 El Zein with Nejmeh in 2019 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kassem Mohammed El Zein[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 2 December 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Maarakeh, Lebanon[1] | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Nejmeh | ||
| Number | 18 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Nejmeh | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011– | Nejmeh | 111 | (5) |
| 2020 | → Al-Mina'a (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | → Al-Nasr (loan) | 17 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2014– | Lebanon | 40 | (1) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:37, 2 September 2021 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 4 January 2023 | |||
Kassem Mohammed El Zein (Arabic: قاسم محمد الزين, Lebanese Arabic pronunciation: [ˈʔæːsim mˈħammad zˈzeːn]; born 2 December 1990) is a Lebanese footballer who plays as a defender for Lebanese Premier League club Nejmeh and the Lebanon national team.[3]
El Zein began his senior career in 2011 at Nejmeh, playing over 100 league matches. In 2020 he was sent on a loan, to Iraqi club Al-Mina'a and Kuwaiti club Al-Nasr, respectively. El Zein made his international debut for Lebanon in 2014, and was part of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup squad.
On 28 January 2020, El Zein was sent on a three-month loan to Iraqi Premier League side Al-Mina'a.[4][5] He made his debut on 17 February 2020, in a 1–0 home win over Naft Al-Janoob in the first matchday of the season.[6] El Zein played four league games for Al-Mina'a; however, the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]
On 18 June 2020, El Zein was sent on a one-year loan to Kuwaiti club Al-Nasr.[8] He made his debut on 16 October, in a 2–1 win against Al-Shabab in the classification league between Kuwait Premier League and Kuwaiti Division One clubs.[9] El Zein helped his side finish first in the qualifying stage.[10][11]
His debut in the 2020–21 Kuwaiti Premier League came on 22 January 2021, in a 1–0 away win against Al-Shabab.[12] El Zein scored a goal on 25 April, helping his side to a 2–1 away win against Al-Fahaheel.[13] He finished the season with 17 league games.[14]
El Zein returned to Nejmeh for the 2021–22 season. His contract was renewed in 2022.[15]
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El Zein debuted for the Lebanon national team on 14 October 2014, in a friendly against Saudi Arabia.[3] In December 2018, he was called up for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup,[16] where he played a group stage game against Saudi Arabia.[3]
El Zein scored his first international goal against India on 10 September 2023, to help Lebanon finish third in the 2023 King's Cup.[17]
On December 2023, El Zein was included in the Lebanese squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.[18]
Initially starting out as a full-back, El Zein progressed into a centre-back with the years; his main abilities are his tackling and reading of the game.[19]
El Zein works as a part-time chef at L'Avenue Du Parc, a restaurant in Beirut.[20] He stated that "while in other countries football can be a full-time job, in Lebanon it’s necessary for a player to have a second job."[20][21]
El Zein's favourite club is Manchester United, while his favourite player is former Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidić.[22]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lebanon | 2014 | 1 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 40 | 0 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 September 2023 | 700th Anniversary Stadium, Chiang Mai, Thailand |  India
|
1–0 | 1–0 | 2023 King's Cup |
Nejmeh[23]
Individual
