Al Ansar FC

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This article is about the Lebanese football club. For other uses, see Ansar.

Ansar
Full nameAl Ansar Football Club
Nicknameالزعيم الأخضر (The Green Leader)[1]
Founded1951; 75 years ago (1951)
GroundAl Ansar Stadium
ChairmanNabil Badr
ManagerYoussef Al Jawhari
LeagueLebanese Premier League
2024–25Lebanese Premier League, 1st of 12 (champions)
File:Soccerball current event.svg Current season
Active teams of Al Ansar FC

Al Ansar Football Club (Arabic: نادي الأنصار الرياضي, lit. 'The Supporters Sporting Club') is a football club based in Tariq El Jdideh, a district in Beirut, Lebanon, that competes in the Lebanese Premier League. Formed in 1951, the club did not win its first Lebanese Premier League until 1988. They went on to set a world record by winning the league 11 seasons in a row.

Ansar is the most successful club in the country, having won the Lebanese Premier League 15 times and the Lebanese FA Cup 16 times, both domestic records. They have also won the Lebanese Federation Cup twice, the Lebanese Elite Cup twice and the Lebanese Super Cup six times. Ansar's major rivalry is with Nejmeh; dubbed the Beirut derby, it is the most anticipated game in Lebanon.

The club is primarily supported by the Sunni Muslim community;[2] they had been funded by Rafic Hariri and Salim Diab until 2005.[3][4] Nabil Badr has been the club's president and main patron since 2012.[5][6]

History

Early history

In 1948, a group of young Beirutis set up the first administrative board at the club headed by Mustafa Al-Shami. Three years Misbah Dougan, then head of the administrative board, formally requested an official licence for the club allowing them to play football on all Lebanese grounds.[7] They were to be called "Al-Intisar", Arabic for "Victory", however a club with that name was already present. Mustafa Al-Shami proposed "Ansar" in remembrance of the supporters of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.[7]

Initially, Ansar was known as a Mount Lebanon team, rather than a team from Beirut. This is because, as Beirut had already too many clubs, the Federation decided to relocate Ansar to Ghobeiry.[7] In 1965, Ansar moved to Beirut and won the 1966 Lebanese Second Division promotion play-offs, gaining promotion to the Lebanese Premier League for the following season.[7]

Recent history

Ansar were crowned champions of the 2020–21 Lebanese Premier League by beating Nejmeh 2–1 in the Beirut derby in the last matchday;[8] they won their 14th title, their first since 2007.[9] They made the season a double, after beating Nejmeh in the Lebanese FA Cup final.[10] Ansar won their 15th title in the 2024–25 season.[11]

Supporters

Although the club's roots lie in the Sunni community in Beirut,[12] Ansar's support comes from all areas and religions in Lebanon.[8] The club has been associated with the Hariri family from the early 1990s till 2005.[12] In 2018, following the introduction of ultras groups in Lebanon, "Ultras Ansari 18" (UA18) was formed.[13]

Club rivalries

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Ansar fans during the Beirut derby at the Camille Chamoun Stadium in 2018

The Beirut derby with Nejmeh has historically been the most anticipated game in Lebanon: both located in Beirut, Nejmeh and Ansar have shared the majority of titles. While Nejmeh has been more successful in Asia, Ansar holds the most league titles and FA Cups.[14]

Another important rivalry is with Ahed: located in Beirut, they are affiliated with Hezbollah, with their fan base mostly coming from the Shia community in Beirut.[15] In addition Ansar has a rivalry with Safa, also based in Beirut.

