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Al Safa FC

Al-Safa
Full nameAl Safa Sports Club
Nickname(s)Safa
Founded1 January 1947; 77 years ago (1947-01-01)
GroundAl-Safa Club Stadium, Safwa
Capacity3,500
ChairmanMohammed Hassan Ibrahim
ManagerCarlos Pinto
LeagueFirst Division League
2023–24FDL, 10th of 18
Websitehttp://www.alsafa.sa

Al-Safa Club is a sports club, based in Saudi Arabia, that competes in the Saudi Second Division. The club's headquarters are located in the Safwa City in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia near Dammam and King Fahd International Airport. The facilities of Al-Safa club have been built to the highest standards and include international standard football pitch with an international track and field, swimming pool, indoor volleyball, handball and basketball hall, outdoor tennis, volleyball, handball and basketball courts in addition to a full facility gym and indoor squash courts.

The club competes in ten different sports in Saudi Arabia on the youth and adult levels. These are: Football, Track and field, Handball, Volleyball, Basketball, Squash, Tennis, Table Tennis, Swimming and Bodybuilding. The sports club members have reached highest levels in Saudi Arabia's competitions and have represented the country with the national teams in world cups/ championships and in the Olympic Games.

The club has also multicultural participations in Theatre, Photography, Arts and general training and development.

History

Al-Safa Club was founded in 1947 under the name of "Al-Safa Football Team". And when the Ministry of Interior in Saudi Arabia organized the establishments of sports teams, a special committee visited Safwa city and officially registered the team as a sports club that is officially registered and regulated under the General Presidency of Youth Welfare (GPYF) in Saudi Arabia.

Al-Safa management

Several presidents have been elected to chair the club in the past fifty years. The most famous are:

1- Ahmed Saleh Al-Habib 2- Ali Ahmed Al-Mousa 3- Khoder Al-Ibrahim 4- Sameer Mohammed Al-Nasir 5-Kumail Ali Alibrahim 6-Mohammed Ghallab 7- Mohammed Hassan Ibrahim ( Current Chairman)

Current board members

The current board of directors of the club was elected in August 2023 at the general assembly meeting. The assembly elected the president and eight (8) board members as follows:

President and chairman of the Board Mohammed Hassan Ibrahim
Vice President, Board Member Kumail Ali Alibrahim
Secretary General & Media Committee Head, Board Member Khoder Ali Alabas
Football Committee Chairman, Board Member Jawad Mohammed Al mohaisen
Sports Committee Chairman, Board Member Mujahed Yassen Alyassen
Sport Committee Vice Chairman, Handball Committee Chairman, Board Member Mohammed Jawad Alsafwani
Legal Committee Chairman, Board Member Habib Zaki Alsaeed
Finance Committee Head, Board Member Ahmed Hamza Alhashim
Investment Committee Chairman, Board Member Deyab Saeed Fardan

Coaching Staff

Position Name
Manager Portugal Carlos Pinto
Assistant Managers Saudi Arabia Abdullateef Al-Hussaini
Saudi Arabia Salman Al-Qahtani
Goalkeeper Coach Tunisia Ben Othmen Fahmi
Fitness Coach Saudi Arabia Younes Al-Bakhit
Match Analysis Saudi Arabia Khalid Al-Azmi
Performance Director Saudi Arabia Abdulaziz Al-Masoudi
Team Doctor Saudi Arabia Bandar Al-Jaadi
Physiotherapists Saudi Arabia Rayan Al-Nakhli
Kit Manager Saudi Arabia Osama Baessa

Sports accomplishments

Al-Safa Club champions have accomplished several high achievements on the single and team games at the local and international levels. Some of these are listed below

Football

After almost 60 years in the third division, Al-Safa football team was able to win the third division's league in 2011 and qualified to the second division. The team didn't stay long in the second division and was able to qualify to the Saudi's League first division for professionals in 2014 for the first time in History.

