Nejmeh
Full nameNejmeh Sporting Club
Nickname(s)القلعة النبيذية (The Burgundy Castle)[1]
Founded10 March 1945 (1945-03-10)
GroundRafic Hariri Stadium[lower-alpha 1]
Capacity5,000
ChairmanMazen Al Zaani
ManagerPaulo Menezes
LeagueLebanese Premier League
2022–23Lebanese Premier League, 2nd of 12

Nejmeh Sporting Club (Arabic: نادي النجمة الرياضي, lit. 'The Star Sporting Club') is a football club based in Manara, a district in Ras Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, that competes in the Lebanese Premier League. The club was established in Beirut in 1945, and received its license in 1947. Nejmeh's board is affiliated with the Future Movement and the Hariri family.[2][3]

Historically, the club is second only to their cross-city rivals Ansar in the Lebanese Premier League and the Lebanese FA Cup. Nejmeh, however, lead in Lebanese Elite Cup titles. The rivalry between the two clubs has been dubbed the Beirut derby. In Asia, Nejmeh were runners-up in the 2005 AFC Cup, where they lost to Al-Faisaly of Jordan.

History

Nejmeh's lineup in 1945

Nejmeh was founded in 1945 by the Druze and Sunni communities from Ras Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon,[4] as an association football club, with Anis Radwan as their first president.[5] This committee applied for a license at the Lebanese Government on 4 March 1947,[6] which was issued on 28 April.[5] The choice of club's name is said to have came on 11 October 1945, when a meeting was held at Radwan's house at night to discuss the affairs of the team.[5] Looking at the sky's stars, Radwan decided to call the team Nejmeh (The Star).[5] The five-pointed star is the Druze's religious symbol.[4]

On 25 July 1950, Nejmeh won the Lebanese Second Division, but were only officially promoted in 1951,[6] during which Papken Poyajian was appointed president of the club. They first competed in the Lebanese Premier League during the 1953–54 season.[6]

During the 1970s, Brazilian international players Pelé[7][8][9][10] and Bebeto[11][12][13] played matches with Nejmeh as honorary guests.

Nejmeh won the FA Cup for the first time in its history on 31 October 1971, when they won 3–1 against Safa.[14] Hani Abdelfattah scored the first goal for Safa at the 17th minute, and Jamal Al Khatib equalized for Nejmeh in the 25th minute.[14] The second half saw Nejmeh score two goals: Hassan Shatila in the 61st minute, and Mahmoud Chatila in the 78th minute. Sarkis Demerjian refereed the game with Amin Al Fata and Harout Avikian as his assistants.[14] The game was a repeat of the 1964 final, which Safa had won; Adnan Hariri scored the sole goal of the game.[14]

Colours and badge

Ever since the club's foundation, the traditional and primary color of Nejmeh has been burgundy red.[15] The club's badge was composed of a star in the center, in reference to the club's name which, in Arabic, means "Star".[5] The two cedars on the side of the logo recalled Lebanon's national symbol.

In 2019 the logo underwent various changes: the star changed from white to gold, the cedars from green to burgundy and the text from burgundy to black. Other minor changes have also been made such as the enlargement of the width of the white border, and the shift of the text "BEIRUT 1945", which moved from the center of the star to underneath it.[16]

In 2023 the logo was drastically changed, with a more simplistic style being adopted. It became a pictogram of a burgundy "N" (for Nejmeh) and a "C" (for Club) fused together, with a gold star in the center. The text "1945" above and "BEIRUT" below are written in burgundy.[17]

Stadium

The entrance of the Rafic Hariri Stadium in 2022

The Rafic Hariri Stadium is located in Manara area of Beirut, Lebanon.[18] The stadium consists of a football field, and spaces that accommodate around 5,000 spectators, together with a VIP seats area that accommodates around 100 guests, a cafeteria, and a gymnasium.[19]

The old club stadium first consisted of a sand training field over the land number 704 in Ras Beirut area with no facilities or fences.[19] The stadium went through a rehabilitation process, with improvements including implanting the field with grass, increasing the seats spaces to allow more spectators, and enhancing the stadium facilities, walls, and fences. The first phase of the process started in June 2003 and was completed in late March 2004.[19]

On 21 February 2005, the stadium was named "The Martyr Rafic Hariri Stadium" in honour of the late Prime Minister.[19]

Supporters

Founded on 9 February 2018,[20] Nejmeh's "Ultras Supernova" was the first ultras group to be introduced in Lebanon.[21][22][23] The name "Supernova" is a reference to the etymology of Nejmeh which, in Arabic, means "Star".

