Mostafa Matar

Mostafa Matar
Matar with Ahed in 2021
Personal information
Full name Mostafa Ali Matar[1]
Date of birth (1995-09-10) 10 September 1995 (age 28)
Place of birth Miniyeh, Lebanon[1]
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[2][3]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Ahed
Number 95
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2020 Salam Zgharta 63 (0)
2020– Ahed 19 (0)
2020–2021 → Tripoli (loan) 10 (0)
2022–2023 → Al-Orobah (loan) 23 (0)
International career‡
2017 Lebanon U23 3 (0)
2019– Lebanon 25 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 July 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22 January 2024

Mostafa Ali Matar (Arabic: مصطفى علي مطر, Lebanese Arabic pronunciation: [ˈmosˤtˤɑfa mɑtˤɑr]; born 10 September 1995) is a Lebanese footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Lebanese Premier League club Ahed and the Lebanon national team.

Matar began his senior career in 2015 with Salam Zgharta in the Lebanese Premier League. In summer 2020, he joined league champions Ahed for a national-record fee of LBP 525 million, and was promptly moved to Tripoli on a one-year loan. Matar returned to Ahed in 2021 and was their first-choice goalkeeper in their 2021–22 league title win. In summer 2022, he moved to Saudi side Al-Orobah on loan.

Having represented Lebanon internationally at under-23 level, Matar was called up for the senior team to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. He made his senior debut at the 2019 WAFF Championship, and participated in the qualifications for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Club career

Matar with Tripoli against Tadamon Sour in 2020

Following five years at Salam Zgharta, Matar joined AFC Cup champions Ahed on 2 July 2020, on a five-year deal for £L525 million (around $333,000).[4][5] The fee was the highest ever paid by a Lebanese club.[6] He joined Tripoli on a one-year loan on 29 September 2020.[7] He returned from the loan on 5 May 2021,[8] and was Ahed's main goalkeeper in their 2021–22 league title win, conceding only six goals in 19 games.[9]

On 21 June 2022, Matar moved to Al-Orobah in the Saudi First Division League on a 10-month loan.[10]

He returned to Ahed ahead of the 2023–24 Lebanese Premier League season, filling the gap of Mehdi Khalil who had left on loan to Jordan.[citation needed]

International career

Matar with the Lebanon national team against Iran in 2022

2017–2019: Early career

Matar played for the Lebanon national under-23 team at the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship qualification, and was their captain on one occasion.[11]

In December 2018, Matar was called up for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup squad for the senior team.[12] His debut came on 8 August 2019, against Yemen at the 2019 WAFF Championship.[13]

2021–present: Breakthrough

Having been called-up as Lebanon's third-choice keeper, Matar played as a starter in the third round of qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, following Mehdi Khalil's ACL injury and Ali Daher resulting positive to COVID-19.[14] He kept a clean sheet in a 0–0 draw against the United Arab Emirates in the opening game, and was nominated Man of the Match.[15] Matar continued playing as a starter for Lebanon at the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup in December 2021 where, despite having conceded three goals to Egypt and Algeria, he was praised for his performances.[citation needed]

In December 2023, Matar was included in the Lebanese squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.[16]

Style of play

A good shot-stopper, Matar is a quick and agile goalkeeper with good positioning and handling.[17]

Career statistics

International

As of match played 22 January 2024[18]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Lebanon 2018 1 0
2019 2 0
2020 0 0
2021 9 0
2022 4 0
2023 5 0
2024 4 0
Total 25 0

Honours

Ahed

Individual

References

  1. ^ a b "Mostafa Matar". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  2. ^ "AFC Asian Cup 2023 Qatar Squad Lists" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation. p. 13. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  3. ^ "FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021: List of players: Lebanon" (PDF). FIFA. 4 December 2021. p. 9. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  4. ^ Mahfoud, Maroun (2 July 2020). "Official: Mostafa Matar joins Al Ahed FC". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  5. ^ Khaled, Nasser (1 August 2020). حراس المرمى.. رقم صعب في معادلة الكرة اللبنانية [Goalkeepers ... a difficult number in the Lebanese football equation]. kooora.com. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  6. ^ Mahfoud, Maroun (9 July 2020). "Official: Al Ahed FC loans out Ali Daher to Shabab Al Sahel". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  7. ^ Abdallah, Rakan (28 September 2020). "Swap deal between Ahed FC and AC Tripoli". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  8. ^ Mahfoud, Maroun (5 May 2021). "Ahed's players return from loan". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  9. ^ "الإدارة والنجوم على رأس أسباب حسم العهد لقب الدوري اللبناني". كووورة. 19 April 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  10. ^ "اللبناني مصطفى مطر يوقع للعروبة السعودي". كووورة. 21 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
  11. ^ "Lebanon U23 vs Nepal U23 2 - 0 | AFC U-23 Qualifiers | 2018 China PR | Group Stage | World Football". www.worldfootball.com. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  12. ^ "AC2019 Final Squads". Asian Football Confederation. p. 19. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  13. ^ "قدوح يقود تشكيلة لبنان أمام اليمن". كووورة. 8 August 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  14. ^ "مصطفى مطر: "طريق منتخب لبنان طويل ولا أخشى أي مهاجم"". lebanonfg.com. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  15. ^ "مصطفى مطر رجل مباراة لبنان والامارات". Elsport News (in Arabic). Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  16. ^ "منتخب لبنان يعلن تشكيلته إلى كأس آسيا" [The Lebanon national team announces its squad for the Asian Cup] (in Arabic). Lebanese Football Association. 30 December 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  17. ^ "The final 23: who are they?". Lebanese Football Review. 9 January 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  18. ^ "Mostafa Matar". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  19. ^ "مهرجان كرة المنار الـ 21 لونه "أصفر"" (in Arabic). Retrieved 26 February 2019.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mostafa Matar.
  • Mostafa Matar at FA Lebanon
  • Mostafa Matar at National-Football-Teams.com
  • Mostafa Matar at Soccerway
  • Mostafa Matar at Goalzz.com (also in Arabic at Kooora.com)
  • Mostafa Matar at Lebanon Football Guide
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