.jpg) Atwi with Nejmeh in 2020 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Abbas Ahmad Atwi[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 12 September 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Kunin, Lebanon[1] | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–2017 | Nejmeh | 400+ | (107) |
| 2012 | → Dubai Club (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) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13:51, 19 January 2023 (UTC) | |||
Abbas Ahmad Atwi (Arabic: عباس أحمد عطوي; born 12 September 1979) is a Lebanese former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.
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.
Atwi grew up in the Zuqaq al-Blat quarter of Beirut;[2] he began playing football in the streets aged six.[3] He 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 Club 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]
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]
Atwi is not related to fellow Lebanese footballer Abbas Ali Atwi, who is also known as Onika.[13]
| 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 |
Nejmeh
Shabab Sahel
Individual