Championship Position President Team Captain Team Manager
Saudi's League Third Division First Place Saudi Arabia Sameer Al-Nasir Saudi Arabia Mofeed Salah Saudi Arabia Redha Al-Janabi
Saudi's League Second Division Second Place Saudi Arabia Ali Al-Mousa Saudi Arabia Habib Al-Ahmad Saudi Arabia Redha Al-Janabi

Athletics

In Athletics, Al-Safa Club has produced many champions on the local and international levels. The most famous of them all is the Asian Long Jum record holder Mohammed Al-Khuwalidi who owns the Asian record of 8.48 (List of Asian records in athletics) m in long Jump that he was able to achieve in France in 2006. The other athletics champions who also participated in the World's Championship and/ or the Olympic games include: Asem Al-Hizam in Decathlon, Abdullah Taher in High Jump, Hashim Al-Shorafa in 400 meters and Hussain Asem in Pole Vault

The Saudi records are registered under Al-Safa champions in the following:

Name[1] Game Saudi Record
Saudi ArabiaMohammed Al-Khuwalidi Long Jump 8.48 Meter
Saudi Arabia Hussain Asem Al-Hizam Pole Vault 5.70 meter

Swimming

In swimming, the most famous Saudi swimmer in history (Alawi Maki) is the dominant figure in the club. Alawi was the first Saudi and Middle Eastern swimming who successfully crossed the English Channel between UK and France. He broke the English Channel crossing record and accompanied him in this achievement the late Saleh Ajaj, Malik Shaker, Fakher Al-Sadah, Saeed Quraish and the current club's vice president Dheya Al-Asaad.[2]

Handball

Al-Safa club is one of Saudi's best teams in Handball. The team has accomplished several advanced positions in the league and club and the team members participated with the Saudi National Team in world cup several times. Among those who participated in the world cup: Hashim Al-Shorafa, Ali AL-Dawood, Bashir Qurainawi, Mohammed Al-Zayer, Hussain Henabi and Mohammed Nasfan.

Championship[3] Position Team's Captain
Prince Sultan Bin Fahad Cup 1998 Second Place Saudi Arabia Hashim Al-Shorafa
Prince Faisal Elite Cup 2002 Third Place Bashir Qurainawi

Volleyball

Al-Safa club remained for several decades among the best three clubs in volleyball in Saudi (in addition to Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal). Several Team players have participated with the national Saudi team including: Nouri Al-Sadah, Abdulkarim Al-Fraid, Yahya Al-Marhoon and Faiz Al-Dawood.

Squash

In Squash, Al-Safa team is one of the best teams in Saudi Arabia. The players have participated with the national Saudi team in the regional and international competitions. Among those: Fadi Henabi, Akram Al-Safwani, Ali Quraish and Hussain Al-Sadiq

Current squad

As of Saudi First Division League:

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
7 MF Saudi Arabia KSA Habib Al-Ahmed
8 MF Saudi Arabia KSA Ahmed Al-Anzi
10 FW Saudi Arabia KSA Mohammad Al-Sahlawi
11 MF Saudi Arabia KSA Saeed Al-Zahrani
12 DF Saudi Arabia KSA Hazim Al-Zahrani
14 MF Saudi Arabia KSA Hussain Al-Shurafa
15 MF Saudi Arabia KSA Abdulwahab Jaafer
16 DF Saudi Arabia KSA Abdullah Khalifah (on loan from Al-Ettifaq)
17 DF Saudi Arabia KSA Aseel Abed
18 DF Saudi Arabia KSA Mohammed Al-Saleh
19 DF Saudi Arabia KSA Hassan Al-Jubairi
20 MF Brazil BRA Maicon Douglas
21 GK Saudi Arabia KSA Moslem Al Freej
22 GK Saudi Arabia KSA Hassan Al-Ahsaei
23 DF Saudi Arabia KSA Hassan Al Farid
No. Pos. Nation Player
24 DF Saudi Arabia KSA Mishari Al-Qumaizi
25 DF Saudi Arabia KSA Ahmed Al-Alwan
31 MF Saudi Arabia KSA Abdulmohsen Burayk
42 MF Saudi Arabia KSA Hamed Fallatah
48 MF Saudi Arabia KSA Abdullah Othman
69 MF Saudi Arabia KSA Salem Al-Saleem
70 FW Colombia COL Danilo Asprilla
74 MF Saudi Arabia KSA Abdulmohsen Al-Qahtani
77 MF Saudi Arabia KSA Baraa Softah
79 GK Saudi Arabia KSA Hussain Emad
88 FW Saudi Arabia KSA Jawad Okeek
92 FW Colombia COL Luis Hinestroza
93 MF Romania ROU Alexandru Albu
96 DF Saudi Arabia KSA Saleh Al-Nashmi
99 FW Brazil BRA Fabinho

See also

References