Abbas Ahmad Atwi

Not to be confused with Abbas Ali Atwi, also known as Onika.

In this Lebanese name, the father's name is Ahmad and the family name is Atwi.

Abbas Atwi

Atwi with Nejmeh in 2020
Personal information
Full name	Abbas Ahmad Atwi[1]
Date of birth	(1979-09-12) 12 September 1979 (age 45)
Place of birth	Kunin, Lebanon[1]
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team	Nejmeh (assistant coach)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1997–2017	Nejmeh	400+	(107)
2012	→ Dubai (loan)	13	(3)
2017–2018	Al Shabab Al Arabi	9	(0)
2018–2020	Shabab Sahel	18	(4)
2020–2021	Nejmeh	11	(2)
2021–2022	Akhaa Ahli Aley	21	(0)
International career
2002	Lebanon U23		(1)
2002–2016	Lebanon	88	(8)
Managerial career
2024–	Nejmeh (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Abbas Ahmad Atwi (Arabic: عباس أحمد عطوي; born 12 September 1979) is a Lebanese football coach and former player who is the asssitant coach of Lebanese Premier League club Nejmeh.

Making his debut for Lebanon in 2002, Atwi was the all-time most capped player for his country with 88 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.

Club career

Born in Kunin, in the south of Lebanon, Atwi grew up in the Zuqaq al-Blat quarter of Beirut;^[2] he began playing football in the streets aged six.^[3] Atwi 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 in the United Arab Emirates.^[2] Atwi terminated his contract with Nejmeh 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] According to the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS), Atwi was the fourth-oldest player (and oldest outfield player) to play a match in the top tier of a national championship in 2022, aged 42 years, 247 days in his last Lebanese Premier League game in 2022 against Sporting on 17 May.^[10] He left Akhaa in summer 2022.^[11]

International career

In 2002, Atwi played for the Lebanon Olympic team at the 2002 Asian Games, scoring a goal in an 11–0 win against Afghanistan.^[12]

Atwi made his senior debut for Lebanon in a match against Jordan in 2002, and took part in the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.^[2] He played his last international match in 2016.^[2]

Managerial career

In February 2024, Atwi returned to Nejmeh as an assistant manager to Dragan Jovanović.^[13] They eventually lead Nejmeh to win the 2023–24 Lebanese Premier League.

Personal life

Atwi is not related to fellow Lebanese footballer Abbas Ali Atwi, who is also known as Onika.^[14]

Career statistics

International

Scores and results list Lebanon's goal tally first.

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	9 April 2008	Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon	Maldives	3–0	4–0	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
2.	23 January 2009	Surakul Stadium, Phuket, Thailand	North Korea	0–1	0–1	2009 King's Cup
3.	25 August 2009	Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi, India	Kyrgyzstan	0–1	1–1	2009 Nehru Cup
4.	15 November 2011	Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon	South Korea	2–1	2–1	2014 FIFA World Cup Qualification
5.	14 December 2012	Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah Stadium, Al Farwaniyah, Kuwait	Kuwait	1–1	2–1	2012 WAFF Championship
6.	26 August 2015	Saida Municipal Stadium, Sidon, Lebanon	Iraq	1–1	2–3	Friendly
7.	8 October 2015	Suphachalasai Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand	Myanmar	0–2	0–2	2018 FIFA World Cup Qualification

Honours

Player

Nejmeh

• Lebanese Premier League: 1999–2000, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2008–09, 2013–14
• Lebanese FA Cup: 2015–16; runner-up: 2020–21
• Lebanese Elite Cup: 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2014, 2016, 2021
• Lebanese Super Cup: 2000, 2002, 2004, 2009, 2014, 2016; runner-up: 2021

Shabab Sahel

• Lebanese Elite Cup: 2019

Individual

• Lebanese Premier League Best Player: 2005–06, 2013–14^[15]
• Lebanese Premier League Team of the Season: 2001–02,^[16] 2005–06,^[17] 2006–07,^[18] 2009–10,^[19] 2013–14^[20]
• Lebanese Premier League Best Goal: 2006–07^[21]
• Lebanese Premier League top assist provider: 2006–07,^[22] 2010–11,^[23] 2012–13,^[24][25] 2013–14^[26]

