Wikipedia

Akram Afif

Akram Hassan Afif Yahya Afif (Arabic: أكرم عفيف; born 18 November 1996) is a Qatari professional footballer who plays as a left winger for Qatar Stars League club Al Sadd and the Qatar national team.

Akram Afif
Afif playing for Qatar in 2024
Personal information
Full name Akram Hassan Afif Yahya Afif [1]
Date of birth (1996-11-18) 18 November 1996 (age 28)[2]
Place of birth Doha, Qatar
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[3]
Position(s) Left winger
Team information
Current team
 Al Sadd
Number 84
Youth career
2004–2006 Al Markhiya
2006–2009 Al Sadd
2009–2014 Aspire Academy
2012–2014 → Sevilla (loan)
2014–2015 Al Sadd
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2016 Eupen 26 (8)
2016–2020 Villarreal 0 (0)
2016–2017 → Sporting Gijón (loan) 9 (0)
2017–2018 → Eupen (loan) 15 (1)
2018–2020 → Al Sadd (loan) 48 (44)
2020– Al Sadd 75 (59)
International career‡
2014 Qatar U19 5 (4)
2014–2015 Qatar U20 7 (1)
2015–2018 Qatar U23 12 (4)
2015– Qatar 118 (38)
Medal record
Representing  Qatar
Men's football
AFC Asian Cup
Winner 2019 UAE Team
Winner 2023 Qatar Team
FIFA Arab Cup
Third place 2021 Qatar Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 November 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 November 2024

Early in his career, he was considered to be one of the most promising players to emerge from Qatar.[4] He was named the Asian Footballer of the Year on two occasions: the first in 2019,[5] after being recognized for his instrumental role in Qatar’s successful 2019 Asian Cup campaign.[6] and the second award coming in 2023.[7]

Familial history

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Afif was born in Doha to a Somali father, Hassan Afif and a Yemeni mother.[8][9][10] After Akram's father retired from playing, he managed Al-Gharafa from 1986 till 1987 and Al-Markhiya from 2001 till 2003 and 2006 till 2007.[11][12]

Club career

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Youth career

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Akram started off in the youth teams of Al-Markhiya and then Al Sadd before joining the Aspire Academy as a full-time student in 2009. During his time at Aspire, Afif traveled to Spain on an exchange student program and played for the youth teams of Sevilla and Villarreal.[13][14]

He represented Sevilla in the 2013 Al Kass International Cup, netting a brace and earning an assist in the team's first match, which ended as a 3–0 victory against Aspire Academy.[15]

Afif later joined Villarreal's youth team.[16]

Eupen

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In January 2015, Afif was signed by Belgian club Eupen.[17] He scored a goal in his debut against Eendracht Aalst on 19 January.[18] On 24 January in his next match against KRC Mechelen, he assisted in three of his side's five goals.[19]

Afif finished his first senior season with two goals in nine matches. On 18 March 2016, he scored a brace in a 4–0 home win against KSV Roeselare.

Villarreal

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On 8 May 2016, it was confirmed that Afif would be rejoining Villarreal, this time on a permanent deal. In doing so, he became the first Qatari-born signing in La Liga history.[20] On 4 August, he was loaned to fellow top tier club Sporting de Gijón in a season-long deal.[21]

Afif made his debut in the main category of Spanish football on 21 August 2016, coming on as a substitute for Burgui in a 2–1 home win against Athletic Bilbao.[22] After nine league matches, he returned to his first senior club Eupen on a one-year loan deal on 14 July 2017.[23]

Al Sadd

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In January 2018, Villarreal loaned Afif out to Al Sadd SC on a 1-year deal.[24] This was later extended by an additional season.[25] During his loan spell, he played in 22 league games and scored 26 goals and 15 assists in the 2018–19 season, helping his team win the league. He was also awarded that season's Best Player Award by the Qatar Football Association (QFA).[26] In July 2020, Afif joined Al Sadd on a permanent basis after signing a 5-year deal.[27]

In the 2023–24 season, he played a key role in Al Sadd's successful league campaign, contributing 26 goals and 11 assists within 22 matches, thereby winning the top goalscorer award and helping his team secure its 17th league title. His consistent performance also earned him a nomination for the Best Player Award by the QFA, which he won.[28]

