BFA Sporting

BFA Sporting (Arabic: بي اف اي سبورتينغ), or simply Sporting, is a football club based in Beirut, Lebanon, that competes in the Lebanese Second Division. The club was founded in 1963, and first competed in the Lebanese football league system in 1997.

BFA Sporting
Full nameBFA Sporting
Short nameSporting
Founded23 October 1963 (1963-10-23), as Al Jihad SC
GroundRafic Hariri Stadium
Capacity5,000
ChairmanJoseph Bacha
ManagerRami El-Ladki
LeagueLebanese Second Division
2022–23Lebanese Second Division, 4th of 12
WebsiteClub website

BFA Sporting first competed in the Lebanese Premier League in 2021, having won the 2020–21 Lebanese Second Division. In 2023, they entered into a partnership with Beirut Football Academy.

History

Al Jihad SC

On 23 October 1963, Al Jihad SC (Arabic: نادي الجهاد الرياضي), based in Hay El Sellom, a district in Beirut, was formally recognized as a non-profit sports and cultural organization.[1] They played their first official season in 1997, in the Lebanese Fifth Division,[1] which they won in 1999–2000.[2] In 2007–08 they won the Lebanese Third Division,[1] and were promoted to the Lebanese Second Division.[3]

Al Khoyol FC

On 2 September 2009, the club relocated to Ghobeiry, and changed their name to Al Khoyol FC (Arabic: نادي الخيول الرياضي).[4]

In 2009–10, Khoyol lost a decisive match for promotion to the Lebanese Premier League against Akhaa Ahli Aley.[5] The following season, in 2010–11, Khoyol lost to Ahli Saida in another decisive promotion match.[5] In both instances, Khoyol complained to the Lebanese Football Association (LFA) for supposed match fixing.[5]

In 2014, Khoyol were relegated to the Third Division.[1]

Sporting

On 24 April 2018, the club changed their name to AC Sporting (Arabic: نادي سبورتينغ الرياضي) and moved to Beirut:[6] they promptly gained promotion to the Lebanese Second Division in 2019, coming first in the Lebanese Third Division.[7] Sporting won the 2020–21 Lebanese Second Division,[8] and gained promotion to the Lebanese Premier League for the first time in their history.[9] After finishing in last place, Sporting were relegated back to the Second Division.[10]

On 26 June 2023, the club issued a statement announcing that it had been acquired by Australian-Lebanese businessman Joseph Bacha, owner of Telford Civil. They also entered into a partnership with Beirut Football Academy, and renamed the club into BFA Sporting (Arabic: بي اف اي سبورتينغ).[11]

Players

Current squad
As of 1 October 2022[12][13]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
4 DF Lebanon LBN Jamil Merhi
5 DF Lebanon LBN Francis
6 MF Lebanon LBN Kassem Hnaino
7 FW Lebanon LBN G Shammas
8 MF Lebanon LBN Mohammad Zayyat
9 FW Lebanon LBN Ali Abbas
10 FW Lebanon LBN Ali Bazzi
11 FW Lebanon LBN Zahreddine
14 MF Lebanon LBN Ali Mezher
15 DF Lebanon LBN Bilal Fakih
18 DF State of Palestine PLE Omar Meshlawi
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 FW Lebanon LBN Ali El Miri
20 DF Lebanon LBN Hassan Fardous
21 FW Lebanon LBN Christian Nawfal
22 MF Lebanon LBN Yasser Dimachek
23 GK Lebanon LBN Mahdi Mzanar
23 GK Lebanon LBN Rizk
24 GK Lebanon LBN Eddy Bashir
24 GK Lebanon LBN A Nasser
25 DF Lebanon LBN Hamza Mahmoud
30 Lebanon LBN Kawwam
77 MF Lebanon LBN Issa Khreis
84 FW   C. Agibo

Honours

See also

Notes
  1. As Al Jihad SC

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to AC Sporting.
  1. "Club History". AC Sporting. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  2. Mahfoud, Maroun (13 April 2021). "Who is AC Sporting?". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  3. "Lebanon 2007/08". RSSSF. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  4. "الجامعة اللبنانية | التشريعات | تعديل اسم جمعية "نادي الجهاد الرياضي"- حي السلم ليصبح جمعية: "نادي الخيول الرياضي"". www.legallaw.ul.edu.lb. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  5. "سبورتينغ في الدرجة الأولى.. من هو؟ وكيف وصل؟". lebanonfg.com. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  6. "الجامعة اللبنانية | التشريعات | تعديل اسم ونقل مركز جمعية « نادي الخيول الرياضي» - الغبيري ليصبح «نادي سبورتينغ الرياضي» - بيروت". www.legallaw.ul.edu.lb. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  7. "Lebanese League Third Division 2018/2019". www.goalzz.com. Retrieved 20 March 2019.
  8. "بالصور.. سبورتينج والحكمة يتأهلان لدوري الدرجة الأولى". كووورة. 16 April 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  9. Hijazi, Alloffs (12 April 2021). "سبورتينغ في دوري الاضواء للمرة الأولى في تاريخه". El Maestro Sport (in Arabic). Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  10. "الصفاء والحكمة أم المعارك في نهاية الدوري". كووورة. 4 May 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  11. بيان اعلامي صادر عن ادارة نادي سبورتينغ الرياضي (in Arabic). BFA Sporting. 27 June 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023 – via Facebook.
  12. "Players". AC Sporting. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  13. "Sporting AC". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
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