Al Duhail SC

Al-Duhail

Full name	Al Duhail Sports Club
Nickname	The Red Knights
Founded	1938; 88 years ago (1938) (as Al-Shorta) 2009; 17 years ago (2009) (as Lekhwiya) 2017; 9 years ago (2017) (as Al-Duhail)
Ground	Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium
Capacity	10,221
Chairman	Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
Head coach	Djamel Belmadi
League	Qatar Stars League
2024–25	Qatar Stars League, 2nd of 12
Website	www.duhailsc.qa
Home colours Away colours
Current season

Al-Duhail Sports Club (Arabic: نادي الدحيل الرياضي), formerly Lekhwiya SC, is a Qatari sports club, It is the oldest football team in Qatar, being formed in 1938 as Al-Shorta.^[1] The club participates in the Qatar Stars League. Al-Duhail is based in the Duhail district in the city of Doha and plays its home games at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium. It is the first team in Qatari football to win the first division title on its debut season.

In April 2017, it was announced that the club would take over El Jaish SC and merge with it following the 2016–17 Qatar Stars League and be known as Al-Duhail Sports Club in a rebranding of Lekhwiya SC.^[2][3]

History

In 1938, The club was founded as Al-Shorta.^[1] It was renamed Lekhwiya in 2009.^[4]

Upon the club's reformation, it was entered into the Qatari 2nd Division. It came fourth in the league on its first year before winning the next season in 2010.

In the club's first season in the Qatar Stars League, Lekhwiya finished at the top of the standings to win the 2010–11 Qatar Stars League.^[5] It was the first league title in the club's history. They also managed to reach the final of the 2010 Sheikh Jassem Cup, losing in the final to Al-Arabi.^[6]

Their official debut in a continental competition came on March 7, 2012, in the 2012 AFC Champions League. They won their first match against Al-Ahli of Saudi Arabia, with Nam Tae-Hee scoring the only goal and also scoring the first-ever goal for Lekhwiya in any regional competition.^[7]

In the 2011–12 Qatar Stars League season, Lekhwiya retained the league title with two games left to be played.^[8]

They inaugurated a new stadium Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, also known as Lekhwiya Sports Stadium, on February 15, 2013, in a match against Al Khor and won their third league title in the first season at the new stadium.^[9]

in April 2017 the club announced that they would take over El Jaish SC and rebranded the club into Al-Duhail SC.

At the end of the 2017–2018 Season the Club became the first club to hold all three domestic Titles the league, Qatar Cup and Emir Cup.

In 2024, it was one of the teams invited to take part in the first installment of the Equality Cup.^[10]

Stadium

Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium

Lekhwiya's stadium began construction in 2011.^[9] The first phase was completed in May 2012.^[11] The stadium was officially inaugurated on February 15, 2013, with the first match played being a Qatar Stars League fixture against Al Khor. The official seating capacity is 10,000, it is located in the ISF area of Doha.

Colours and crest

Shirt sponsors and manufacturers

Period	Kit manufacture	Shirt sponsor
2009–11	Burrda	None
2011–19		Masraf Rayan
2020–25	Puma
2025–		Al Rayan Bank

Kit history

Home kit 2009

Home kit 2011

Players

Current squad

As of Qatar Stars League: ^[12]

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  QAT Salah Zakaria 2 DF  SEN Abdou Diallo (on loan from Al-Arabi) 3 DF  BRA Tuta 4 DF  QAT Yousef Aymen 5 DF  QAT Bassam Al-Rawi 6 MF  ITA Marco Verratti 7 MF  QAT Ismaeel Mohammad 8 MF  QAT Edmilson Junior 9 FW  POL Krzysztof Piątek 11 FW  QAT Almoez Ali (captain) 12 MF  QAT Karim Boudiaf 15 MF  QAT Luiz Júnior

No. Pos. Nation Player 16 GK  FRA Arthur Desmas 17 DF  SEN Youssouf Sabaly 18 DF  QAT Sultan Al-Brake 19 MF  FRA Benjamin Bourigeaud 20 MF  QAT Abdullah Al-Ahrak 21 DF  CMR Jean-Charles Castelletto 22 DF  ITA Ibrahima Bamba 24 DF  QAT Homam Ahmed 30 GK  ARG Bautista Burke 77 MF  ALG Adil Boulbina 96 GK  QAT Amir Hassan

Olympic squad

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 13 GK  QAT Galal Al-Sharqawi 14 DF  QAT Ghanim Al-Minhali 25 FW  QAT Mubarak Shanan 28 MF  EGY Abdelrahman Raafat 29 FW  QAT Rashid Al-Abdulla 38 GK  QAT Jassim Sarour