International career

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Afif playing for Qatar U23 in 2018

Afif featured in Qatar U20's AFC U-19 Championship qualification campaign in 2014.[29] During the main tournament, he scored the lone goal in the final against DPR Korea to give Qatar the victory.[30]

He was called up to the senior national team in September 2015 by coach Daniel Carreño.[31] He scored in Qatar's 15–0 win against Bhutan on 3 September 2015 during the 2018 World Cup Qualification rounds. He also registered an assist in the match.[32]

During Qatar's successful 2019 AFC Asian Cup campaign, Afif played a paramount role in helping his team lift the trophy, registering 10 assists overall, a new record in the tournament.[33]

On 3 January 2024, he was named in Qatar's squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.[34] In the team's opening match of the tournament, he scored twice as Qatar beat Lebanon 3–0 in Lusail.[35] He scored the only goal of Qatar's second Group A match, a 1–0 win over Tajikistan, to put them through to the knockout stage.[36][37] In the round of 16, he scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory over Palestine.[38] In the semi-final match against Iran, he scored a goal and provided an assist in a 3–2 victory, which qualified his country to the final for the second time in a row.[39] Afif went on to score a hat-trick of penalties in the final which Qatar won 3–1 against Jordan; in addition, he managed to finish the tournament as top scorer with eight goals.[40]

Personal life

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Afif is of Yemeni Arab heritage. He was born in Doha, Qatar. His mother, Fayza, is of Yemeni descent from the Yafa tribe and is a homemaker. His father, Hassan Afif, is of Yemeni descent however, he played for the national team of and spent a portion of his life in Somalia and was born in Moshi in Tanzania. His father previously played for Simba in Tanzania but later moved to Somalia where he went on to play for Horseed FC. He subsequently moved to Qatar and played for Al Ittihad (later renamed Al Gharafa). After retiring, he managed Al Gharafa from 1986 until 1987 and Al Markhiya from 2001 until 2003 and 2006 until 2007.[41][42][43]

His brother, Ali Afif, is a footballer for QSL side Umm Salal SC.

Afif learned Spanish for his move to Sevilla.[44] In June 2015, he graduated from Aspire Academy.[45]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 1 November 2024[46]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Eupen 2014–15 Belgian Second Division 9 2 – – – – 9 2
2015–16 16 6 1 0 – – – 17 6
Total 25 8 1 0 – – – 26 8
Sporting Gijón (loan) 2016–17 La Liga 9 0 2 0 – – – 11 0
Eupen (loan) 2017–18 Belgian Pro League 15 1 1 0 – – – 16 1
Al Sadd 2017–18 Qatar Stars League 7 3 2 1 2 1 8[c] 0 0 0 19 5
2018–19 22 26 3 2 — 9[c] 3 — 34 31
2019–20 19 15 2 0 2 3 8[c] 5 4[d] 0 35 22
2020–21 11 5 4 2 1 0 4[c] 2 — 20 9
2021–22 18 14 4 1 — 6[c] 1 — 28 16
2022–23 15 10 4 1 2 0 – 1[e] 0 22 11
2023–24 22 26 4 1 1 1 5[c] 0 4[f] 2 36 30
2024–25 9 4 0 0 0 0 3[c] 2 0 0 12 6
Total 123 103 23 8 8 5 43 13 9 2 207 131
Career total 167 110 27 8 8 5 43 13 9 2 254 138
  1. ^ Includes Belgian Cup, Copa del Rey, Emir of Qatar Cup
  2. ^ Includes Qatar Crown Prince Cup/Qatar Cup
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Appearances in AFC Champions League
  4. ^ One appearance in Sheikh Jassim Cup, three appearances in FIFA Club World Cup
  5. ^ Appearance in Qatari Stars Cup
  6. ^ Appearances in Arab Club Champions Cup

