Al-Karamah SC

Al Karamah SC
Full nameAl-Karamah SC
Nickname(s)Blue Eagles
Eagles of Asia
Founded1928 (1928) as Khalid ibn al-Walid Club
GroundKhalid ibn al-Walid Stadium
Homs Baba Amr Stadium
Capacity32,000
25,000
ChairmanSamer al-Shaar
Mohammed Rahif Hakmi (Honor)
ManagerMohammad Kwid
LeagueSyrian Premier League
2023–246th
Websitehttps://www.facebook.com/AlKarama.SC1928/

Al-Karamah SC (Arabic: نادي الكرامة الرياضي) is a Syrian professional football club based in the city of Homs. Founded in 1928, it is considered to be one of Asia's oldest sporting clubs. The club has won eight Syrian League titles and eight Syrian Cup titles. It also was the first Syrian club to win both the league and cup titles in the same year. The club is based at the Khaled Ibn Al Walid Stadium. In 2008, the club formed Board of Honor comprising businessmen[1] of the city of Homs to support the club activities and Dr Mohammed Rahif Hakmi[2] was elected as the board chairman.

The club covers other sports such as basketball (team), handball, table tennis, tennis and athletics for both, males and females. In addition to boxing, freestyle wrestling, judo, karate, weightlifting and cycling.

History

Early period (1928–1972)

Khaled bin Al-Walid Club was established in 1928 at the time of French mandate through the city's youth who thought of establishing a sports club that would include them and allow them to practice sports officially.

After they founded the club, their first championship was in the game on April 25, 1948, where they won the Qatar championship as representatives of the national team Homs, and Khaled Club maintained its title the following year and then returned to win the Syria championship in 1952.

On February 18, 1971, Syrian President Hafez al-Assad issued Legislative Decree No. /38/ regulating the sports movement in the Syrian Arab Republic and the sports clubs were merged by a decision of the Executive Office of the General Sports Federation No. /59 The date of August 18, 1972, and Al-Karama Club is the outcome of the merger of several civil clubs in the city of Homs.

First league and cup titles (1972–2005)

In the 1974–75 season, Al-Karama won the first league championship. Then he took the lead by collecting the League and the Cup for the first time in the season 1982–83, and then, during the 1983–84 season, he wanted to repeat the achievement, so he held the league championship and was not allowed to hold the cup when he was considered a legal loser against Al-Ittihad despite his progress with the match result due to the rioting of his fans. That meeting was in the semi-finals of the competition, but they returned to carry the Cup of the Republic in the year 1987, and then to repeat their achievement in the 1995–96 season, in which they won the League Championship and then the Republic Cup led, and competed with Al-Jaish in the seasons 1998–99 and 2000–01 and finished as runners-up led by Muhammad Quwaid, as well as in the 2003–04 and 2004–05 seasons.

Domestic doubles and continental success (2005–2010)

In 2006, the club led by Muhammad Quwid participated in the AFC Champions League as the league's runners-up of the previous season, in which they reached the finals, winning most of the major Asian football teams. In the group stage, they had to compete against Al Wahda from the UAE, Saba Battery from Iran with the team was led by the international goal scorer Ali Daei and Al-Gharafa from Qatar. They finished at the top of their group and qualified for the Asian CL quarter-finals with 4 wins and 2 losses.[3] In the quarter-finals, the club caused a tie with an overall aggregate score of 4–2 .[4] The club moved on to play Al-Qadisya of Kuwait in the semi-final. The first leg was in Homs, Syria, resulting in a 0–0 draw. The return leg was in Kuwait. Al-Karamah won the game.

On 1 November 2006, the club played Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (South Korea) where Al-Karamah lost the first leg 2–0 in South Korea. In the second leg, the final aggregate score was 2–3, making Jeonbuk the 2006 AFC Champion League Winner.[5]

However, the club won the league championship in the 2005–06 season, followed by the 2006–07 season, in addition to winning the Republic Cup for the fifth time in their history; hence, collecting the double for the third time.