No. Pos. Nation Player 39 MF  QAT Ismail Ali 40 DF  QAT Abdullah Sabet 44 MF  QAT Abdullah Mohsen 45 MF  QAT Mohammed Abdulaziz 81 FW  QAT Tahsin Jamshid

Out on loan

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 — DF  BRA Lucas Veríssimo (on loan to Al-Wakrah) — DF  QAT Mohammed Ayash (on loan to Al-Wakrah) — DF  QAT Abdalla Mugib (on loan to Al-Markhiya) — DF  FRA Amidou Doumbouya (on loan to Al-Ahli) — DF  QAT Mohamed Al-Naimi (on loan to Al-Arabi) — DF  QAT Ziyad Fadi (on loan to Lusail) — MF  QAT Abdulaziz Mohammed (on loan to Al-Shahaniya)

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  QAT Fares Said (on loan to Umm Salal) — MF  QAT Assim Madibo (on loan to Al-Wakrah) — MF  QAT Khaled Mohammed (on loan to Al-Ahli) — MF  QAT Abdelrahman Moustafa (on loan to Al-Ahli) — MF  LBY Suhaib Gannan (on loan to Al-Ahli) — FW  QAT Lotfi Madjer (on loan to Al-Shahaniya)

Personnel

Current technical staff

Position	Staff
Head coach	Djamel Belmadi
Assistant coach	Guillaume Marie Farès Bouzid
Goalkeeping coach	Frédéric Roux
Physiotherapist	Dario Lorenzo Fort Sabeur Zidi Pedro Silva
Masseur	Anselmo Apolinario Anderson Apolinario
Doctor	Mohamed Soltani

Last updated: 23 December 2022
Source: https://www.duhailsc.qa/main-team/

Records and statistics

Last update: 14 January 2025.
Players whose names are in bold are still active with the club.

Most goals

#	Nat.	Name	Career	Goals	League Goals
1		Michael Olunga	2020–	127	75
2		Nam Tae-hee	2012–2019, 2021–2023	117	84
3		Youssef El-Arabi	2016–2019	108	76
4		Youssef Msakni	2012–2021	99	73
5		Almoez Ali	2016–	75	56
6		Sebastián Soria	2012–2015	58	42
7		Ismaeel Mohammad	2011–	56	37

Reserves and academy

Reserves technical staff Position Staff Manager Gerard Zaragoza Fitness coach Didier Filipe Goalkeeping coach Karim Zaza Director of football Mohammad Bashir Sulaiti Team administrator Ali Hilal General manager Mohsen Al Yazidi Source: Lekhwiya

U21 technical staff Position Staff Manager Hamdan Hamad Assist. coach Saifuddin Komy Assist. coach Peter Pollák Goalkeeping coach Adam Abdelnasser Abbasi Team administrator Khalid Abdullah General manager Faisal Al Marri Source: Al Raya

Administrative staff

Board of Directors Position Staff President Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Vice Chairman Khalifa Khamis Sulaiti General Manager Adnan Al Ali Source: [13]

Management (Football) Position Staff Chief Executive Officer Adnan Al Ali Sports Officer Faraj Saleh Al-Marri Marketing Officer Nadim Hussien Abdullah Media Coordinator Mohamed Bachir Al Sulaiti Director of Football Team Ismail Ahmed Source: [13]

Honours

Domestic

• Qatar Stars League
  • Winners (8): 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20, 2022–23
• Qatari Second Division
  • Winners (1): 2009–10
• Emir of Qatar Cup
  • Winners (4): 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022
• Qatar Cup
  • Winners (4): 2013, 2015, 2018, 2023
• Qatari Stars Cup
  • Winners (2): 2022–23, 2024–25
• Qatar Super Cup / Shiekh Jassem Cup
  • Winners (2): 2015, 2016

Regional

• Qatar–UAE Super Shield
  • Runners-up (1): 2023–24^[14]

Al-Duhail in Asia

Competition	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
AFC Champions League	71	35	15	21	123	95
Total	71	35	15	21	123	95

• Q = Qualification
• GS = Group stage
• R16 = Round of 16
• QF = Quarter-final
• SF = Semi-final

