Al-Karamah SC

Al Karamah SC

Full name	Al-Karamah SC
Nickname(s)	Blue Eagles Eagles of Asia
Founded	1928; 96 years ago (1928) as Khalid ibn al-Walid Club
Ground	Khalid ibn al-Walid Stadium Bassel al-Assad Stadium
Capacity	32,000 25,000
Chairman	Samer al-Shaar Mohammed Rahif Hakmi (Honor)
Manager	Fawaz Mando
League	Syrian Premier League
2023–24	6th
Website	https://www.facebook.com/AlKarama.SC1928/
Home colours Away colours

Al-Karamah active sections
Football	Basketball

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.^{[citation needed]} 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, handball, table tennis, tennis and athletics for both, males and females. In addition to boxing, freestyle wrestling, judo, karate, weightlifting and cycling.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

Domestic doubles and continental success (2005–2010)

Al-Karamah won the double (league and cup) in 2006–07, 2007–08 and 2008–09

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^{[citation needed]}

Grounds

Khalid ibn al-Walid Stadium

Main article: Khalid ibn al-Walid Stadium

Al-Karamah Stadium as seen in 2009

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.^{[citation needed]}

Bassel al-Assad Stadium

Main article: Bassel al-Assad Stadium (Homs)

Bassel al-Assad Stadium in 2014

Bassel al-Assad Stadium is 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.^{[citation needed]}

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

Football achievements

Domestic

• Syrian Premier League: 8
  • Champions: 1974–75, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1995–96, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
• Syrian Cup: 8
  • Champions: 1982–83, 1986–87, 1994–95, 1995–96, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10
• Syrian Super Cup: 2
  • Champions: 1985, 2008

Continental

• AFC Champions League:
  • Runners-up: 2006^[8]
• AFC Cup:
  • Runners-up: 2009

Performance in AFC competitions

See also: Syrian football clubs in the AFC Cup

• AFC Champions League: 4 appearances

2006: Runners-up

2007: Quarter-finals

2008: Quarter-finals

2010: Qualifying play-off – West semi-finals

• Asian Club Championship: 1 appearance

2001: First round

• AFC Cup: 3 appearances

2009: Runners-up

2010: Quarter-finals

2011: Group Stage

Al-Karamah in Asia

Accurate as of 1 October 2022

Season	Competition	Round	Nat.	Club	Home	Away
2000–01	Asian Club Championship	1R		Al-Hilal	0–0	1–2
2006	AFC Champions League	Group		Al-Wahda	2–1	2–4
		Group		Saba Battery	1–0	2–1
		Group		Al-Gharafa	3–1	0–4
		QF		Al-Ittihad	4–0 (aet)	0–2
		SF		Al Qadsia	0–0	1–0
		Final		Jeonbuk Motors	2–1	0–2
2007	AFC Champions League	Group		Al Sadd	2–1	1–1
		Group		Neftchi Farg'ona	2–0	1–2
		Group		Najaf	1–1	4–2
		QF		Seongnam Ilhwa	0–2	1–2
2008	AFC Champions League	Group		Al-Wahda	4–1	0–1
		Group		Al-Ahli	0–0	1–1
		Group		Al-Sadd	1–0	2–0
		QF		Gamba Osaka	1–2	0–2
2009	AFC Cup	Group		Mohun Bagan	1–0	4–0
		Group		Al-Kuwait	2–1	1–2
		Group		Al-Wahdat	3–1	1–3
		Round of 16		Busaiteen	2–1 (aet)
		QF		Al-Arabi	0–0	0–0 (5–4 pen.)
		SF		Bình Dương	3–0	1–2
		Final		Al-Kuwait	1–2
2010	AFC Champions League	Play-off SF		Al-Wahda	0–1
2010	AFC Cup	Group		Saham	2–0	4–1
		Group		Shabab Al-Ordon	1–1	2–2
		Group		Al-Ahli	2–0	1–0
		Round of 16		Nasaf Qarshi	1–0
		QF		Muangthong United	1–0	0–2
2011	AFC Cup	Group		Al-Oruba	2–2	1–1
		Group		Arbil	0–3	1–1
		Group		Al-Ahed	3–2	1–4

Performance in UAFA competitions

• Arab Club Champions Cup: 1 appearance

2005: 1st Round

Records

Accurate as of 1 October 2022

Season	Competition	Round	Nat.	Club	Home	Away
2004–05	Arab Club Champions Cup	1R		Zamalek	0–0	0–1

Current squad

As of 14 June 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. 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

Further information: Category:Al-Karamah SC 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.

External links

• Al-Karamah Fans society website
• sda al-karameh (in Arabic) (archived)
• al-karameh online (in Arabic) (archived)
• al-karameh NEWS (in Arabic) (archived)