Al-Wahda SC (Syria)

Al-Wahda Sports Club (Arabic: نادي الوحدة الرياضي) is a Syrian multi-sports club based in Damascus.[1] It is mostly known for its football and basketball teams.[2] The football team plays in Syria's top competition, the Syrian Premier League. Al-Wahda SC was founded in 1928 and its colours are orange and white. They play their home games at the Al-Jalaa Stadium. The club is nicknamed "The Damascene orange".

This article is about the Syrian sports club. For other uses, see Al-Wahda (disambiguation).
Al-Wahda SC
Full nameAl-Wahda Sports Club Damascus
Nickname(s)Damascene orange
(Arabic: البرتقالة الدمشقية)
Founded1928 (1928) as Qasioun SC
GroundAl-Jalaa Stadium
Capacity10,000
ChairmanMaher Al-Sayed
ManagerSyria Ammar Shamali
LeagueSyrian Premier League
2022–238th
WebsiteClub website
Al-Wahda active sections

Football
Basketball

The club has one of Syria's most prominent football charts, as it won the Syrian Premier League 2 times, the Syrian Cup 8 times and the Syrian Super Cup 3 times. Internationally, Al-Wahda biggest achievement is participation in the final of the 2004 AFC Cup.

Al-Wahda SC have competed in the AFC Champions League group stage as first Syrian club in history and have reached the knockout rounds of the AFC Cup four times, as well as reaching the round of 32 at the Arab Club Champions Cup twice.[3][4]

History

Founded in 1928, Al Wahda is one of the oldest clubs in the Arab world. Previous names for the club include Al Ghouta, and Qasioun (named after Mount Qasioun which overlooks the city of Damascus).[5]

Ahmed Ezzat Rifai is the original founder of this club. He met with a group of friends in Souq Saruja, Damascus to discuss setting up a new sports club, and they agreed to found the club and named it Qasioun.[lower-alpha 1] The club was officially opened in 1928 and hosted a series of sports, including football and weightlifting.

The "Golden Era"

Nenad Stavrić is a Serbian coach who joined Al-Wahda club in 2001. He started with two losses against Al-Horriya and Al-Karamah followed with draw with Al-Jaish, the team had to wait until the fifth week of the season to achieve their first win with the new coach. The team finished the league in the third place. In his second year the team had a big improvement In the level of performance especially with the new formation 4–4–2 which was the first time ever a Syrian team to use it, in the beginning the results was awful with the new formation especially the big defeat against the Saudi Arabia champion Al-Ittihad Jeddah seven to nothing in the Arabian club tournament, but after that the team keep improving to win the Syrian Cup in 2003 against Al-Ittihad Aleppo after a dramatic match 5–3. In the next season he made the dream true and Al-Wahda is the 2003–04 Syrian League champion for the first time in the club history, also the team reached the final of AFC Cup and lost against the other Syrian side Al-Jaish after losing the first game 2–3 and winning the second game 1–0. In 2004–05 the team was too close to win the title again but it lost it in the last few weeks with missing a key players along the season with major injury. The curse of injuries continued in the following season but even though the team was closer than the year before to clinch the title. The chairman of the club Khaled Hbobaty decided to replace him with Mansoor Haj Saied and the club entered the black tunnel for several years and remains so to this day.

Stadiums

Al-Jalaa Stadium
Main article: Al-Jalaa Stadium
The entrance of Al-Jalaa Stadium in 2010

Al-Jalaa Stadium is located in Mazzeh municipality of Damascus, Syria.[6] The stadium consists of a football field, and spaces that accommodate around 10,000 spectators, together with a VIP seats area that accommodates around 100 guests.

Abbasiyyin Stadium
Main article: Abbasiyyin Stadium
Abbasiyyin stadium in 2007

Al-Wahda formerly played their home games at their own ground, Abbasiyyin Stadium, but maintenance deficiencies prevented the club from using the stadium. As a consequence, Al-Jalaa Stadium replaced it as the official home ground.

