Al-Wahda SC (Syria) explained

Clubname:Al-Wahda SC
Fullname:Al-Wahda Sports Club Damascus
Nickname:Damascene orange
(Arabic: البرتقالة الدمشقية)
Founded: as Qasioun SC
Ground:Al-Jalaa Stadium
Capacity:10,000
Chairman:Maher Al-Sayed
Manager: Ammar Shamali
League:Syrian Premier League
Season:2023–24
Position:10th
Current:2022–23 Syrian Premier League
Website:http://www.alwahdasport.sy
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Al-Wahda Sports Club (Arabic: نادي الوحدة الرياضي) is a Syrian multi-sports club based in Damascus.[1] The club 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".

The club has one of Syria's most prominent football charts, as it has 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]

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

See main article: Al-Jalaa Stadium.

Al-Jalaa Stadium is located in Mazzeh municipality of Damascus, Syria.[6]

Abbasiyyin Stadium

See main article: Abbasiyyin Stadium.

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

The biggest rival of the club is Al-Jaish SC,[7] with whom they play the Damascus city derby.

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

PeriodKit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2012–2016KappaCham Wings Airlines
2016–2017Lotto
2017–2019UhlsportNone
2019–2020Nike
2020–2022AdidasCham Wings Airlines
2022–Nike

Honours

Domestic

2

8

3

Continental

Regional

Notes:

Performance in AFC competitions

See also: Syrian football clubs in the AFC Cup.

1 appearance

2005

Group Stage

8 appearances

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

CompetitionPldWDLGFGA
AFC Champions League6006516
AFC Cup491713196666
TOTAL551713257182
Match wonMatch drawnMatch lostChampionsRunners-up
SeasonCompetitionRoundClubHomeAwayAgg
2003–04AFC CupGroup stage Dhofar1–1 2–03–1
Mahindra5–10–05–1
Quarterfinals Nejmeh2–12–34–4
Semifinals Geylang1–11–02–1
Final Al-Jaish2–31–03–3
2004–05AFC Champions LeagueGroup stage Al-Ain2–30–32–6
Al Shabab1–21–32–5
Sepahan1–30–21–5
2012–13AFC CupQualifying play-off Ahli Taizz3–53–5
2013–14AFC CupGroup stage Hidd1–41–32–7
Al-Shorta1–30–0 1–3
Qadsia1–31–12–4
2014–15AFC CupGroup stage Al Nahda1–20–01–2
Salam Zgharta3–12–05–1
Al-Wehdat1–11–02–1
Round of 16 Istiklol1–1 (2–4 p)1–2
2015–16AFC CupGroup stage Al-Ourouba2–11–23–3
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya5–20–15–3
Shabab Al-Dhahiriya0–33–0 3–3
Round of 16 Al Ahed0–40–4
2016–17AFC CupGroup stage Hidd0–21–0 1–2
Safa2–0 6–0 8–0
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya0–01–15–3
Zonal semifinals Al-Wehdat4–10–14–2
Zonal finals Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya2–10–12–2 (a)
2017–18AFC CupGroup stage Al-Faisaly1–22–23–4
Al Ansar2–10–12–2
Dhofar0–00–20–2
2020–21AFC CupGroup stage Hidd1–11–1
Ahed0–00–0

Performance in UAFA competitions

3 appearances

2002–03

Group Stage

2005–06

Round of 32

2006–07

Round of 32

Records

Accurate as of 28 September 2022

CompetitionPldWDLGFGA
Arab Club Champions Cup6015317
TOTAL6015317
Match wonMatch drawnMatch lostChampionsRunners-up
SeasonCompetitionRoundClubHomeAwayAgg
2002–03Arab Champions LeagueGroup stage Qadsia1–21–2
Al-Ittihad0–70–7
2005–06Arab Champions LeagueRound of 32 Raja Casablanca1–1 0–11–2
2006–07Arab Champions LeagueRound of 32 Club Africain0–31–31–6

Players

First-team squad

Personnel

Current technical staff

Administration

Club presidents

Former managers

Player records

League top scorer

See also: List of Syrian Premier League top scorers.

No.SeasonNameNationGoalsNotes
11990–91Othman Bawarshi Syria11
21992–93Assaf Khalifa Syria11With Mouhanad Boushi
32010–11Ali Salah Hashim Iraq9 Season suspended
42013–14Majed al-Haj Syria11
52015–16Raja Rafe Syria22
62016–17Osama Omari Syria17
72017–18Basel Mustafa Syria15

Top scorers

No.NameNationGoalsNotes
1Osama Omari Syria78
2Maher Al-Sayed Syria76
3Assaf Khalifa Syria59
4Mahmoud Mahmalji Syria51
5Raja Rafe Syria46
6Nizar Mahrous Syria44
7Majed al-Haj Syria38
=7Nabil Al-Shahma Syria38
9Ismail Fatout Syria31
10Maher Kharrat Syria30

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Al Wahda profile. 30 September 2022. goalzz.com. 28 September 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220928103800/https://www.goalzz.com/?team=1310. live.
  2. News: Al Wahda Damascus. asia-basket. 20 December 2021. 20 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211220214245/https://basketball.asia-basket.com/team/Syria/Al-Wahda-Damascus/2694?Page=0. live.
  3. Web site: Arab Champions' League 2005/06. RSSSF. 24 September 2022. 17 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230217001717/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/arabchamp06.html. live.
  4. Web site: Arab Champions' League 2006/07. RSSSF. 24 September 2022. 3 October 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221003115428/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/arabchamp07.html. live.
  5. https://www.dp-news.com/pages/detail.aspx?articleid=87855 History of Al Wahda
  6. Web site: Discover old Beirut in these 15 amazing photos. Kabboul. Tamarah. www.the961.com. 8 February 2019. en-ca. 23 February 2019. 24 February 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190224062445/https://www.the961.com/old-lebanon/discover-old-beirut-in-these-15-amazing-photos. live.
  7. News: Al-Wahda team qualifies to the final round of the Basketball League. Syrian Arab News Agency. 6 July 2021. 15 February 2022.
  8. News: Al-Wahda defeats al-Wathba 1-0, tops Syrian league. Syrian Arab News Agency. 25 June 2014. 24 September 2022. 14 March 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240314122027/https://sana.sy/en/?p=4334. live.
  9. Web site: 2019-04-03. Young football ambassadors present Nine Values Cup to the Samba Boys. 2020-11-15. euronews. en. 2020-10-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20201028204949/https://www.euronews.com/2019/04/03/brazil-football-team-awarded-nine-values-cup-by-young-international-ambassadors. live.