Manager

Nejmeh (assistant manager)

• Lebanese Premier League: 2023–24

See also

• List of Lebanon international footballers

References

1. "Abbas Ahmad Atwi". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
2. فواز, محمد (5 June 2021). "عباس عطوي لـ"لبنان الكبير": حظوظ لبنان كبيرة… "والدنيا قسمة ونصيب"". موقع لبنان الكبير (in Arabic). Retrieved 21 May 2022.
3. "Abbas Atwi". www.abdogedeon.com. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
4. "First Team List 2005/2006 [Pending]". Nejmeh SC. 26 November 2005. Archived from the original on 26 November 2005. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
5. "تقرير كوورة: بعد النجمة.. عطوي إلى أين؟". كووورة. 9 July 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
6. "حدث في مثل هذا اليوم | النجمة يوقف عطوي.. رادولوفيتش يتنحّى وسوني في الأنصار". lebanonfg.com. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
7. "حدث في مثل هذا اليوم | عطوي لأول مرة خارج النجمة.. لاعب برازيلي في الأنصار.. والحريري يزور المنتخب". lebanonfg.com. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
8. Mahfoud, Maroun (17 July 2020). "Official: Abbas Atwi comes back home". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
9. "عباس عطوي يدخل تاريخ لبنان بتوقيعه للإخاء". كووورة. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
10. "Men's world oldest top level player in 2022". International Federation of Football History & Statistics. 6 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
11. "5 نجوم غابوا عن سوق الانتقالات الصيفية اللبنانية". كووورة. 24 August 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
12. Díaz Rubio, Julián; Zlotkowski, Andre. "Asian Games 2002". RSSSF. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
13. "عباس عطوي ينضم للجهاز الفني للنجمة". كووورة (in Arabic). 19 February 2024. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
14. "Abbas Ahmed Atwi - International Appearances". RSSSF. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
15. "نتائج مهرجان كرة المنار الـ18". An-Nahar. 3 June 2014. Archived from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
16. مهرجان كرة المنار. Shoot (in Arabic) (440 ed.). 3 June 2002. p. 23.
17. تقرير مفصل مع الصورعباس عطوي أفضل لاعب في الدوري اللبناني. alqabas.com (in Arabic). 17 May 2006. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
18. Al Sahili, Mohamed (4 July 2007). تقرير مفصل مع الصور الحصرية لكوورة لبنانية عن مهرجان المنار 2006–2007. Kooora (in Arabic). Retrieved 10 February 2022.
19. حسن معتوق أفضل لاعب في مهرجان المنار. al-akhbar (in Arabic). 22 May 2010. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
20. نتائج مهرجان كرة المنار الـ18. An-Nahar (in Arabic). 3 June 2014. Archived from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
21. "تقرير مفصل مع الصور الحصرية لكوورة لبنانية عن مهرجان المنار 2006-2007". كووورة. 9 July 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
22. "تقرير مفصل مع الصور الحصرية لكوورة لبنانية عن مهرجان المنار 2006-2007". كووورة. 9 July 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
23. "معتوق أفضل لاعب لبناني وحيدر يطالب بإصلاحات". الأخبار (in Arabic). Retrieved 14 May 2019.
24. "موقع العهد الإخباري - الصفحة الرئيسة". archive.alahednews.com.lb. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
25. "محمد حيدر أفضل لاعب..ولا حذاء ذهبي - Malaeeb". Malaeeb.com. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
26. "نتائج مهرجان كرة المنار الـ18". An-Nahar. 3 June 2014. Archived from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2019.

External links

• Abbas Ahmad Atwi at FA Lebanon
• Abbas Ahmad Atwi at RSSSF
• Abbas Ahmad Atwi at National-Football-Teams.com
• Abbas Ahmad Atwi at Soccerway
• Abbas Ahmad Atwi at Lebanon Football Guide
• Abbas Ahmad Atwi at Kooora.com (in Arabic) (archived in English at Goalzz.com)