Supporters and rivalries

Since the beginning of the 21st century, Al-Wahda has established itself as adored by the masses of the capital and all of Syria, reaching the third place among the clubs in the Arab world. Al-Wahda's supporters are called the "Crazy Orange" Ultras, and they emerged as an organized group around 2017.

The biggest rival of the club is Al-Jaish SC,[7] with whom they play the Damascus city derby. Other big rivalries are with Al-Ittihad SC Aleppo, Al-Karamah SC or Tishreen SC.

Colours and kits

The club's home jersey is based on the orange color that, in addition to the Damascus sword monument located on Umayyad Square and Damascene Jasmine, the club has had in its emblem since its foundation. Away jerseys are white with orange edges.[8]

Shirt sponsor & kit manufacturer
Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2012–2016 Kappa Cham Wings Airlines
2016–2017 Lotto
2017–2019 Uhlsport None
2019–2020 Nike
2020–2022 Adidas Cham Wings Airlines
2022– Nike

Honours

Domestic
Winners: 2003–04, 2013–2014
Winners: 1993, 2003, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020
Winners: 1993, 2016, 2020

Continental
Runners-up: 2004

Regional
Round of 32: 2006, 2007

Notes:

  • In 2016, Al-Wahda received[9] an extraordinary Nine Values Cup, an award of the international children's social programme Football for Friendship.

Performance in AFC competitions
See also: Syrian football clubs in the AFC Cup
2005: Group Stage
2004: Finalists
2013: Qualifying Round
2014: Group Stage
2015: Round of 16
2016: Round of 16
2017: Zonal finals
2018: Group Stage
2021: Group Stage

Records

Accurate as of 28 September 2022

Competition Pld W D L GF GA
AFC Champions League 6 0 0 6 5 16
AFC Cup 49 17 13 19 66 66
TOTAL 55 17 13 25 71 82
Match won Match drawn Match lost Champions Runners-up
Season Competition Round Club Home Away Agg
2003–04 AFC Cup Group stage Oman Dhofar 1–1 2–0 3–1
India Mahindra 5–1 0–0 5–1
Quarterfinals Lebanon Nejmeh 2–1 2–3 4–4
Semifinals Singapore Geylang 1–1 1–0 2–1
Final Syria Al-Jaish 2–3 1–0 3–3 [lower-alpha 2]
2004–05 AFC Champions League Group stage United Arab Emirates Al-Ain 2–3 0–3 2–6
Saudi Arabia Al Shabab 1–2 1–3 2–5
Iran Sepahan 1–3 0–2 1–5
2012–13 AFC Cup Qualifying play-off Yemen Ahli Taizz 3–5[lower-alpha 3] 3–5
2013–14 AFC Cup Group stage Bahrain Hidd 1–4[lower-alpha 4] 1–3 2–7
Iraq Al-Shorta 1–3 0–0 1–3
Kuwait Qadsia 1–3 1–1 2–4
2014–15 AFC Cup Group stage Oman Al Nahda 1–2[lower-alpha 5] 0–0 1–2
Lebanon Salam Zgharta 3–1 2–0 5–1
Jordan Al-Wehdat 1–1 1–0 2–1
Round of 16 Tajikistan Istiklol 1–1 (a.e.t.) (2–4 p) 1–2
2015–16 AFC Cup Group stage Oman Al-Ourouba 2–1[lower-alpha 6] 1–2 3–3
Iraq Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 5–2 0–1 5–3
State of Palestine Shabab Al-Dhahiriya 0–3[lower-alpha 7] 3–0 [lower-alpha 8] 3–3
Round of 16 Lebanon Al Ahed 0–4 0–4
2016–17 AFC Cup Group stage Bahrain Hidd 0–2[lower-alpha 9] 1–0 1–2
Lebanon Safa 2–0 6–0 8–0
Iraq Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 0–0 1–1 5–3
Zonal semifinals Jordan Al-Wehdat 4–1 0–1 4–2
Zonal finals Iraq Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 2–1 0–1 2–2 (a)
2017–18 AFC Cup Group stage Jordan Al-Faisaly 1–2[lower-alpha 10] 2–2 3–4
Lebanon Al Ansar 2–1 0–1 2–2
Oman Dhofar 0–0 0–2 0–2
2020–21 AFC Cup Group stage Bahrain Hidd 1–1 1–1
Lebanon Ahed 0–0 0–0