International

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As of match played 19 November 2024[47][48]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Qatar 2015 5 1
2016 7 0
2017 17 4
2018 11 6
2019 19 6
2020 4 2
2021 19 4
2022 13 3
2023 7 0
2024 16 12
Total 118 38
Scores and results list Qatar's goal tally first.[47]
List of international goals scored by Akram Afif
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 3 September 2015 Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar   Bhutan 10–0 15–0 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
2. 6 June 2017 Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar   North Korea 2–0 2–2 Friendly
3. 13 June 2017 Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar   South Korea 2–0 3–2 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
4. 5 September 2017 Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar   China 1–0 1–2
5. 23 December 2017 Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait   Yemen 1–0 4–0 23rd Arabian Gulf Cup
6. 21 March 2018 Basra Sports City, Basra, Iraq   Iraq 1–0 3–2 2018 International Friendship Championship
7. 2–1
8. 24 March 2018 Basra Sports City, Basra, Iraq   Syria 2–1 2–2
9. 11 September 2018 Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar   Palestine 2–0 3–0 Friendly
10. 12 October 2018 Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar   Ecuador 1–0 4–3
11. 14 November 2018 Stadio di Cornaredo, Lugano, Switzerland    Switzerland 1–0 1–0
12. 1 February 2019 Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates   Japan 3–1 3–1 2019 AFC Asian Cup final
13. 15 October 2019 Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah, Qatar   Oman 1–0 2–1 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
14. 19 November 2019 Central Republican Stadium, Dushanbe, Tajikistan   Afghanistan 1–0 1–0
15. 29 November 2019 Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar   Yemen 6–0 6–0 24th Arabian Gulf Cup
16. 2 December 2019 Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar   United Arab Emirates 1–0 4–2
17. 2–0
18. 4 December 2020 Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar   Bangladesh 2–0 5–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
19. 5–0
20. 13 July 2021 BBVA Stadium, Houston, United States   Panama 1–0 3–3 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup
21. 17 July 2021 BBVA Stadium, Houston, United States   Grenada 2–0 4–0
22. 3 December 2021 Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar   Oman 1–0 2–1 2021 FIFA Arab Cup
23. 6 December 2021 Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar   Iraq 2–0 3–0
24. 26 March 2022 Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar   Bulgaria 1–0 2–1 Friendly
25. 27 September 2022 Franz Horr Stadium, Vienna, Austria   Chile 1–1 2–2
26. 13 October 2022 Estadio Municipal de Marbella, Marbella, Spain   Nicaragua 1–0 2–1
27. 5 January 2024 Thani bin Jassim Stadium, Doha, Qatar   Jordan 1–0 1–2
28. 12 January 2024 Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar   Lebanon 1–0 3–0 2023 AFC Asian Cup
29. 3–0
30. 17 January 2024 Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar   Tajikistan 1–0 1–0
31. 29 January 2024 Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar   Palestine 2–1 2–1 2023 AFC Asian Cup
32. 7 February 2024 Al Thumama Stadium, Doha, Qatar   Iran 2–1 3–2
33. 10 February 2024 Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar   Jordan 1–0 3–1 2023 AFC Asian Cup final
34. 2–1
35. 3–1
36. 21 March 2024 Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar   Kuwait 1–0 3–0 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
37. 3–0
38. 10 September 2024 New Laos National Stadium, Vientiane, Laos   North Korea 1–1 2–2 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

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Afif in an Al Sadd line-up in 2018

