Hassan Maatouk
Hassan Ali Maatouk (Arabic: حسن علي معتوق, Lebanese Arabic pronunciation: [ˈħasan ˈʕali maʕˈtuːʔ]; born 10 August 1987) is a Lebanese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Lebanese Premier League club Ansar and captains the Lebanon national team. Known for his pace and technical skills, Maatouk is Lebanon's all-time top goalscorer and most-capped player; he became a key part of the national team as their captain since 2016.
|
Maatouk with Ansar in 2019 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Hassan Ali Maatouk | ||
| Date of birth | 10 August 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Sir el Gharbiyeh, Lebanon | ||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Ansar | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Rot-Weiss Essen | |||
| Ahed | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004–2012 | Ahed | (53) | |
| 2011–2012 | → Ajman (loan) | 21 | (6) |
| 2012 | Emirates | 0 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | Al-Shaab | 25 | (4) |
| 2013–2017 | Fujairah | 91 | (46) |
| 2017–2019 | Nejmeh | 40 | (20) |
| 2019– | Ansar | 65 | (30) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2007 | Lebanon U23 | 11 | (2) |
| 2006– | Lebanon | 121 | (23) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 March 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 March 2024 | |||
Maatouk began his senior career at age 17 in 2005 at Ahed in Lebanon. He won a total of 11 trophies with his team, including three Lebanese Premier League titles and three Lebanese FA Cups in his seven-year stay. Maatouk moved to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2011 on a one-year loan to Ajman; after a short spell at Emirates, he signed for Al-Shaab. In 2013, he transferred to Fujairah, where he remained for four seasons scoring 56 goals for the team and becoming their all-time top goalscorer. In 2017, Maatouk returned to his home country signing with Nejmeh: he won two Lebanese Elite Cups, and was named Best Player of the league in both seasons at the club. In 2019 he joined cross-city rivals Ansar on a free transfer, helping them win their first league title in 14 years in 2021 as the league top scorer.
In 2006, Maatouk debuted with the national team aged 19, in a match against Saudi Arabia; his first goal came in 2011 against Bangladesh. In 2016, he succeeded Roda Antar as captain of the team. With five goals in six matches in the third round of qualification for the 2019 Asian Cup, Maatouk helped an unbeaten Lebanon qualify for their first Asian Cup through qualification. As of March 2024, Maatouk has scored 23 goals in 121 games, becoming his country's all-time top goalscorer and most-capped player. He also became the first player to reach 100 international caps for his nation in 2022.
During his stint at Ahed, Maatouk was nominated Best Player of the Lebanese Premier League in 2010 and 2011, an accomplishment which he won twice more with Nejmeh in 2018 and 2019. Maatouk was also included in the Team of the Year those four years. With Fujairah in the UAE, Maatouk scored 56 goals in 110 games, becoming the club's all-time top goalscorer. He has also scored over 100 goals in the Lebanese Premier League with Ahed, Nejmeh and Ansar. Maatouk won the Lebanese Premier League Golden Boot twice, in 2011 and 2021.