Khalfan Ibrahim
Encyclopedia
Khalfan Ibrahim Khalfan Al Khalfan ' onMouseout='HidePop("56774")' href="/topics/Doha">Doha
) is a Qatar
i footballer
who plays as a striker
for Al Sadd. He is also a member of the Qatar national team
. He was named the Asian Player of the Year
in 2006, becoming the first Qatari to win the title. He played for Al-Arabi on the youth level before moving to Al Sadd. His father, Ibrahim Khalfan, is a former player of Al-Arabi and the Qatar national team
.
and Asian Champions League, which brought him into the spotlight. His performance in 2006-07 played a part in achieving the Asian Player of The Year title. He scored 5 goals in Al-Sadd's start to the league campaign and then was a crucial member of the Asian Games
gold medal winning Qatar team. However, in an Olympic qualifying match against Bahrain
in February 2007, he got himself injured and was laid-off for more than one year, missing most of Al-Sadd's record-breaking season in which they garnered 4 titles. He wasn't able to play in the 2007-08 league season as Al-Gharafa overtook Al-Sadd for the title. He returned for the revamped 2008-09 season which has been his best so far. He scored 8 goals in Al-Sadd's first 6 games, nearing Gabriel Batistuta
's record of scoring in 8 consecutive Qatar League games.
Khalfan won the 2011 AFC Champions League
with Al Sadd. Khalfan delivered an inspired performance against Suwon
in the semi-final second leg to keep the club's hopes alive. He featured in the final against Jeonbuk
which was won 4-2 on penalties. He assisted Keita by providing an accurate cross which Keita volleyed into the net, as well as forcing a Jeonbuk defender to head the ball into his own net on the earlier goal. The Koreans scored a late equalizer to make it 2-2, causing the game to go to extra-time and eventually penalties. His performance in the AFC Champions League earned him offers from other clubs, including a contract from Saudi club Al Nassr
, however it was announced by the Al Sadd management that they would only take offers from the club in the summer transfer window, as they needed Khalfan to play in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup
.
, scoring one goal in the match against the mighty Netherlands
. He and his young teammates battled their more illustrious opponents to a 2-2 stalemate at halftime but eventually lost out 3-5. It was a performance which caught the eye and contributed greatly to his Asian Player of the Year title. In the same year he played in the West Asian Games
. Qatar's campaign was unsuccessful despite Khalfan scoring two goals. In all the above tournaments he played with a number of his teammates who along with him were to become the backbone of Al-Sadd and the senior national team.
After his stellar performances at the youth level, he and his teammates broke into the Annabis senior team. Their first major triumph was the Asian Games
title won in front of home fans, with Khalfan scoring 2 goals. He scored two superb goals against Bangladesh in their Asian Cup 2007 qualifying match. He then took part in his first Gulf Cup
, where Qatar couldn't defend their title despite Khalfan scoring one goal against Bahrain. In 2008 he played a prominent part in Qatar's World Cup
qualifying campaign scoring against Asia's No 1 side-Australia.
Khalfan took part in Qatar's 2014 World Cup Qualification
s which were held from 2011. In a match versus Indonesia
, which would be Indonesia's last hopes of qualifying for the World Cup, Khalfan scored an amazing goal from a long way out after dribbling past the defenders. Qatar proved to be too much for Indonesia, eventually winning the game 3-2 in a tightly clinched match. Khalfan also got a brace in the home match against Indonesia in a 4-0 win, thus oficially eliminating them from qualifying, and in the process, making him the top scorer for Qatar in the 2014 WCQ.
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
) is a Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
i footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who plays as a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
for Al Sadd. He is also a member of the Qatar national team
Qatar national football team
The Qatar national football team is the national team of Qatar and is controlled by the Qatar Football Association. They have never qualified for a FIFA World Cup but are hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The team has also appeared in seven AFC Asian Cup tournaments and hosted the 2011 AFC Asian...
. He was named the Asian Player of the Year
Asian Footballer of the Year
The Asian Footballer of the Year is an award that annually honors Asian footballer each year, has been conferred by Asian Football Confederation since 1994...
in 2006, becoming the first Qatari to win the title. He played for Al-Arabi on the youth level before moving to Al Sadd. His father, Ibrahim Khalfan, is a former player of Al-Arabi and the Qatar national team
Qatar national football team
The Qatar national football team is the national team of Qatar and is controlled by the Qatar Football Association. They have never qualified for a FIFA World Cup but are hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The team has also appeared in seven AFC Asian Cup tournaments and hosted the 2011 AFC Asian...
.
