Al-Karamah SC () is a Syrian professional football club based in the city of Homs. Founded in 1928, it is considered to be one of Asia's oldest sporting clubs. The club has won eight Syrian League titles and eight Syrian Cup titles. It also was the first Syrian club to win both the league and cup titles in the same year. The club is based at the Khaled Ibn Al Walid Stadium. In 2008, the club formed Board of Honor comprising businessmen of the city of Homs to support the club activities and Dr Mohammed Rahif Hakmi was elected as the board chairman.

The club covers other sports such as basketball (team), handball, table tennis, tennis and athletics for both, males and females. In addition to boxing, freestyle wrestling, judo, karate, weightlifting and cycling.

History Early period (1928–1972) Khaled bin Al-Walid Club was established in 1928 at the time of French mandate through the city's youth who thought of establishing a sports club that would include them and allow them to practice sports officially.

After they founded the club, their first championship was in the game on April 25, 1948, where they won the Qatar championship as representatives of the national team Homs, and Khaled Club maintained its title the following year and then returned to win the Syria championship in 1952.

On February 18, 1971, Syrian President Hafez al-Assad issued Legislative Decree No. /38/ regulating the sports movement in the Syrian Arab Republic and the sports clubs were merged by a decision of the Executive Office of the General Sports Federation No. /59 The date of August 18, 1972, and Al-Karama Club is the outcome of the merger of several civil clubs in the city of Homs.

First league and cup titles (1972–2005) In the 1974–75 season, Al-Karama won the first league championship. Then he took the lead by collecting the League and the Cup for the first time in the season 1982–83, and then, during the 1983–84 season, he wanted to repeat the achievement, so he held the league championship and was not allowed to hold the cup when he was considered a legal loser against Al-Ittihad despite his progress with the match result due to the rioting of his fans. That meeting was in the semi-finals of the competition, but they returned to carry the Cup of the Republic in the year 1987, and then to repeat their achievement in the 1995–96 season, in which they won the League Championship and then the Republic Cup led, and competed with Al-Jaish in the seasons 1998–99 and 2000–01 and finished as runners-up led by Muhammad Quwaid, as well as in the 2003–04 and 2004–05 seasons.

Domestic doubles and continental success (2005–2010)

In 2006, the club led by Muhammad Quwid participated in the AFC Champions League as the league's runners-up of the previous season, in which they reached the finals, defeating most of the major Asian football teams. In the group stage, they had to compete against Al Wahda from the UAE, Saba Battery from Iran with the team was led by the international goal scorer Ali Daei and Al-Gharafa from Qatar. They finished at the top of their group and qualified for the Asian CL quarter-finals with 4 wins and 2 losses. In the quarter-finals, the club caused a tie with an overall aggregate score of 4–2 .2006 ACL Finals The club moved on to play Al-Qadisya of Kuwait in the semi-final. The first leg was in Homs, Syria, resulting in a 0–0 draw. The return leg was in Kuwait. Al-Karamah won the game.

On 1 November 2006, the club played Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (South Korea) where Al-Karamah lost the first leg 2–0 in South Korea. In the second leg, the final aggregate score was 2–3, making Jeonbuk the 2006 AFC Champion League Winner.

However, the club won the league championship in the 2005–06 season, followed by the 2006–07 season, in addition to winning the Republic Cup for the fifth time in their history; hence, collecting the double for the third time.

In the 2008–09 season, Al-Karamah started their season faltering. However, the club managed to tie with Al-Ittihad at top spot, so that a play-off match was resorted to in Al-Assad Stadium in Latakia and Al-Karama won 2–1 to be their 8th title in competition, followed by the title of Cup of the Republic in the same season.

Grounds Khalid ibn al-Walid Stadium

Khalid ibn al-Walid Stadium is located in the city center of Homs, Syria. In 2004, the stadium was renovated and expanded to its current capacity of 32,000 spectators. In the same year, the venue was renamed after the sahabi Khalid ibn al-Walid.

Abdelbaset Al Sarout Stadium

Abdelbaset Al Sarout Stadium is located in the centre of Homs, behind the district Baba Amr. The stadium was renovated during 2016 and a new turf was installed.Renovation works completed in the Bassel al-Assad Stadium in Baba Amr

Supporters and rivalries The Al-Karamah Fans Association was formed in 1975.

Colours and kits Shirt sponsor & kit manufacturer Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor 2012–2016Adidas MTN Syria 2016–2017 Adidas Cham Wings Airlines 2017–2021 NikeNone 2022–Adidas

Honours Domestic Syrian Premier League: 8 Champions: 1974–75, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1995–96, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09 Syrian Cup: 8 Champions: 1982–83, 1986–87, 1994–95, 1995–96, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10 Syrian Super Cup: 2 Champions: 1985, 2008

Continental AFC Champions League: Runners-up: 2006 AFC Cup: Runners-up: 2009

Performance in AFC competitions

AFC Champions League: 4 appearances 2006: Runners-up 2007: Quarter-finals 2008: Quarter-finals 2010: Qualifying play-off – West semi-finals

Asian Club Championship: 1 appearance 2001: First round

AFC Cup: 3 appearances 2009: Runners-up 2010: Quarter-finals 2011: Group Stage

AFC Challenge League: 1 appearance 2025–26: Preliminary Round

Al-Karamah in Asia

Match wonMatch drawnMatch lostChampionsRunners-up Season Competition Round Nat. Club Home Away Aggregate2000–01Asian Club Championship1RAl-Hilal0–01–21–22006AFC Champions LeagueGroup CAl-Wahda2–12–41stSaba Battery1–02–1Al-Gharafa3–10–4QFAl-Ittihad4–0 (aet)0–24–2SFAl Qadsia0–01–01–0FinalJeonbuk Motors2–10–22–32007AFC Champions LeagueGroup CAl Sadd2–11–11stNeftchi Farg'ona2–01–2Najaf1–14–2QFSeongnam Ilhwa0–21–21–42008AFC Champions LeagueGroup CAl-Wahda4–10–11stAl-Ahli0–01–1Al-Sadd1–02–0QFGamba Osaka1–20–21–42009AFC CupGroup DMohun Bagan1–04–02ndAl-Kuwait2–11–2Al-Wahdat3–11–3Round of 16Busaiteen2–1 (aet)QFAl-Arabi0–00–00–0 SFBình Dương3–01–24–2FinalAl-Kuwait1–22010AFC Champions LeaguePlay-off SFAl-Wahda0–12010AFC CupGroup ASaham2–04–11stShabab Al-Ordon1–12–2Al-Ahli2–01–0Round of 16Nasaf Qarshi1–0QFMuangthong United1–00–21–22011AFC CupGroup EAl-Oruba2–21–14thArbil0–31–1Al-Ahed3–21–42025–26AFC Challenge LeaguePRBashundhara Kings0–1

Performance in UAFA competitions Arab Club Champions Cup: 1 appearance 2005: 1st Round

Records

Season Competition Round Nat. Club Home Away Aggregate2004–05Arab Club Champions Cup1RZamalek0–00–10–1

Current squad As of 14 June 2024

Notable former players

References

External links

Al-Karamah Fans society website sda al-karameh (archived) al-karameh online (archived) al-karameh NEWS (archived)