Performance in UAFA competitions
2002–03: Group Stage
2005–06: Round of 32
2006–07: Round of 32

Records

Accurate as of 28 September 2022

Competition Pld W D L GF GA
Arab Club Champions Cup 6 0 1 5 3 17
TOTAL 6 0 1 5 3 17
Match won Match drawn Match lost Champions Runners-up
Season Competition Round Club Home Away Agg
2002–03 Arab Champions League Group stage Kuwait Qadsia 1–2 1–2
Saudi Arabia Al-Ittihad 0–7 0–7
2005–06 Arab Champions League Round of 32 Morocco Raja Casablanca 1–1 0–1 1–2
2006–07 Arab Champions League Round of 32 Tunisia Club Africain 0–3 1–3 1–6

Players

First-team squad
As of 24 September 2022

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 Syria SYR Khaled Ibrahim
2 FW Syria SYR Mostafa Hamou
5 DF Syria SYR Muhammad Rostom
6 DF Syria SYR Ibrahim Sawas
8 MF Syria SYR Tariq Hendawi
9 FW Syria SYR Ali Ramadan
11 FW Syria SYR Rami Amer
12 FW Syria SYR Ahmed Al Sharif
13 GK Syria SYR Talal Al Hussen
14 DF Syria SYR Louay Al Shareef
15 DF Syria SYR Zakaria Karak
16 FW Rwanda RWA Ernest Sugira
17 DF Syria SYR Mohamad Rammal (captain)
18 FW Syria SYR Mohamad Sharif
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 DF Syria SYR Anas Balhous
20 MF Syria SYR Mohammad Othman
21 FW Syria SYR Anas Alaji
22 GK Syria SYR Mustafa Al Borsali
23 MF Syria SYR Yahya Karak
27 FW Syria SYR Firas Kareem
28 FW Syria SYR Qais Al-Hassan
30 MF Syria SYR Qusay Habib
70 DF Syria SYR Farhad Khaled
77 MF Syria SYR Mohamed Maatouk
80 FW Syria SYR Ivan Sliman
88 MF Syria SYR Malek Ali
90 DF Syria SYR Ahmad Al Khaimi
99 MF Syria SYR Mohammed Harb

Personnel

Current technical staff
Position Name
Head coach Syria Ammar Shamali
Assistant coach Syria Ismail Fatout
Syria Majed al-Haj
Assistant coach and analyst Syria Mohamed Al-Masry
Fitness coach Syria Farouk Al Khan
Syria Khaled Zaza
Goalkeeping coach Syria Safwan Al Hussein
Team administrator Syria Samir Daoud
Technical director Syria Walid Al Sharif

Last updated: 23 September 2022
Source:

Administration

Club presidents
  • List of Al Wahda presidents since 1974:
Period President
1974–1976 Ahmed Al-Sharbaji
1976–1982 Hamad Al-Numan
1982–1986 Muntaz Malas
1986–1988 Ahmed Al-Sharbaji
1988–1990 Salim Daas
1990–1994 Salim Daas
1994–1996 Salim Daas
1996–1997 Ahmed Bitar
1997–1998 Ahmed Al Homsi
1998–2001 Muntaz Malas
2001–2003 Khaled Haboubati
2003–2004 Safwan Nizamuddin
2004–2006 Khaled Haboubati
2006–2008 Khaled Haboubati
2008–2009 Fouad Mahfoud
2009–2019 Ahmed Qutrash
2019–2021 Maher Al-Sayed
2021–2022 Anwar Abdel Hai
2022–present Maher Al-Sayed

Former managers

Notable players
Fajr Ibrahim, four-time coach of the Syrian national team and winner of the 1993 Syrian Cup with Al-Wahda.
Omar Kharbin, Al-Wahda prodigy, Asian Footballer of the Year 2017 and international

