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Akram Afif

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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 27)[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 116 (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 15 October 2024

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.

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

Youth career

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]
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

[edit]

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

[edit]

Club

[edit]
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

[edit]
As of match played 15 October 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 14 12
Total 116 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[49] 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

[edit]
Afif in an Al Sadd line-up in 2018

Al Sadd

Qatar

Individual

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
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  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.
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  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.
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  7. ^ a b "AFC Player of the Year 2023: Akram Afif". AFC. 29 October 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
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  24. ^ "Al Sadd sign Afif on loan from Spanish side Villarreal". Gulf Times. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
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  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.
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  49. ^ On 13 June 2017, Mohammed Musa, in the match between Son Heung-min and Mohammed Musaball, in the final round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup AFC qualification in Qatar, South Korea, was replaced by Son Heung-min, Akram Afif puts the controversy in the serebulation of the salutary salute in the left arm of South Korea's Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) with the opening goal.
  50. ^ a b "Al Sadd officially crowned 2023-2024 season Expo Stars League champions". Qatar Stars League. 24 April 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
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  53. ^ @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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