Al-Ahly SC (Benghazi)

Al-Ahly Benghazi
الأهلي بنغازي
Full name	Al-Ahly Sports Cultural & Social Club; النادي الأهلي الرياضي الثقافي الاجتماعي
Nickname(s)	The Long Journey; The Butchers
Founded	19 April 1947; 77 years ago
Ground	Martyrs of February Stadium
Capacity	10,550
Chairman	Khaled Mohamed
Manager	Dejan Arsov
League	Libyan Premier League
Home colours	Away colours
	Current season

Al-Ahly Sports Cultural and Social Club (Arabic: النادي الأهلي الرياضي الثقافي الاجتماعي), known as Al-Ahly SCSC, is a Libyan sports club based in Benghazi. Al-Ahly SC has its roots in a political party, the Omar al Mukhtar society.

History

Al-Ahly SC Libya was made a professional football club in 1947, although they had existed years before then.

In 2000, the club's headquarters and training complex was demolished by the Libyan government, supposedly destroying records, trophies and medals of the club.^[1] The demolition was allegedly carried out in response to Al-Ahly fans insulting Saadi Gaddafi by dressing a donkey in a shirt baring his squad number, but other sources pointed to the burning a few days before of the Libyan Football Federation offices in Benghazi by angry Al-Ahly fans as the matter.^[1]^[2] The club was then given an indefinite ban which lasted until 2005. Saadi Gaddafi had denied all the allegations.^[1]

The club has been given 77 acres (310,000 m²) of land for a new ground by the Libyan Jamahiriya government, although it cannot afford to develop it.

Crest

Former logo

Note: Alahly SC (Benghazi) is the only club in Libya which has a star in its logo before reaching 10 league titles.

Squad

Current squad

The 2023–24 season^[3]

As of 13 August 2023

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


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	LBY	Morad El-Wheshy (captain)
3	DF	LBR	Jamal Arago
4	DF	LBY	Ali Yousif
5	DF	UGA	Richard Kasagga
6	DF	LBY	Osama Jamal Suraiet
7	MF	ALG	Zakaria Mansouri
8	MF	LBY	Abdullah Dago
11	MF	LBY	Ibrahem Bodbous
13	MF	LBY	Bader Hassan
15	FW	LBY	Abdullah Al-Ferjani
16	DF	LBY	Mohamed Al-Tarhouni
17	FW	LBY	Moataz Al-Mehdi
18	MF	LBY	Husien Taktak
21	MF	LBY	Abdullah Belam
23	GK	LBY	Ali Al-Sha'fi
24	MF	LBY	Abdelrahman Al-Omami (vice-captain)
25	MF	GHA	Richard Boadu


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
26	FW	LBY	Fadel Salama
30	DF	LBY	Jouma Aburaqiqa
—	GK	LBY	Faraj Fakroun
—	GK	LBY	Zubair Al-Zwai
—	DF	LBY	Jasem Al-Khames
—	DF	LBY	Hamed Al-Thelba
—	MF	LBY	Abdullah Al-Hwiti
—	MF	MLI	Oumar Camara
—	MF	LBY	Suhaib Ben Suliman
—	MF	LBY	Meftah Taktak
—	FW	LBY	Talha Ruzek
—	FW	LBY	Mohamed Gadalla
—	FW	COD	Kadima Kabangu
—	FW	LBY	Mohamed Tawirgi
—	FW	LBY	Ahmed Fakroun
—	FW	LBY	Salem Roma

Staff

Lassaad Dridi Head coach

History

Head coaches

Thomson (Late 60's)
Saleh El Wahsh (1969–72)
Nicolae Oaidă (1972–74)
Ivan Deyanov (1977–78)
Flórián Albert (1978–85)
Abdeljelil Al Hashani (1985–??)
Ahmed Ben Soueid (1987–88)
?? (19??–91)
Abdeljelil Al Hashani (1991–??)
Ahmed Ben Soueid (1994–95)

Saïd Amara (1996–99)
Hassan Shehata (1999)
Club not recognised by LFF (1999–04)
Ahmed Ben Soueid (2004–05)
Al Tayeb Abu Hafs (2005–07)
Abderrahmane Mehdaoui (2007–08)
Dragan Gugleta (2008–09)
Dutra Santos (Aug–Nov 2009)
Dragan Gugleta (Dec 2009–2010)
Tariq Thabit (2010–2011)

Faisal Bushala (2012)
Nasreddine Nabi (2013)
Tarek El Ashry (2013–14)
Tariq Thabit (2015–16)
Rodion Gačanin (Sep 2021–Jun 2022)
Faouzi Benzarti (Jun–Jul 2022)
Chiheb Ellili (Aug–Dec 2022)
Lassaad Dridi (Dec 2022–present)

Team captains since founding

Former players

Ali Al-Beshari

Honours

Libyan Premier League:

Winners (4):1969–70, 1971–72, 1974–75, 1991–92

Runners-up (11): 1963–64, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1998–99, 2008–09, 2009–10

Semi-finals (7): 1963–64, 1975–76, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1990–91, 1995–96

Libyan Cup: 3

1987, 1991, 1996

Libyan Eastern Championship - League of Cyrenaica: 6

1957, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1968, 1970

Benghazi Championship: 4

1950, 1951, 1954, 1956

Performance in CAF competitions

African Cup of Champions Clubs / CAF Champions League: 7 appearances

1971 – First Round

1973 – Second Round

1976 – First Round

2010 – Preliminary Round

2014 – Group stage – Quarter-finals

2018–19 – First Round

2020–21 – First Round

CAF Confederation Cup: 1 appearance

2009 – First Round

CAF Cup: 1 appearance

1999 – First Round

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Xan Rice (25 May 2011). "Libya: A donkey taunt, the Gaddafis and a fatal footballing rivalry". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
^ Col. Muammar al-Gaddafi, His Son and the Politics of Libyan Soccer Bleacher Report, 23 February 2011
^ Ahly squad during 2023 Libyan Cup Semi Final

External links

Official website. Archived 24 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine.
Windows App
Windows Phone App

[Rice-1] Xan Rice (25 May 2011). "Libya: A donkey taunt, the Gaddafis and a fatal footballing rivalry". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 May 2011.

[2] Col. Muammar al-Gaddafi, His Son and the Politics of Libyan Soccer Bleacher Report, 23 February 2011

[3] Ahly squad during 2023 Libyan Cup Semi Final

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t e Libyan Premier League 2021−22
Group A	Al-Ahly Benghazi Al-Akhdar Al-Hilal Benghazi Al Nasr Benghazi Al-Sadaqa Al-Ta'awon Al-Tahaddy Darnes Khaleej Sirte Shabaab Al-Jabal
Group B	Abu Salem Al-Ahly Tripoli Al-Ittihad Misurata Al-Ittihad Tripoli Al-Khums Al-Madina Al-Mahalla Aschat Asswehly Olympic Azzaweya
Former teams	Abi al Ashar Afriqi Al-Ahly Sabha Al-Amn Alaam Al-Andalus Al-Dhahra Al-Intilaaq Al-Jazeera Al-Murooj Al-Mustaqbal Al Sawa'ed Al-Suqoor Al-Yarmouk Annajma Ascharara Attahaddy Attayaran Attersana Al-Urouba Al-Wahda Majd Tripoli Nahdha Nojom Ajdabiya Qurdabia Sabha Wefaq Sabratha Rafik Sorman
Seasons	1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 (unfinished) 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1987 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2013–14 2016 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25