Player records

League top scorer
See also: List of Syrian Premier League top scorers
  • Al-Wahda SC players won the title of top scorer in the Syrian Premier League 7 times:
No. Season Name Nation Goals Notes
1 1990–91 Othman Bawarshi Syria Syria 11
2 1992–93 Assaf Khalifa Syria Syria 11 With Mouhanad Boushi
3 2010–11 Ali Salah Hashim Iraq Iraq 9 Season suspended
4 2013–14 Majed al-Haj Syria Syria 11
5 2015–16 Raja Rafe Syria Syria 22
6 2016–17 Osama Omari Syria Syria 17
7 2017–18 Basel Mustafa Syria Syria 15

Top scorers
  • List of top scorers for Al Wahda club in the league and cup historically:
No. Name Nation Goals Notes
1 Osama Omari Syria Syria 78
2 Maher Al-Sayed Syria Syria 76
3 Assaf Khalifa Syria Syria 59
4 Mahmoud Mahmalji Syria Syria 51
5 Raja Rafe Syria Syria 46
6 Nizar Mahrous Syria Syria 44
7 Majed al-Haj Syria Syria 38
=7 Nabil Al-Shahma Syria Syria 38
9 Ismail Fatout Syria Syria 31
10 Maher Kharrat Syria Syria 30

Notes
  1. Qasioun SC, another sports club, was established in 1991.
  2. Al-Jaish SC won on away goals rule.
  3. Teams from Syria were not allowed to host their home matches in their country due to security concerns.
  4. Teams from Syria were not allowed to host their home matches in their country due to security concerns.
  5. Teams from Syria were not allowed to host their home matches in their country due to security concerns.
  6. Teams from Syria were not allowed to host their home matches in their country due to security concerns.
  7. The Al-Wahda v Shabab Al-Dhahiriya match on matchday 2 (9 March 2016) was not played as scheduled. It was awarded 3–0 to Al-Wahda by the AFC Disciplinary Committee on 28 April 2016, as it found Shabab Al-Dhahiriya as the relevant party for causing the cancellation of the match.[10][11] The decision was reversed and awarded 3–0 to Shabab Al-Dhahiriya by the AFC Appeal Committee on 24 June 2016, as it found Al-Wahda as the relevant party for causing the cancellation of the match.[12][13]
  8. The Shabab Al-Dhahiriya v Al-Wahda match was required by the AFC to be played at a neutral venue due to restriction of Syrians entering Palestine.[14] However, Shabab Al-Dhahiriya were unable to secure a neutral venue and the match was forfeited.[15]
  9. Teams from Syria were not allowed to host their home matches in their country due to security concerns.
  10. Teams from Syria were not allowed to host their home matches in their country due to security concerns.

References
  1. "Al Wahda profile". goalzz.com. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  2. "Al Wahda Damascus". asia-basket. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  3. "Arab Champions' League 2005/06". RSSSF. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  4. "Arab Champions' League 2006/07". RSSSF. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  5. History of Al Wahda Archived 2020-05-03 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Kabboul, Tamarah (8 February 2019). "Discover old Beirut in these 15 amazing photos". www.the961.com. Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  7. "Al-Wahda team qualifies to the final round of the Basketball League". Syrian Arab News Agency. 6 July 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  8. "Al-Wahda defeats al-Wathba 1-0, tops Syrian league". Syrian Arab News Agency. 25 June 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  9. "Young football ambassadors present Nine Values Cup to the Samba Boys". euronews. 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  10. "AFC Disciplinary Committee decision regarding Al Wahda v Al Dharia match". AFC. 29 April 2016.
  11. "17th AFC Disciplinary Committee on 28 April 2016" (PDF). AFC. 28 April 2016.
  12. "AFC Appeal Committee decisions". AFC. 24 June 2016.
  13. "4th AFC Appeal Committee on 24 June 2016" (PDF). AFC. 24 June 2016.
  14. "AFC Competitions Committee decisions". AFC. 12 April 2016.
  15. "AFC Cup 2016: Final standings in Groups C and D confirmed". AFC. 13 May 2016.
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