Club career
Khalfan started out with Al-Arabi (his father's club) and was signed by Al-Sadd in September 2004. He got into Al-Sadd's first team at the age of 17 in March 2005 and scored against Al-Shamal on his debut 2005-06 was a significantly improved season for him when he scored goals in the Qatar League, Crown Prince CupQatar Crown Prince Cup
The Qatar Crown Prince Cup is a cup tournament in men's football. It is played by the top-4 teams of the Qatar National First Division after each season.-Previous winners:*1995 : Al Rayyan Club 1-0 Al-Arabi*1996 : Al Rayyan Club 2-0 Al-Wakra...
and Asian Champions League, which brought him into the spotlight. His performance in 2006-07 played a part in achieving the Asian Player of The Year title. He scored 5 goals in Al-Sadd's start to the league campaign and then was a crucial member of the Asian Games
Football at the 2006 Asian Games
Football at the 2006 Asian Games was held in Doha, Qatar from November 18 to December 15, 2006. The opening match was played 14 days prior to the opening ceremony. In this tournament, some 30 teams played in the men's competition, and 8 teams participated in women's competition.Turkmenistan, and...
gold medal winning Qatar team. However, in an Olympic qualifying match against Bahrain
Bahrain national football team
The Bahrain national football team is the national team of the Kingdom of Bahrain and is controlled by the Bahrain Football Association; it was founded in 1951 and joined FIFA in 1966. They have never reached the finals of the World Cup, but have twice come within one match of doing so...
in February 2007, he got himself injured and was laid-off for more than one year, missing most of Al-Sadd's record-breaking season in which they garnered 4 titles. He wasn't able to play in the 2007-08 league season as Al-Gharafa overtook Al-Sadd for the title. He returned for the revamped 2008-09 season which has been his best so far. He scored 8 goals in Al-Sadd's first 6 games, nearing Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Omar Batistuta , nicknamed Batigol, is a former professional footballer. The prolific Argentine striker played most of his club football at Fiorentina in Italy, and he is the tenth top scorer of all-time in the Italian Serie A league, with 184 goals in 318 matches...
's record of scoring in 8 consecutive Qatar League games.
Khalfan won the 2011 AFC Champions League
2011 AFC Champions League
The 2011 AFC Champions League was the 30th edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation , and the 9th under the current AFC Champions League title...
with Al Sadd. Khalfan delivered an inspired performance against Suwon
Suwon Samsung Bluewings
Suwon Samsung Bluewings is a South Korean football club based in the city of Suwon, South Korea, that plays in the K-League. Founded in December 1995, they have become one of Asian football's most famous clubs with a host of domestic and continental honours...
in the semi-final second leg to keep the club's hopes alive. He featured in the final against Jeonbuk
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors are a professional football club based in Jeonju, Jeonbuk, South Korea. They won their first K-League title in 2009. Prior to this, the club won the AFC Champions League title in 2006, becoming the first club from East Asia to win the tournament since the AFC Champions...
which was won 4-2 on penalties. He assisted Keita by providing an accurate cross which Keita volleyed into the net, as well as forcing a Jeonbuk defender to head the ball into his own net on the earlier goal. The Koreans scored a late equalizer to make it 2-2, causing the game to go to extra-time and eventually penalties. His performance in the AFC Champions League earned him offers from other clubs, including a contract from Saudi club Al Nassr
Al Nassr FC
Al Nassr FC is a Saudi Arabian football club based in Riyadh. Formed in 1955 the club plays its home games at King Fahd Stadium and Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium. Its home colours are yellow and blue.-History:...
, however it was announced by the Al Sadd management that they would only take offers from the club in the summer transfer window, as they needed Khalfan to play in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup
2011 FIFA Club World Cup
-Play-off for Quarter-finals:-Quarter-finals:-Match for fifth place:-Semi-finals:-Match for third place:-Final:-External links:...
.
International career
Khalfan first played for Qatar's youth teams, scoring in the under-17 Gulf Cup held in 2003. Qatar finished runner-up and Khalfan finished second in the scorers list with 6 goals. He was part of the Qatar squad which played at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in PeruPeru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, scoring one goal in the match against the mighty Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
. He and his young teammates battled their more illustrious opponents to a 2-2 stalemate at halftime but eventually lost out 3-5. It was a performance which caught the eye and contributed greatly to his Asian Player of the Year title. In the same year he played in the West Asian Games
West Asian Games
West Asian Games are a bi-annual multi-sport event held among the athletes from West Asia.At present, WAG are joined by thirteen members namely Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.The West Asian Games were first...
. Qatar's campaign was unsuccessful despite Khalfan scoring two goals. In all the above tournaments he played with a number of his teammates who along with him were to become the backbone of Al-Sadd and the senior national team.
