Safa SC
Safa primarily receives its support from Wata El-Museitbeh, as well as the Druze community all over Lebanon. 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–present | Joma |
Stadium
ملعب نادي الصفاء الرياضي | |
 | |
| Location | Wata El-Museitbeh |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 33°52′29″N 35°29′31″E / 33.87472°N 35.49194°E |
| Capacity | 4,000 |
| Opened | 1948 |
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 5 February 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Notable players
| Competition | Player | National team |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 AFC Asian Cup | Yasser Sibai |  Syria
|
| 2000 AFC Asian Cup | Youssef Mohamad |  Lebanon
|
| Ahmad Naamani | Lebanon
| |
| 2019 AFC Asian Cup | Ahmad Taktouk | Lebanon
|
| Mohamed Zein Tahan | Lebanon
| |
| 2023 AFC Asian Cup | Hassan Chaitou | Lebanon
|
Honours
Domestic
- Lebanese Premier League
- Lebanese FA Cup
- Lebanese Elite Cup (defunct)
- Lebanese Super Cup
- Winners (1): 2013
- Runners-up (3): 2011, 2012, 2016
- Lebanese Second Division
- Winners (1): 1960–61 (Beirut)
Continental
Other achievements
- Lebanese Challenge Cup (defunct)
- Runners-up (1): 2022
Performance in AFC competitions
- AFC Cup: 5 appearances
- Asian Cup Winners' Cup: 2 appearances
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)
See also
- Safa WFC, defunct women's team
- List of football clubs in Lebanon