Safa SC

Safa Sporting Club (Arabic: نادي الصفاء الرياضي‎, lit. 'The Purity Sporting Club') is a football club based in Wata El-Museitbeh, a district in Beirut, Lebanon, that competes in the Lebanese Premier League. Founded in 1939, they won three league titles, three domestic cups, one Super Cup, and two Elite Cups; they have also reached the 2008 AFC Cup final.[2]

This article is about the men's football club from Beirut, Lebanon. For other uses, see Safa.

Safa
Full nameSafa Sporting Club
Nickname(s)النسور (The Eagles)[1]
Founded31 March 1939 (31 March 1939)
GroundSafa Stadium[lower-alpha 1]
Capacity4,000
ChairmanGhazi Chaar
ManagerMohammad Dakka
LeagueLebanese Premier League
2020–21Lebanese Premier League, 5th of 12
Active teams of Safa

Safa primarily receives its support from Wata El-Museitbeh, as well as the Druze community all over Lebanon.[3][4] Given their fanbase extends well in Mount Lebanon, including the city of Aley, they play the Mountain derby with Akhaa Ahli Aley.

History

Founded in 1933 at an amateur level in the Wata El-Museitbeh of Beirut, Safa Sporting Club was officially established in 1939 by seven people: Maher Wahab, Anis Naaim, Hasib Al-Jerdi, Amin Haidar, Chafik Nader, Toufik Al-Zouhairy and Adib Haidar.[5]

On 23 December 1948, Safa obtained the official membership and license from the government as a private association.[5] In the same year, the club was affiliated to the Lebanese Football Association and was ranked within the Second Division.[6] In 1961, Safa was promoted to the First Division.

Kit manufacturers

The following is a list of kit manufacturers worn by Safa.

Period Kit manufacturer
1999–2008 Puma
2008–2010 Adidas
2010–2011 Lotto
2011–2015 Joma
2016–2017 Sportika SA
2017–2018 Jako
2018– Joma

Stadium
Safa Stadium
ملعب نادي الصفاء الرياضي
LocationWata El-Museitbeh
Coordinates33°52′29″N 35°29′31″E
Capacity4,000
Opened1948
Main article: Safa Stadium

The Safa Stadium opened in 1948, and has a capacity of 4,000 spectators. Located in the Wata El-Museitbeh district of Beirut, the stadium is five minutes from the Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport. While the stadium is of Safa's property, the club plays in various other stadiums around the country.

Club rivalries

Safa has important rivalries with Ansar and Nejmeh, both being based in Beirut. Safa also plays the Mountain derby with Akhaa Ahli,[7] as Akhaa is based in Aley, a city in Mount Lebanon, and Safa's support comes from the Druze community in Lebanon, who mainly live in Chouf and Aley districts.

Players

Current squad
As of 18 October 2021[8]

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  LBN Omar Idlibi
3  LBN Mohammad Tajeddine
4 DF  LBN Moujahed Alarja
6 MF  LBN Kassem Hayek
7 DF  LBN Mohamad Zein Tahan (captain)
8 FW  LBN Moussa Tawil
9 FW  LBN Mohamad Nasser Eddine
10 MF  LBN Ahmad Jalloul
11 MF  LBN Haidar Khriess
14 MF  LBN Mohamad Suleiman
17 FW  LBN Rony Azar
18 MF  LBN Hikmat Moghnieh
No. Pos. Nation Player
20 MF  LBN Hassan Hazimeh
21 MF  LBN Mohammad Hussein
23 DF  LBN Ali Kiki
23  PLE Said Dahshe
26 MF  LBN Mohamed Shour
27 FW  LBN Jawad Talayeh
30 DF  LBN Hussein Sharafeddine
70 FW  LBN Ali Balhas
71 FW  LBN Ali Hammoud
72 GK  LBN Talal El Dandachli
77 MF  LBN Hassan Kraytem
99  LBN Mohammad Mohammad

Out on loan
As of 1 October 2020

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK  LBN Omar Edlebi (at Shabab Bourj until 30 June 2021)[9]

Notable players
Players in international competitions
Competition Player National team
1996 AFC Asian Cup Yasser Sibai  Syria
2000 AFC Asian Cup Youssef Mohamad  Lebanon
Ahmad Naamani  Lebanon
2019 AFC Asian Cup Ahmad Taktouk  Lebanon
Mohamed Zein Tahan  Lebanon

Honours

Domestic

Continental

Asian record
2008: Final
2009: Round of 16
2012: Group stage
2013: Group stage
2014: Round of 16
1992–93: Withdrew in first round
2000–01: Withdrew in first round

Managerial history

See also

Notes
  1. Only used as a training ground

References
  1. Arab-Sport.net | (13 October 2017). "بعزيمة النسور | الصفاء يعود من صيدا بثوب البطل". عرب سبورتس. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  2. "AFC Cup 2017: Match day one - Playoff and group stage preview | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  3. Montague, James (24 October 2007). "In Lebanon, even soccer is tainted by sectarian strife". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  4. Alami, Mona (1 September 2009). "Religious about football". Archived from the original on 19 April 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  5. "فريق: الصفاء بيروت". www.kooora.com. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  6. "منتديات كووورة". forum.kooora.com. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  7. "جولة دربي الجبل... وملامسة اللقب". Al-Joumhouria. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  8. "Safa SC". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  9. Mahfoud, Maroun (28 August 2020). "Shabab Al Bourj signs 3 new players". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  10. Diab, Rami Abou (9 November 2020). "Safa SC appoint new coach". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
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