Prior to the Arab Club Champions Cup game against Al-Ahly of Egypt, played on 13 August 2018, seven "Ultras Supernova" fans were arrested by the Egyptian national security because of the negative connotations the word "Ultras" has in Egypt.[24] The fans were returned to Lebanon by request of the Lebanese Ambassador to Cairo.[25]

During the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Nejmeh ultras were employed by the Qatari government to act as Qatar national team fans during their games. The 1,500 "adopted" ultras wore maroon t-shirts with "Qatar" stamped on front, sang the Qatari national anthem and beat drums while singing chants.[26]

Club rivalries

Nejmeh fans during the Beirut derby at the Camille Chamoun Stadium in 2018.

The Beirut derby with Ansar 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.[15]

In recent years another fierce rivalry has developed, between Nejmeh and Ahed. Also based in Beirut, Ahed have won the majority of league titles since the 2014–15 season. Tensions between the two teams have also forced the federation to change venues multiple times.[27] Most noticeably, in the 2016–17 season, Nejmeh refused to play against Ahed in the league title decider and were sanctioned six points by the federation.[28]

Another rivalry that has developed in recent years is with Salam Zgharta. Since the 2016–17 season, Salam Zgharta and Nejmeh have played various intense games between each other, with some escalating in offensive chants.[29]

Other important matches are with Safa and Racing, both located in the same city as Nejmeh.

Players

Current squad

As of 16 December 2023[30]

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 Lebanon LBN Ali Sabeh
2 DF Lebanon LBN Ali Alrida Ismail
3 DF Lebanon LBN Houssein Mortada
4 DF Canada CAN Ahmad Mansour
5 MF Lebanon LBN Ahmad Kheir El Dine
6 MF Lebanon LBN Bilal Najdi
7 FW Lebanon LBN Khalil Bader
8 FW Australia AUS Louis Khoury
9 FW Lebanon LBN Hassan Mehanna
10 MF Lebanon LBN Mahdi Zein
11 FW Lebanon LBN Mohammad Markabawi
13 DF Lebanon LBN Abdallah Moughrabi
16 FW Lebanon LBN Mohamad Safwan
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 DF Lebanon LBN Khaled Al Hajjar
18 DF Lebanon LBN Kassem El Zein (vice-captain)
19 DF Lebanon LBN Ali Hamam (captain)
20 MF Lebanon LBN Hassan Kourani
21 MF Portugal POR Gilson Costa
22 GK Lebanon LBN Mohamad Bechara
24 DF Lebanon LBN Maher Sabra
25 GK Lebanon LBN Mohammad Zahr
26 FW Ukraine UKR Dmytro Bilonoh
70 FW Lebanon LBN Mohamad Omar Sadek
77 DF Lebanon LBN Said Awada
88 Lebanon LBN Ali Akbar Sabra
90 FW Portugal POR José Embaló

Notable players

Nejmeh's captain Ali Hamam with Lebanon at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup
Players in international competitions
Competition Player National team
2000 AFC Asian Cup Abbas Chahrour  Lebanon
Wahid El Fattal  Lebanon
Mohamed Halawi  Lebanon
Moussa Hojeij  Lebanon
2007 AFC Asian Cup Bassim Abbas  Iraq
2012 Africa Cup of Nations Osama Chtiba  Libya
2017 Africa Cup of Nations Hassan Wasswa  Uganda
2019 AFC Asian Cup Kassem El Zein  Lebanon
Ali Hamam  Lebanon
Hassan Maatouk  Lebanon
Nader Matar  Lebanon
2023 AFC Asian Cup Ali Sabeh  Lebanon
Maher Sabra  Lebanon
Kassem El Zein  Lebanon

Honours

Domestic

League

Cup

Continental

Awards

  • Best Team in Asia
    • Winners (1): March 2000[32]

Performance in AFC competitions

In 1982, Nejmeh reached the Arab Club Champions Cup final but lost to Iraqi club Al-Shorta.[33] In 2005, Nejmeh reached the final of the AFC Cup and lost to Al-Faisaly of Jordan: this was the first time a Lebanese football team had reached the final of any Asian competition.[15]

1996–97: Second round
2002–03: First Round
2004: Quarter-finals
2005: Final
2006: Semi-finals
2007: Semi-finals
2010: Group stage
2014: Round of 16
2015: Group stage
2017: Group stage
2019: Group stage
2022: Group stage
2023–24: TBD
1990–91: First round
1997–98: First round
1998–99: First round

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Only used as a training ground

