Al-Wahda Sports Club () is a Syrian multi-sports club based in Damascus. The club is mostly known for its football and basketball teams. 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.
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).History of Al Wahda
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
Al-Jalaa Stadium is located in Mazzeh municipality of Damascus, Syria. 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, 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.
Shirt sponsor & kit manufacturer PeriodKit manufacturer Shirt sponsor 2012–2016Kappa Cham Wings Airlines 2016–2017Lotto 2017–2019 Uhlsport None 2019–2020 Nike 2020–2022Adidas Cham Wings Airlines 2022–Nike
Honours Domestic Syrian Premier League: 2 Winners: 2003–04, 2013–2014 Syrian Cup: 8 Winners: 1993, 2003, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020 Syrian Super Cup: 3 Winners: 1993, 2016, 2020 Syrian FA Shield: 1 Winners: 2024
Continental AFC Cup: Runners-up: 2004
Regional Arab Club Champions Cup: Round of 32: 2006, 2007
Notes: In 2016, Al-Wahda received an extraordinary Nine Values Cup, an award of the international children's social programme Football for Friendship.
Performance in AFC competitions
AFC Champions League: 1 appearance 2005: Group Stage AFC Cup: 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 CompetitionPld W D L GF GA AFC Champions League 6 0 0 6 5 16 AFC Cup 49 17 13 19 66 66 TOTAL 55 17 13 25 71 82
Match wonMatch drawnMatch lostChampionsRunners-up Season Competition Round Club Home Away Agg2003–04AFC CupGroup stage Dhofar1–1 2–0 1st place Mahindra 5–1 0–0Quarterfinals Nejmeh 2–1 2–3 4–4 Semifinals Geylang 1–1 1–0 2–1Final Al-Jaish 2–3 1–0 3–3 2004–05AFC Champions LeagueGroup stage Al-Ain 2–3 0–3 4th place Al Shabab 1–2 1–3 Sepahan 1–3 0–22012–13AFC CupQualifying play-off Ahli Taizz 3–52013–14AFC CupGroup stage Hidd 1–4 1–3 4th place Al-Shorta 1–3 0–0 Qadsia1–3 1–12014–15AFC CupGroup stage Al Nahda 1–2 0–0 2nd place Salam Zgharta 3–1 2–0 Al-Wehdat 1–1 1–0Round of 16 Istiklol1–1 (2–4 p)2015–16AFC CupQualifying play-off Balkan 2–0Group stage Al-Ourouba 2–1 1–2 2nd place Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 5–2 0–1 Shabab Al-Dhahiriya 0–3 3–0 Round of 16 Al Ahed 0–42016–17AFC CupGroup stage Hidd 0–2 1–0 2nd place Safa 2–0 6–0 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 0–0 1–1Zonal semifinals Al-Wehdat 4–1 0–1 4–2Zonal finals Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 2–1 0–1 2–2 (a)2017–18AFC CupGroup stage Al-Faisaly 1–2 2–2 4th place Al Ansar 2–1 0–1 Dhofar 0–0 0–22020–21AFC CupGroup stage Hidd 1–1 2nd place Ahed 0–0
Performance in UAFA competitions Arab Club Champions Cup: 3 appearances 2002–03: Group Stage 2005–06: Round of 32 2006–07: Round of 32
Records Accurate as of 28 September 2022 CompetitionPld W D L GF GA Arab Club Champions Cup 6 0 1 5 3 17 TOTAL 6 0 1 5 3 17
Match wonMatch drawnMatch lostChampionsRunners-up Season Competition Round Club Home Away Agg2002–03Arab Champions LeagueGroup stage Qadsia 1–2 3rd place Al-Ittihad 0–72005–06Round of 32 Raja Casablanca1–1 0–1 1–22006–07Round of 32 Club Africain 0–3 1–3 1–6
Players
First-team squad
Personnel Current technical staff
Administration Club presidents Wahda presidents since 1974:
Former managers
Ayman Hakeem (1993–1995) Sameer Soukieh (1995–2001) Nenad Stavrić (2001–06) Mansour Al Haj Saied (2006) Ayman Hakeem (2006–07) Costică Ştefănescu (2007) Muhammad Jomma (2007–08) Nizar Mahrous (2008) Assaf Khalifa (2009) Faruk Kulović (2009) Nizar Mahrous (2009–11) Ayman Hakeem (2012) Hussam Al Sayed (2012) Mohannad Al Fakir (2013) Rafat Muhammad (2013–2017, 2018, 2019) Eyad Abdulkareem (2019–2020) Ghassan Maatouk (2020–2021) Ayman Hakeem (2021) Maher Bahri (2021–2022) Siniša Dobrašinović (2022) Ammar Shamali (2022–2023) Mohammad Istanbuli (2024) Nizar Mahrous (2024–present)
Notable players
Player records League top scorer
Al-Wahda SC players won the title of top scorer in the Syrian Premier League 7 times: No. Season Name Nation Goals Notes 1 1990–91 Othman Bawarshi Syria 11 2 1992–93 Assaf Khalifa Syria 11 With Mouhanad Boushi 3 2010–11 Ali Salah Hashim Iraq 9 Season suspended 4 2013–14 Majed al-Haj Syria 11 5 2015–16 Raja Rafe Syria 22 6 2016–17 Osama Omari Syria 17 7 2017–18 Basel Mustafa Syria 15
Top scorers List of top scorers for Al Wahda club in the league and cup historically: No. Name Nation Goals Notes 1Osama Omari Syria 78 2Maher Al-Sayed Syria 76 3Assaf Khalifa Syria 59 4Mahmoud Mahmalji Syria 51 5Raja Rafe Syria 46 6Nizar Mahrous Syria 44 7Majed al-Haj Syria 38 =7Nabil Al-Shahma Syria 38 9Ismail Fatout Syria 31 10Maher Kharrat Syria 30
Notes
References
External links