Al Duhail SC

Al-Duhail
Full nameAl Duhail Sports Club
NicknameThe Red Knights
Founded1938 (1938) (as Al-Shorta)
2009 (2009) (as Lekhwiya)
2017 (2017) (as Al-Duhail)
GroundAbdullah bin Khalifa Stadium
Capacity10,221
ChairmanKhalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
Head coachDjamel Belmadi
LeagueQatar Stars League
2024–25Qatar Stars League, 2nd of 12
Websitewww.duhailsc.qa

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

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
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
14 DF  QAT Ghanim Al-Minhali
No. Pos. Nation Player
15 MF  QAT Luiz Júnior
16 GK  FRA Arthur Desmas
17 DF  SEN Youssouf Sabaly
18 DF  QAT Sultan Al-Brake
19 MF  FRA Benjamin Bourigeaud
21 DF  CMR Jean-Charles Castelletto
22 DF  ITA Ibrahima Bamba
30 GK  ARG Bautista Burke
34 MF  FRA Boubakary Soumaré
77 MF  ALG Adil Boulbina
96 GK  QAT Amir Hassan (on loan from Al-Arabi)

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
25 FW  QAT Mubarak Shanan
29 FW  QAT Rashid Al-Abdulla
36 MF  QAT Adam Friakh
38 GK  QAT Jassim Sarour
39 MF  QAT Ismail Ali
No. Pos. Nation Player
40 DF  QAT Abdullah Sabet
44 MF  QAT Abdullah Mohsen
45 MF  QAT Mohammed Abdulaziz
81 FW  QAT Tahsin Jamshid
92 MF  QAT Mohannad Babli

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 Qatar)
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)
DF  QAT Homam Ahmed (on loan to Cultural Leonesa)
MF  QAT Abdulaziz Mohammed (on loan to Al-Shahaniya)
No. Pos. Nation Player
MF  QAT Abdullah Al-Ahrak (on loan to Qatar)
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

Administrative staff

Honours

Domestic

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

Other sports

Handball

References

  1. ^ a b "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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b "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". Retrieved 2014-06-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  16. ^ "Al Duhail SC Manager history". Archived from the original on 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2021-04-22.