After his stellar performances at the youth level, he and his teammates broke into the Annabis senior team. Their first major triumph was the Asian Games
Football at the 2006 Asian Games
Football at the 2006 Asian Games was held in Doha, Qatar from November 18 to December 15, 2006. The opening match was played 14 days prior to the opening ceremony. In this tournament, some 30 teams played in the men's competition, and 8 teams participated in women's competition.Turkmenistan, and...
title won in front of home fans, with Khalfan scoring 2 goals. He scored two superb goals against Bangladesh in their Asian Cup 2007 qualifying match. He then took part in his first Gulf Cup
Gulf Cup of Nations
The Gulf Cup of Nations , also known as Khaleeji followed by the edition of the games , is a football tournament currently held every two years rotating the host city every edition...
, where Qatar couldn't defend their title despite Khalfan scoring one goal against Bahrain. In 2008 he played a prominent part in Qatar's World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
qualifying campaign scoring against Asia's No 1 side-Australia.
Khalfan took part in Qatar's 2014 World Cup Qualification
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC Third Round
This page provides the summaries of the AFC Third Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:In this round the fifteen winners from the second round joined the five AFC sides seeded 1–5 in the AFC World Cup rankings...
s which were held from 2011. In a match versus Indonesia
Indonesia national football team
The Indonesia national football team represents Indonesia in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Indonesia . Prior to independence in 1945, the team competed as the Dutch East Indies national football team. Under this name, Indonesia was the first Asian team to...
, which would be Indonesia's last hopes of qualifying for the World Cup, Khalfan scored an amazing goal from a long way out after dribbling past the defenders. Qatar proved to be too much for Indonesia, eventually winning the game 3-2 in a tightly clinched match. Khalfan also got a brace in the home match against Indonesia in a 4-0 win, thus oficially eliminating them from qualifying, and in the process, making him the top scorer for Qatar in the 2014 WCQ.
International goals
- Scores and results list Qatar's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 August 16, 2006 MA Aziz Stadium MA Aziz StadiumMA Aziz Stadium is the main stadium in use in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The local cricket and football teams play there. Its total capacity is 20,000. On a historical note, this stadium was used as headquarters during the war for independence in 1971...
, ChittagongChittagongChittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
, BangladeshBangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
3–1 4–1 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualificationThe 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification was held in late 2005 and the final qualification round was held from February to November 2006 with 25 nations participating....2 August 16, 2006 MA Aziz Stadium, Chittagong, Bangladesh 4–1 4–1 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualificationThe 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification was held in late 2005 and the final qualification round was held from February to November 2006 with 25 nations participating....3 January 24, 2007 Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
, United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
1–0 1–2 2007 Gulf Cup of Nations 2007 Gulf Cup of NationsThe 2007 Arab Gulf Cup of Nations, the 18th edition, took place in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, from January 17, 2007 to January 30, 2007....4 June 14, 2008 Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium Jassim Bin Hamad StadiumJassim Bin Hamad Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Doha, Qatar. It is currently used mostly for football matches and it also has facilities for athletics. The football team Al-Sadd plays there. The stadium, originally built in 1974, was rebuilt in 2004 for the Gulf Cup and currently has a...
, DohaDohaDoha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
, QatarQatarQatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
1–3 1–3 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)The Asian Football Confederation was allocated four assured qualifying berths for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and one place in a play-off. 43 teams were in the running for these spots; Laos, Brunei and the Philippines did not attempt to qualify...5 October 11, 2011 Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta JakartaJakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, IndonesiaIndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
2–1 3–2 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)The Asian Football Confederation section of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification sees teams competing for berths in the final tournament in Brazil...6 November 11, 2011 Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar 2–0 4–0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)The Asian Football Confederation section of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification sees teams competing for berths in the final tournament in Brazil...7 November 11, 2011 Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar 3–0 4–0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)The Asian Football Confederation section of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification sees teams competing for berths in the final tournament in Brazil...
Individual
- Asian Player of the YearAsian Footballer of the YearThe Asian Footballer of the Year is an award that annually honors Asian footballer each year, has been conferred by Asian Football Confederation since 1994...
: 2006 - Best Player U-21 - Qatar: 2006
- Best Arabic Player: 2007
Notable matches
- QatarQatar national football teamThe Qatar national football team is the national team of Qatar and is controlled by the Qatar Football Association. They have never qualified for a FIFA World Cup but are hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The team has also appeared in seven AFC Asian Cup tournaments and hosted the 2011 AFC Asian...
vs. BangladeshBangladesh national football teamThe Bangladesh national football team is the national team of Bangladesh controlled by the Bangladesh Football Federation. It is a member of the Asian Football Confederation and has yet to qualify for the World Cup finals...
(Asian Cup 2007 Qualifiers) - First International match, scored twice. - Al-Sadd vs Al-Rayyan - Scored two breath taking goals in a league match in 2007.