Al-Duhail SC

Al-Duhail Sports Club (Arabic: نادي الدحيل الرياضي), formerly Lekhwiya SC, is a Qatari sports club, best known for its football team, which plays in the Qatar Stars League. The club 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.

Al-Duhail SC

Full name	Al-Duhail Sports Club
Nickname(s)	The Red Knights
Founded	2009; 16 years ago (2009) (as Lekhwiya)
Ground	Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium Doha, Qatar
Capacity	9,000[1]
Chairman	Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
Head coach	Djamel Belmadi
League	Qatar Stars League
2024–25	Qatar Stars League, 2nd of 12
Website	www.duhailsc.qa
Home colours Away colours
Current 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

The club was founded as Al-Shorta Doha and in 2009 was renamed Lekhwiya.^[4] Lekhwiya Club has the biggest financial budget in Qatar.

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

Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium

Main article: Abdullah bin Khalifa 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

As of 12 June 2024^[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 2 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 10 MF  ESP Luis Alberto 11 FW  QAT Almoez Ali (captain) 12 MF  QAT Karim Boudiaf 14 DF  QAT Ghanim Al-Minhali U21 15 DF  QAT Mohamed Al-Naimi 17 DF  SEN Youssouf Sabaly 18 DF  QAT Sultan Al-Brake 19 MF  FRA Benjamin Bourigeaud 20 MF  QAT Abdullah Al-Ahrak 21 MF  QAT Fares Said U21 22 DF  ITA Ibrahima Bamba 24 DF  QAT Homam Ahmed

No. Pos. Nation Player 25 FW  QAT Mubarak Shanan U21 28 MF  QAT Mohammed Al-Majed U21 29 FW  QAT Rashid Al-Abdulla U21 30 GK  ARG Bautista Burke 31 MF  QAT Abdullah Mohsen U21 34 MF  QAT Muaiad Walid U21 38 GK  QAT Jassim Sarour U21 39 MF  GER Ismail Ali U21 40 MF  QAT Abdullah Sabet U21 44 MF  QAT Abdelaziz Abu Shanab U21 48 MF  QAT Fahed Amro U21 66 GK  PLE Khaled Egaz U21 77 MF  ALG Adil Boulbina 81 FW  QAT Tahsin Jamshid U21 96 GK  QAT Amir Hassan U21 — DF  CMR Jean-Charles Castelletto — MF  QAT Abdelrahman Moustafa — MF  QAT Khaled Mohammed — FW  QAT Lotfi Madjer

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 3 DF  BRA Lucas Veríssimo (on loan to Al-Wakrah) 4 DF  QAT Mohammed Emad Aiash (on loan to Al-Wakrah) 16 MF  QAT Abdulaziz Mohammed (on loan to Al-Shahaniya)

No. Pos. Nation Player 99 GK  QAT Shehab Ellethy (on loan to Al-Shahaniya) — MF  QAT Suhaib Gannan U21 (on loan to Al-Ahli)

Personnel

Current technical staff

Position	Staff
Head coach	Djamel Belmadi
Assistant coach	Vacant
Goalkeeping coach	Vacant
Physiotherapist	Sabeur Zidi
Physiotherapist	Pedro Silva
Massager	Anselmo Apolinario
Massager	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

Main article: Al-Duhail FC Reserves

Reserves technical staff Position Staff Manager Gerard Zaragoza Fitness coach Didier Filipe Goalkeeping coach Karim Zaza Director of football Mohammad Bashir Sulaiti Team administrator Ali Hilal General manager Mohsen Al Yazidi Source: Lekhwiya

U21 technical staff Position Staff Manager Hamdan Hamad Assist. coach Saifuddin Komy Assist. coach Peter Pollák Goalkeeping coach Adam Abdelnasser Abbasi Team administrator Khalid Abdullah General manager Faisal Al Marri Source: Al Raya

Administrative staff

Board of Directors Position Staff President Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Vice Chairman Khalifa Khamis Sulaiti General Manager Adnan Al Ali Source: [13]

Management (Football) Position Staff Chief Executive Officer Adnan Al Ali Sports Officer Faraj Saleh Al-Marri Marketing Officer Nadim Hussien Abdullah Media Coordinator Mohamed Bachir Al Sulaiti Director of Football Team Ismail Ahmed Source: [13]

Honours

Domestic

• Qatar Stars League
  • Winners (8): 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20, 2022–23
• Qatari Second Division
  • Winners (1): 2009–10
• Emir of Qatar Cup
  • Winners (4): 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022
• Qatar Cup
  • Winners (4): 2013, 2015, 2018, 2023
• Qatari Stars Cup
  • Winners (2): 2022–23, 2024–25
• Qatar Super Cup / Shiekh Jassem Cup
  • Winners (2): 2015, 2016

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

See also: Category:Al-Duhail SC managers

• Khalifa Khamis (2008) (unofficial)^[15]
• Abdullah Saad (2008–2009) (unofficial)
• Abdullah Mubarak (2009–2010)
• Djamel Belmadi (2010–2012)
• Eric Gerets (2012–2014)
• Michael Laudrup (2014–2015)
• Djamel Belmadi (2015–2018)
• Nabil Maâloul (2018–2019)
• Rui Faria (2019–2020)
• Walid Regragui (2020)
• Hatem Almoadab (2020)^[16]
• Sabri Lamouchi (2020–2021)
• Luís Castro (2021–2022)
• Hernán Crespo (2022–2023)
• Christophe Galtier (2023–2025)
• Djamel Belmadi (2025–present)

Other sports

Handball

Further information: Al Duhail SC (handball)