Al Sadd

Qatar

Individual

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Qatar Olympic squad set for European training camps". Qatar Football Association. 13 July 2015. Archived from the original on 14 November 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  2. ^ "AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 – Complete Squad Lists: Qatar". Asian Football Confederation. 2019. p. 18. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  3. ^ "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™: List of Players: Qatar" (PDF). FIFA. 15 November 2022. p. 23. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  4. ^ "AFC U-16 Championship Preview: 5 players to look out for". goalnepal.com. 8 May 2014. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  5. ^ a b "AFC Player of the Year 2019: Akram Afif". AFC. 2 December 2019. Archived from the original on 2 December 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  6. ^ "Soccer: Qatar's Afif named in AFC player of the year shortlist". Reuters. Archived from the original on 5 December 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  7. ^ a b "AFC Player of the Year 2023: Akram Afif". AFC. 29 October 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
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  20. ^ Mahali, Raj (8 May 2016). "Confirmed: Akram Afif becomes first Qatari signing in La Liga". Squawka. Archived from the original on 13 July 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  21. ^ "El Sporting firma al central Babin por tres años y logra la cesión del delantero del Villarreal Akran Afif" [Sporting sign stopper Babin for three years and get the loan of Villarreal forward Akran [sic] Afif] (in Spanish). La Nueva España. 4 August 2016. Archived from the original on 10 August 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  22. ^ "Dos goles en tres minutos dan los primeros puntos al Sporting" [Two goals in three minutes give the first points to Sporting] (in Spanish). Marca. 21 August 2016. Archived from the original on 6 November 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  23. ^ "Akram Afif, cedido al KAS Eupen" [Akram Afif, loaned to KAS Eupen] (in Spanish). Villarreal CF. 14 July 2017. Archived from the original on 17 July 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  24. ^ "Al Sadd sign Afif on loan from Spanish side Villarreal". Gulf Times. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  25. ^ Millar, Colin (12 July 2018). "Villarreal's Afif joins Al Sadd". Football Espana. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  26. ^ Dodson, Allen (1 May 2019). "Villarreal loanee update: Akram Afif". Villarreal USA. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  27. ^ "Afif commits future to Al Sadd". The AFC. 9 July 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
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  32. ^ "LE QATAR EN MET 15 AU BHOUTAN! L'EUPENOIS AKRAM AFIF BUTEUR". lgfoot.be (in French). 3 September 2015. Archived from the original on 8 November 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  33. ^ "Soccer: Qatar's Afif named in AFC player of the year shortlist". Reuters. 15 November 2019. Archived from the original on 5 December 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  34. ^ "Our final list for Asia". Twitter. Qatar Football Association. 3 January 2024. Archived from the original on 3 January 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  35. ^ "Group A: Qatar 3-0 Lebanon". Asian Football Confederation. 13 January 2024. Archived from the original on 14 January 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  36. ^ "Group A: Tajikistan 0-1 Qatar". Asian Football Confederation. 18 January 2024. Archived from the original on 17 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  37. ^ "Afif shines again as Qatar beat Tajikistan to move into Asian Cup knockouts". Reuters. 18 January 2024.
  38. ^ "Qatar's Lopez hails 'unique' Afif after Palestine win". AFC. 30 January 2024.
  39. ^ "Qatar survive chaos and controversy to move one step away from retaining Asian Cup". ESPN. 7 February 2024.
  40. ^ "Akram Afif's hat-trick of penalties secures Asian Cup glory for Qatar". The Guardian. 10 February 2024.
  41. ^ "من أجل عيون "الغرافة يونايتد"..عفيف يروي قصة الهروب من الهورسيد عبر كلمنجارو إلى الدوحة (Interview with Hassan Afif)" (in Arabic). Kooora.com. 17 May 2011. Archived from the original on 15 February 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  42. ^ "Kooora Archive" (in Arabic). Kooora.com. 21 November 2001. Archived from the original on 15 February 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  43. ^ السد يهزم الاتفاق ويستعيد صدارة الدوري القطري (in Arabic). Al Jazeera. 8 February 2003. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
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  45. ^ "ASPIRE ACADEMY CELEBRATES GRADUATING CLASS OF 2015". aspire.qa. 16 June 2015. Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  46. ^ Akram Afif at Soccerway. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  47. ^ a b "Afif, Akram Hassan". National Football Teams. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
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  49. ^ a b "Al Sadd officially crowned 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League champions". Qatar Stars League. 24 April 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  50. ^ "Al-Sadd players express joy after winning Amir Cup 2024". Al-Sadd. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  51. ^ "Akram Afif's hat-trick of penalties secures Asian Cup glory for Qatar". The Guardian. Reuters. 10 February 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  52. ^ @alsaddsc (19 February 2019). "جريدة استاد الدوحة تحتفي بـ "أكرم عفيف" نجم الزعيم كأفضل لاعب قطري للعام 2018 في الاستفتاء السنوي الذي تقيمه الجريدة" (Tweet) (in Arabic) – via Twitter.
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  60. ^ "【2024体坛亚洲金球奖】阿菲夫夺魁 孙兴慜第二" (in Chinese). Titan Sports. 21 October 2024. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
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