# Al Ansar FC

Al Ansar Football Club (Arabic: نادي الأنصار الرياضي, lit. 'The Supporters Sporting Club') is a football club based in Tariq El Jdideh, a district in Beirut, Lebanon, that competes in the Lebanese Premier League. Formed in 1951, the club did not win its first Lebanese Premier League until 1988. They went on to set a world record by winning the league 11 seasons in a row.
Ansar is the most successful club in the country, having won the Lebanese Premier League 14 times and the Lebanese FA Cup 15 times, both domestic records. They have also won the Lebanese Federation Cup twice, the Lebanese Elite Cup twice and the Lebanese Super Cup six times. Ansar's major rivalry is with Nejmeh; dubbed the Beirut derby, it is the most anticipated game in Lebanon.
The club is primarily supported by the Sunni Muslim community; they had been funded by Rafic Hariri and Salim Diab until 2005. Nabil Badr has been the club's president and main patron since 2012.

## History
### Early history

In 1948, a group of young Beirutis set up the first administrative board at the club headed by Mustafa Al-Shami. Three years Misbah Dougan, then head of the administrative board, formally requested an official licence for the club allowing them to play football on all Lebanese grounds. They were to be called "Al-Intisar", Arabic for "Victory", however a club with that name was already present. Mustafa Al-Shami proposed "Ansar" in remembrance of the supporters of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
Initially, Ansar was known as a Mount Lebanon team, rather than a team from Beirut. This is because, as Beirut had already too many clubs, the Federation decided to relocate Ansar to Ghobeiry. In 1965, Ansar moved to Beirut and won the 1966 Lebanese Second Division promotion play-offs, gaining promotion to the Lebanese Premier League for the following season.

### Recent history

Ansar were crowned champions of the 2020–21 Lebanese Premier League by beating Nejmeh 2–1 in the Beirut derby in the last matchday; they won their 14th title, their first since 2007. They made the season a double, after beating Nejmeh in the Lebanese FA Cup final.

## Supporters

Although the club's roots lie in the Sunni community in Beirut, Ansar's support comes from all areas and religions in Lebanon. The club has been associated with the Hariri family from the early 1990s till 2005. In 2018, following the introduction of ultras groups in Lebanon, "Ultras Ansari 18" (UA18) was formed.

## Club rivalries

The Beirut derby with Nejmeh has historically been the most anticipated game in Lebanon: both located in Beirut, Nejmeh and Ansar have shared the majority of titles. While Nejmeh has been more successful in Asia, Ansar holds the most league titles and FA Cups.
Another important rivalry is with Ahed: located in Beirut, they are affiliated with Hezbollah, with their fan base mostly coming from the Shia community in Beirut. In addition Ansar has a rivalry with Safa, also based in Beirut.

## Players
### Current squad

    As of 23 January 2025
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | LBN | Hadi Kanj |
| 2 | DF | LBN | Mohamad El Dor |
| 3 | DF | LBN | Mohamad Al-Moussawi |
| 4 | MF | LBN | Nader Matar |
| 5 | DF | LBN | Nassar Nassar (captain) |
| 6 | DF | LBN | Maxime Aoun |
| 7 | MF | PLE | Mohamad Hebous |
| 8 | MF | LBN | Ali Tneich |
| 10 | FW | LBN | Hassan Maatouk |
| 11 | MF | LBN | Youssef Al Haj |
| 12 | MF | LBN | Ahmad Kheir El-Dine |
| 15 | DF | LBN | Obaida El-Halabi |
| 16 | DF | LBN | Abbas Ballout |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 17 | MF | PLE | Hamza Hussein |
| 20 | DF | LBN | Mouhammed-Ali Dhaini |
| 21 | MF | LBN | Mohamad Bou Saleh |
| 22 | FW | LBN | Mohammad Al Massri |
| 24 | DF | LBN | Hassan Kaafarani |
| 30 | MF | LBN | Mohammad Al-Saleh |
| 31 | FW | ALG | Hichem Khalfallah |
| 35 | DF | TUN | Rafik Mednini |
| 77 | DF | LBN | Mostafa Kassab |
| 88 | MF | LBN | Omar Bahlawan |
| 91 | GK | LBN | Nazih Assaad |
| 99 | MF | LBN | Nabil El Kayssi |
| — | FW | MAR | Ayoub Nanah |

### Notable players

Players in international competitions :
| Competition | Player | National team |
| 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup | David Nakhid | Trinidad and Tobago |
| 2000 AFC Asian Cup | Jadir | Lebanon |
| 2000 AFC Asian Cup | Newton | Lebanon |
| 2000 AFC Asian Cup | Jamal Taha | Lebanon |
| 2007 AFC Asian Cup | Ahmad Mnajed | Iraq |
| 2007 AFC Asian Cup | Salih Sadir | Iraq |
| 2019 AFC Asian Cup | Hassan Chaito | Lebanon |
| 2019 AFC Asian Cup | Hassan Chaitou | Lebanon |
| 2019 AFC Asian Cup | Adnan Haidar | Lebanon |
| 2019 AFC Asian Cup | Mootaz Jounaidi | Lebanon |
| 2023 AFC Asian Cup | Mouhammed-Ali Dhaini | Lebanon |
| 2023 AFC Asian Cup | Yahya El Hindi | Lebanon |
| 2023 AFC Asian Cup | Hassan Maatouk | Lebanon |
| 2023 AFC Asian Cup | Robert Alexander Melki | Lebanon |
| 2023 AFC Asian Cup | Nassar Nassar | Lebanon |
| 2023 AFC Asian Cup | Ali Tneich | Lebanon |

## Honours

* Lebanese Premier League
** Winners (14; record): 1987–88, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2020–21
* Lebanese FA Cup
** Winners (16; record): 1987–88, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2016–17, 2020–21, 2023–24
** Runners-up (5): 1985–86, 1996–97, 2000–01, 2018–19, 2021–22
* Lebanese Federation Cup
** Winners (2; joint record): 1999, 2000
* Lebanese Elite Cup (defunct)
** Winners (2): 1997, 2000
** Runners-up (8): 1996, 1998, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2016, 2019, 2022
* Lebanese Super Cup
** Winners (6): 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2012, 2021
** Runners-up (4): 2002, 2010, 2017, 2019

## Chairmen history

* Mustafa El-Shami (1948–1950)
* Ameen Itani (1950–1954)
* Fouad Rustom (1954–1956)
* Abdul Jalil Al-Sabra (1956–1963)
* Jamil Hasbeeny (1963–1965)
* Abed El-Jamil Ramadan (1965–1967)
* Khaled Kabbani (1967–1975)
* Said Wanid (1975–1977)
* Salim Diab (1977–2008)
* Karim Diab (2008–2012)
* Nabil Badr (2012–present)