AFC Champions League

Round	Country	Club	Home	Away
2012
GS		Al-Ahli	1–0	0–3
GS		Al-Nasr	1–2	1–2
GS		Sepahan	1–0	1–2
2013
GS		Al-Shabab	2–1	1–3
GS		Al-Ittifaq	0–0	2–0
GS		Pakhtakor	3–1	2–2
R16		Al-Hilal	1–0	2–2
QF		Guangzhou Evergrande	0–2	1–4
2014
GS		Al-Ain	1–2	0–5
GS		Tractor	0–0	1–0
GS		Al-Ittihad	2–0	1–3
2015
GS		Persepolis F.C.	3–0	0–3
GS		Al-Nassr FC	1–1	3–1
GS		Bunyodkor	1–0	1–0
R16		Al-Sadd	2–2	2–1
QF		Al-Hilal	2–2	1–4
2016
GS		Zob Ahan	0–1	0–0
GS		Al-Nassr FC	4–0	1–1
GS		Bunyodkor	0–0	0–2
R16		El Jaish SC	0–4	4–2
2017
GS		Al Jazira	3–0	3–1
GS		Al-Fateh	4–1	2–2
GS		Esteghlal Khuzestan	2–1	1–1
R16		Persepolis	0–1	0–0
2018
GS		Zob Ahan	3–1	1–0
GS		Lokomotiv Tashkent	3–2	2–1
GS		Al Wahda	1–0	3–2
R16		Al Ain	4–1	4–2
QF		Persepolis	1–0	1–3
2019
GS		Al-Hilal	2–2	1–3
GS		Al Ain	2–2	2–0
GS		Esteghlal	3–0	1–1
R16		Al-Sadd	1–1	1–3
2020
GS		Persepolis	2–0	1–0
GS		Al-Taawoun	0–1	0–2
GS		Sharjah	2–1	2–4
2021
GS		Al-Shorta	2–0	1–2
GS		Al-Ahli	1–1	1–1
GS		Esteghlal	4–3	2–2
2022
GS		Al-Taawon	1–2	4–3
GS		Sepahan	5–2	1–0
GS		Pakhtakor	3–2	3–0
R16		Al-Rayyan	1–1	7–6 (p)
QF		Al-Shabab	2–1
SF		Al-Hilal	0–7
2023–24
GS		Istiklol	2–0	0–0
GS		Persepolis	2–1	0–1
GS		Al-Nassr	3–4	2–3

Managerial history

• Khalifa Khamis (2008) (unofficial)^[15]
• Abdullah Saad (2008–2009) (unofficial)
• Abdullah Mubarak (2009–2010)
• Djamel Belmadi (2010–2012)
• Eric Gerets (2012–2014)
• Michael Laudrup (2014–2015)
• Djamel Belmadi (2015–2018)
• Nabil Maâloul (2018–2019)
• Rui Faria (2019–2020)
• Walid Regragui (2020)
• Hatem Almoadab (2020)^[16]
• Sabri Lamouchi (2020–2021)
• Luís Castro (2021–2022)
• Hernán Crespo (2022–2023)
• Christophe Galtier (2023–2025)
• Djamel Belmadi (2025–present)

Other sports

Handball

References

1. "Qatar - List of Foundation Dates". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 2025-11-01.
2. "Lekhwiya, El Jaish clubs to merge" (in Arabic). Gulf Times. 11 April 2017. Archived from the original on 11 April 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
3. "Lekhwiya, Al Jaish Clubs to Merge into One Club under the Name of Al Duhail Sports Club". www.qna.org.qa. Archived from the original on 12 April 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
4. "Qatar 2009/10". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
5. Lekhwiya SC new Qatar Star league champions!
6. "Cabore seals Sheikh Jassim Cup triumph for Al Arabi". qfa.com.qa. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
7. "Qatar's Lekhwiya launch Asian campaign with a brave win". qsl.com.qa. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
8. "لخويا يتوج باللقب الثاني ويدفع العربي للخطر". Al Kass. March 25, 2012. Archived from the original on October 4, 2012. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
9. لخويا يستضيف الخور على ملعبه الجديد (in Arabic). Al Kass. 15 February 2013. Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
10. "Equality Cup Football Tournament in collaboration with Zenit Saint Petersburg FC". Aspire Zone. Archived from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
11. "Lekhwiya Sports Stadium". Urbacon-Intl. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
12. "Main Teaml". Retrieved 15 September 2023.
13. "Board Members". Archived from the original on 2023-06-08. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
14. "Shabab Al Ahli edge Al Duhail to win maiden Qatar-UAE Super Shield". Qatar Stars League. 13 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
15. "Archive al-watan.com 2011/04/12". Archived from the original on 2014-06-25. Retrieved 2014-06-25.
16. "Al Duhail SC Manager history". Archived from the original on 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2021-04-22.

External links

• Official website