In the 2008–09 season, Al-Karamah started their season faltering. However, the club managed to tie with Al-Ittihad at top spot, so that a play-off match was resorted to in Al-Assad Stadium in Latakia and Al-Karama won 2–1 to be their 8th title in competition, followed by the title of Cup of the Republic in the same season.

Grounds

Khalid ibn al-Walid Stadium

Main article: Khalid ibn al-Walid Stadium

Khalid ibn al-Walid Stadium is located in the city center of Homs, Syria. In 2004, the stadium was renovated and expanded to its current capacity of 32,000 spectators.[6] In the same year, the venue was renamed after the sahabi Khalid ibn al-Walid.

Abdelbaset Al Sarout Stadium

Abdelbaset Al Sarout Stadiumis located in the centre of Homs, behind the district Baba Amr. The stadium was renovated during 2016 and a new turf was installed.[7]

Supporters and rivalries

The Al-Karamah Fans Association was formed in 1975.

Colours and kits

Shirt sponsor & kit manufacturer

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2012–2016 Adidas MTN Syria
2016–2017 Adidas Cham Wings Airlines
2017–2021 Nike None
2022– Adidas

Honours

Domestic

Continental

Performance in AFC competitions

See also: Syrian football clubs in the AFC Cup
2006: Runners-up
2007: Quarter-finals
2008: Quarter-finals
2010: Qualifying play-off – West semi-finals
2001: First round
2009: Runners-up
2010: Quarter-finals
2011: Group Stage

Al-Karamah in Asia

As of 1 October 2022
Match won Match drawn Match lost Champions Runners-up

Performance in UAFA competitions

2005: 1st Round

Records

As of 1 October 2022

Current squad

As of 14 June 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
3 DF  SYR Abdul-Malik al-Houthi
4 MF  SYR Tamer Haj Mohamad
5 MF  SYR Blind Ramadan
6 DF  SYR Jehad Busmar
7 MF  SYR Alaa Hammadi
8 MF  SYR Mahmoud Halwani
9 MF  SYR Bahooz Mohammad
10 DF  SYR Abdul Malek Al Anezan
12 GK  SYR Mahmoud Khalaf
13 GK  SYR Zakaria Dehneh
14 MF  SYR Mahmoud Al Aswad
15 DF  SYR Mohamed Tadmory
16 DF  SYR Ahmad Berish
17 MF  SYR Mazen Amara
18 DF  SYR Anas Bathous
19 FW  BFA Abdoul Latif Naon
20 FW  NGA Joseph Obidiaso
No. Pos. Nation Player
21 DF  SYR Mohammed Saraqbi
22 MF  SYR Mohanad Fadel
23 DF  SYR Ibrahim Al Abdullah
24 MF  SYR Abdullah Zakreet
25 MF  SYR Hosam Eiddin Haddad
26 MF  SYR Abdul Kader Al Jashi
27 MF  NGA Babatunde Kuti Issa
28 FW  SYR Ahmed Al Munajed
34 GK  SYR Sharaf Qasmari
44 DF  SYR Haitham Al Looz
47 MF  SYR Ghasan Haddid
66 DF  SYR Mohammed Jihad Halwani
69 MF  SYR Zain Jenyat
70 MF  SYR Houman Abo Samra
77 MF  SYR Abdel Nafi Shribati
99 MF  SYR Amro Al Hamwi

Notable former players

References

  1. ^ "حفل تكريم لداعمي نادي الكرامة وتشكيل مجلس شرف للنادي". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  2. ^ "Mohammed Rahif Hakmi". Archived from the original on 13 February 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  3. ^ "ACL Final Flashback: Al Karamah – 'The Pride of Syria'". AFC Champions League. 21 November 2019. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  4. ^ 2006 ACL Finals
  5. ^ "Hope is all that's left for professional Syrian footballer living in refugee camp". The Guardian. 6 January 2015. Archived from the original on 6 January 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  6. ^ "World Stadiums - Stadiums in Syria". Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  7. ^ Renovation works completed in the Bassel al-Assad Stadium in Baba Amr
  8. ^ Rizvi, Ahmed (20 July 2015). "Football in times of crisis: Syrian game continues on as inspiration, propaganda, shadow". thenationalnews.com. The National News Sport. Archived from the original on 22 May 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
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