Players

Current squad

As of 14 March 2025[16]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK File:Flag of Lebanon.svg LBN Hadi Kanj
2 DF File:Flag of Lebanon.svg LBN Mohamad El Dor
3 DF File:Flag of Lebanon.svg LBN Mohamad Al Mahdi Al Moussawi
4 MF File:Flag of Lebanon.svg LBN Nader Matar
5 DF File:Flag of Lebanon.svg LBN Nassar Nassar
6 DF File:Flag of Lebanon.svg LBN Maxime Aoun
7 MF File:Flag of Palestine.svg PLE Mohamad Hebous
8 MF File:Flag of Lebanon.svg LBN Ali Tneich
10 FW File:Flag of Lebanon.svg LBN Hassan Maatouk
11 MF File:Flag of Lebanon.svg LBN Youssef Al Haj
12 MF File:Flag of Lebanon.svg LBN Ahmad Kheir El Dine
15 DF File:Flag of Lebanon.svg LBN Obaida El Halabi
16 DF File:Flag of Lebanon.svg LBN Abbas Ballout
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 MF File:Flag of Palestine.svg PLE Hamza Hussein
20 MF File:Flag of Lebanon.svg LBN Mouhammed-Ali Dhaini
21 MF File:Flag of Lebanon.svg LBN Mohamad Bou Saleh
22 MF File:Flag of Lebanon.svg LBN Mohammad Al Massri
24 FW File:Flag of Lebanon.svg LBN Hassan Kaafarani
30 FW File:Flag of Lebanon.svg LBN Mohammad El Saleh
31 FW File:Flag of Algeria.svg ALG Hichem Houssam Eddine
35 DF File:Flag of Tunisia.svg TUN Rafik Medini
42 MF File:Flag of Lebanon.svg LBN Hassan Nasser
66 FW File:Flag of Lebanon.svg LBN Ali Melhem
77 DF File:Flag of Lebanon.svg LBN Mostafa Kassab
88 FW File:Flag of Lebanon.svg LBN Omar Bahlawan
91 GK File:Flag of Lebanon.svg LBN Nazih Assaad (captain)

Notable players

See also: Category:Al Ansar FC players
File:Lebanon vs Saudi Arabia Mootaz Jounaidi.jpg
Ansar's captain Mootaz Jounaidi with Lebanon at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup
Players in international competitions
Competition Player National team
1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup David Nakhid File:Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Trinidad and Tobago
2000 AFC Asian Cup Jadir File:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon
Newton File:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon
Jamal Taha File:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon
2007 AFC Asian Cup Ahmad Mnajed File:Flag of Iraq.svg Iraq
Salih Sadir File:Flag of Iraq.svg Iraq
2019 AFC Asian Cup Hassan Chaito File:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon
Hassan Chaitou File:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon
Adnan Haidar File:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon
Mootaz Jounaidi File:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon
2023 AFC Asian Cup Mouhammed-Ali Dhaini File:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon
Yahya El Hindi File:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon
Hassan Maatouk File:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon
Robert Alexander Melki File:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon
Nassar Nassar File:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon
Ali Tneich File:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon

Honours

Performance in AFC competitions

1988–89: Qualifying stage
1989–90: Qualifying stage
1991: Qualifying stage
1993–94: Quarter-finals
1994–95: Quarter-finals
1995: Second round
1997–98: Quarter-finals
1998–99: Second round
1999–2000: Second round
2000–01: First round
2002–03: Qualifying stage
2007: Group stage
2008: Group stage
2011: Group stage
2013: Group stage
2018: Group stage
2020: Cancelled
2021: Group stage
2022: Group stage
2025–26: Ongoing
1991–92: First round
1996–97: First round

Chairmen history

  • Lebanon Mustafa El-Shami (1948–1950)
  • Lebanon Ameen Itani (1950–1954)
  • Lebanon Fouad Rustom (1954–1956)
  • Lebanon Abdul Jalil Al-Sabra (1956–1963)
  • Lebanon Jamil Hasbeeny (1963–1965)
  • Lebanon Abed El-Jamil Ramadan (1965–1967)
  • Lebanon Khaled Kabbani (1967–1975)
  • Lebanon Said Wanid (1975–1977)
  • Lebanon Salim Diab (1977–2008)
  • Lebanon Karim Diab (2008–2012)
  • Lebanon Nabil Badr (2012–present)

See also

References

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