# Safa SC

Safa Sporting Club (Arabic: نادي الصفاء الرياضي, lit. 'The Purity Sporting Club') is a football club based in Wata El Msaytbeh, a district in Beirut, Lebanon, that competes in the Lebanese Premier League. Founded in 1939, they have won three league titles, three domestic cups, one Super Cup, and two Elite Cups; they also reached the 2008 AFC Cup final.
Safa is primarily supported by the Druze community. Given their fanbase extends well in Mount Lebanon, including the city of Aley, they play the Mountain derby with Akhaa Ahli Aley.

## History
### Early history (1933–1961)

Founded in 1933 at an amateur level in the Wata El-Museitbeh of Beirut, Safa Sporting Club was officially established in 1939 by seven people: Maher Wahab, Anis Naaim, Hasib Al-Jerdi, Amin Haidar, Chafik Nader, Toufik Al-Zouhairy and Adib Haidar.
On 23 December 1948, Safa obtained the official membership and license from the government as a private association. In the same year, the club was affiliated to the Lebanese Football Association and was ranked within the Second Division. In 1961, Safa was promoted to the First Division.

### Recent history (2021–present)

After finishing the 2021–22 Lebanese Premier League in 11th place, Safa were due to be relegated to the Second Division for the first time. However, following Shabab Bourj's withdrawal from the league, they were relegated in place of Safa. Safa also narrowly avoided relegation the following season, finishing 10th above Salam Zgharta on account of their positive head-to-head record.

## Kit manufacturers

The following is a list of kit manufacturers worn by Safa.
| Period | Kit manufacturer |
| 1999–2008 | Puma |
| 2008–2010 | Adidas |
| 2010–2011 | Lotto |
| 2011–2015 | Joma |
| 2016–2017 | Sportika SA |
| 2017–2018 | Jako |
| 2018–2024 | Joma |
| 2024- | Kelme |

## Stadium

The Safa Stadium opened in 1948, and has a capacity of 4,000 spectators. Located in the Wata El-Museitbeh district of Beirut, the stadium is five minutes from the Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport. While the stadium is of Safa's property, the club plays in various other stadiums around the country.

## Club rivalries

Safa has important rivalries with Ansar and Nejmeh, both being based in Beirut. Safa also plays the Mountain derby with Akhaa Ahli, as Akhaa is based in Aley, a city in Mount Lebanon, and Safa's support comes from the Druze community in Lebanon, who mainly live in Chouf and Aley districts.

## Players
### Current squad

    As of 31 August 2024
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 | Ali Hallal |
| 3 | DF | LBN | Hussein El Dor |
| 4 | DF | LBN | Mohammed Hayek |
| 5 | DF | LBN | Khalil Khamis |
| 6 | MF | LBN | Kassem Hayek |
| 7 | MF | LBN | Jihad Ayoub |
| 8 | MF | LBN | Ghazi Honeine |
| 10 | MF | SLE | Rodney Michael |
| 11 | FW | LBN | Ali Kassas |
| 14 | MF | LBN | Karim Jaafar |
| 15 | MF | LBN | Abdallah Doueik |
| 16 | DF | LBN | Hassan Chaitou |
| 18 | MF | LBN | Felix Michel Melki |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 19 | FW | CMR | Jerome Etame |
| 21 | FW | PLE | Islam Batran |
| 24 | MF | TUN | Houssem Louati |
| 26 | DF | LBN | Hussein Zein |
| 30 | DF | LBN | Hussein Sharafeddine |
| 33 | DF | LBN | Andrew Sawaya |
| 43 | FW | LBN | Ali Haidar |
| 50 | FW | LBN | Khaled Takaji |
| 70 | DF | LBN | Abbas Assi |
| 77 | FW | LBN | Hussein Haydar |
| 95 | GK | LBN | Mostafa Matar |
| 99 | FW | LBN | Ali El Fadl |

### Notable players

Players in international competitions :
| Competition | Player | National team |
| 1996 AFC Asian Cup | Yasser Sibai | Syria |
| 2000 AFC Asian Cup | Youssef Mohamad | Lebanon |
| 2000 AFC Asian Cup | Ahmad Naamani | Lebanon |
| 2019 AFC Asian Cup | Ahmad Taktouk | Lebanon |
| 2019 AFC Asian Cup | Mohamed Zein Tahan | Lebanon |
| 2023 AFC Asian Cup | Hassan Chaitou | Lebanon |

## Honours
### Domestic

* Lebanese Premier League
** Winners (3): 2011–12, 2012–13, 2015–16
* Lebanese FA Cup
** Winners (3): 1964–65, 1986–87, 2012–13
** Runners-up (8): 1970–71, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1994–95, 1999–2000, 2007–08, 2010–11, 2016–17
* Lebanese Elite Cup (defunct)
** Winners (2): 2009, 2012
** Runners-up (3): 2011, 2014, 2015
* Lebanese Super Cup
** Winners (1): 2013
** Runners-up (3): 2011, 2012, 2016
* Lebanese Second Division
** Winners (1): 1960–61 (Beirut)

### Continental

* AFC Cup
** Runners-up (1): 2008

### Other achievements

* Lebanese Challenge Cup (defunct)
** Runners-up (1): 2022

## Performance in AFC competitions

* AFC Cup: 5 appearances
       2008: Final
       2009: Round of 16
       2012: Group stage
       2013: Group stage
       2014: Round of 16
* Asian Cup Winners' Cup: 2 appearances
       1992–93: Withdrew in first round
       2000–01: Withdrew in first round

## Managerial history

* Walid Zeineddine
* Mahmoud Saad
* Akram Salman
* Ghassan Abou Diab
* Samir Saad
* Emile Rustom
* Valeriu Tița (2013–2014)
* Emile Rustom (2015–2018)
* Valeriu Tița (2018–2019)
* Tarek Jarraya (2019)
* Robert Jaspert (2019–2020)
* Emile Rustom (2020)
* Mohammad Dakka (2020–2021)
* Fadi Oumari (2021–22)
* Malek Hassoun (2022)
* Youssef Jawhari (2022–2023)
* Moussa Hojeij (2023)
* Johnny Jansen (2023)
* Jan de Jonge (2023)
* Bassem Marmar (2023–present)