team from Hong Kong in the quarter-finals. They lost this match and were out of the competition.
Before winning the AFC Cup, their best result was in 2016. They reached the semi-finals but lost to an Iraqi team. In 2019, Ahed beat a North Korean club to win the AFC Cup. This was a first for any Lebanese team. Other Lebanese teams had reached the final before but lost. Ahed reached the AFC Cup final again in 2024 but lost 1–0 to an Australian team.
- AFC Cup: 12 times playing
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- 2005: Quarter-finals
- 2006: Group stage
- 2009: Group stage
- 2010: Group stage
- 2011: Round of 16
- 2012: Group stage
- 2016: Semi-finals
- 2018: Zonal semi-finals
- 2019: Champions
- 2020: Cancelled
- 2021: Zonal semi-finals
- 2023–24: Runners-up
See also
In Spanish: Al Ahed Sporting Club para niños
- List of football clubs in Lebanon
