Abbas Ahmad Atwi (Arabic: عباس أحمد عطوي; born 12 September 1979) is a Lebanese professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Lebanese Premier League club Akhaa Ahli Aley.
![]() Atwi with Nejmeh in 2020 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Abbas Ahmad Atwi[1] | ||
Date of birth | (1979-09-12) 12 September 1979 (age 43) | ||
Place of birth | Kunin, Lebanon[1] | ||
Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Akhaa Ahli Aley | ||
Number | 10 | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1997–2017 | Nejmeh | 400+ | (107) |
2012 | → Dubai Club (loan) | 13 | (3) |
2017–2018 | Al Shabab Al Arabi | 9 | (0) |
2018–2020 | Shabab Sahel | 18 | (4) |
2020–2021 | Nejmeh | 11 | (2) |
2021– | Akhaa Ahli Aley | 11 | (0) |
National team | |||
2002 | Lebanon U23 | (1) | |
2002–2016 | Lebanon | 88 | (8) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:52, 9 March 2022 (UTC) |
Making his debut for Lebanon in 2002, Atwi was the all-time most capped player for his country with over 80 international caps, before being surpassed by Hassan Maatouk in 2020; he played for the national team for over 13 years, until his final match in 2016.
Atwi grew up in the Zuqaq al-Blat quarter of Beirut;[2] he began playing football in the streets aged six.[3] He joined Nejmeh on 5 December 1997,[4] and scored 114 goals in over 500 matches in his 10-year stay.[2][5] In 2012, Atwi was sent on loan for a few months to Dubai Club in the United Arab Emirates.[2] Atwi terminated his contract on 18 January 2017, due to problems with the technical staff.[6]
In summer 2017 Atwi joined Shabab Arabi,[2] before moving to Shabab Sahel on 4 January 2018, scoring four goals and making five assists in his first season.[7] On 17 July 2020, Atwi re-joined Nejmeh on a two-year deal.[8]
On 2 September 2021, Atwi moved to Akhaa Ahli Aley on a free transfer; aged 42, he became the oldest Lebanese player to sign for another club.[9]
In 2002, Atwi played for the Lebanon Olympic team at the 2002 Asian Games, scoring a goal in an 11–0 win against Afghanistan.[10] He made his senior debut for Lebanon in a match against Jordan in 2002.[2] Atwi played in the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Atwi played his last international match in 2016.[2]
Atwi is not related to fellow Lebanese footballer Abbas Ali Atwi, who is also known as Onika.[11]
Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 9 April 2008 | Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon | ![]() | 3–0 | 4–0 | 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
2. | 23 January 2009 | Surakul Stadium, Phuket, Thailand | ![]() | 0–1 | 0–1 | 2009 King's Cup |
3. | 25 August 2009 | Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi, India | ![]() | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2009 Nehru Cup |
4. | 15 November 2011 | Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon | ![]() | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualification |
5. | 14 December 2012 | Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah Stadium, Al Farwaniyah, Kuwait | ![]() | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2012 WAFF Championship |
6. | 26 August 2015 | Saida Municipal Stadium, Sidon, Lebanon | ![]() | 1–1 | 2–3 | Friendly |
7. | 8 October 2015 | Suphachalasai Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand | ![]() | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualification |
Nejmeh
Shabab Sahel
Individual
Awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|