References

  1. ↑ "The Birth, Death and Re-Birth of Lebanese Football | Ahdaaf". Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  2. ↑ "تحالف النجمة والأنصار: فتّش عن السياسة". الأخبار (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  3. ↑ "نهائيّ النجمة – الأنصار: هزيمة العهد.. ومشروع نائب". asasmedia.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  4. 1 2 Alami, Mona (1 September 2009). "Religious about football". NOW Lebanon. Archived from the original on 19 April 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Establishment of the club". NEJMEH SC. Archived from the original on 17 May 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 "النجمة عميد الأندية اللبنانية... عراقة وتاريخ وإنجازات – Al Laeb Al Arabiاللاعب العربي". Al Laeb Al Arabi (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  7. ↑ http://forum.kooora.com/?t=5801520 Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine pictures of the visit and details about Pelé's Nejmeh experience in Arabic.
  8. ↑ http://pelethebest.blogspot.com/2014/11/pele-em-hebraico-significa.html?m=1 Archived 12 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine Set of pictures of Pelé with Nejmeh SC in Lebanon
  9. ↑ http://blogbaladi.com/brazilian-football-legend-pele-played-for-lebanese-nejmeh-sc-in-1975/ Archived 12 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine Picture of Pelé with Nejmeh Club prior to the friendly game where he played for the team.
  10. ↑ 55bructrax (5 February 2013). "Pelé, the day he postponed a war in Lebanon (April 6, 1975)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 10 October 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ http://www.gettyimages.ae/detail/news-photo/former-brazilian-world-cup-winner-bebeto-wearing-a-t-shirt-news-photo/2554235 Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine Bebeto in the Nejmeh Club kit during the game.
  12. ↑ http://www.gettyimages.ae/detail/news-photo/famous-brazilian-soccer-player-bebeto-gives-the-thumbs-up-news-photo/2548910 Archived 12 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine Picture of Bebeto in Beirut with details about the visit.
  13. ↑ "O Portal de Notícias do Estado de S. Paulo". Archived from the original on 29 August 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "النجمة بطل كأس لبنان للمرة الأولى عام 1971 – فادي سمعان". نداء الوطن. 14 May 2020. Archived from the original on 29 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  15. 1 2 3 "Great Asian Derbies – Al Ansar SC vs Nejmeh SC (Beirut)". GhanaSoccernet. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  16. ↑ "شعار جديد لنادي النجمة". Elsport News (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 17 July 2019. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
  17. ↑ "رسميًا.. النجمة يجري تعديلا جوهريا على شعاره القديم". كووورة. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  18. ↑ Kabboul, Tamarah (8 February 2019). "Discover old Beirut in these 15 amazing photos". the961.com. Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  19. 1 2 3 4 "The Stadium". Nejmeh SC. Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  20. ↑ Lebanon, Football. "السوبرنوفا في الذكرى الثانية للتأسيس: حلمنا ان نرفع إسم نادينا عالمياً". football-lebanon.com. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  21. ↑ "المدرجات لا تعترف إلا بالشجعان". lebanonfg.com. Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  22. ↑ COPA90. "Ultras Supernova: Lebanon's First Ultras Group". Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2019 – via Facebook.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  23. ↑ "مباريات قويّة في الجولة العاشرة". الأخبار (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  24. ↑ "قضية مشجعي "النجمة" الموقوفين في مصر... ماذا جرى معهم؟". LBCI Lebanon (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  25. ↑ "Lebanese Nejmeh fans to be deported days after arrest at Borg al-Arab Stadium | MadaMasr". madamasr.com. Archived from the original on 25 February 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  26. ↑ Montague, James (28 November 2022). "The Fans Screamed for Qatar. Their Passion Hid a Secret". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 29 November 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  27. ↑ "The Hezbollah Club". BabaGol. Archived from the original on 26 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  28. ↑ FaLebanon (23 February 2019). "Salam Zgharta vs Nejmeh Rivalry: The Sequel". falebanon.com. Archived from the original on 8 December 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  29. ↑ Mahfoud, Maroun (23 February 2019). "Salam Zgharta vs Nejmeh Rivalry: The Sequel". FA Lebanon. Archived from the original on 8 December 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  30. ↑ "Nejmeh SC". Global Sports Archive. Archived from the original on 13 June 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  31. ↑ "النجمة عميد الأندية اللبنانية... عراقة وتاريخ وإنجازات – Al Laeb Al Arabiاللاعب العربي". Al Laeb Al Arabi (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  32. ↑ "Bazzi '12 Signs Professional Contract With Nejmeh Sporting Club in Lebanon". University of Detroit Mercy Athletics. Archived from the original on 7 November 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  33. ↑ "Al Shorta SC Website". Al Shorta SC Website. Archived from the original on 16 January 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
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