Hilal El-Helwe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hilal El-Helwe
Hilal El Helwe 20191201 (crop).jpg
El-Helwe with Lebanon at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup
Personal information
Full name Hilal Bassam El-Helwe[1]
Date of birth (1994-11-24) 24 November 1994 (age 26)
Place of birth Hanover, Germany[1]
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[2]
Position(s) Forward, winger
Club information
Current team
 Ahed
Youth career
0000–2008 Hannover 96
2008–2010 TSV Havelse
2010–2012  [de]
2012–2013 TSV Havelse
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2015 TSV Havelse 59 (16)
2015–2016 VfL Wolfsburg II 22 (7)
2016–2018 Hallescher FC 55 (4)
2018–2019 Apollon Smyrnis 21 (3)
2019–2021 SV Meppen 38 (7)
2021 Al-Faisaly 3 (0)
2021– Ahed 0 (0)
National team‡
2015– Lebanon 31 (9)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:04, 21 May 2021 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19:03, 23 June 2021 (UTC)

Hilal Bassam El-Helwe (Arabic: هلال بسام الحلوة‎, Lebanese Arabic pronunciation: [ˈhleːl basˈseːm lˈħɪlwe]; born 24 November 1994) is a Lebanese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Lebanese Premier League club Ahed and the Lebanon national team. A versatile forward, he can play both centrally and as a winger on either flank.

After playing for five years in Germany for TSV Havelse, VfL Wolfsburg II, and Hallescher FC, El-Helwe moved to Greece in 2018 to Apollon Smyrnis. In 2019 he moved back to Germany, signing for SV Meppen, before moving to the Middle East in 2021, joining Al-Faisaly in Jordan then Ahed in Lebanon. For the Lebanon national team, El-Helwe scored a brace against North Korea in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, helping Lebanon win their first ever game in the competition.

Club career[]

TSV Havelse[]

Coming through the youth system, El-Helwe debuted for the senior side of TSV Havelse on 31 August 2013 coming on as a substitute in a 3–2 defeat to Eintracht Braunschweig II.[3] His first goal in the Regionalliga Nord came on 27 October of the same year, scoring the equalizing goal against SV Wilhelmshaven on the 14th minute.[4] He ended his first season at the club with six goals in 26 league games.[5]

In his second season, El-Helwe scored his first domestic brace on 10 October 2014 against Schwarz-Weiß Rehden.[6] He improved on his previous tally scoring 10 goals in 33 appearances for the club, earning him a move to VfL Wolfsburg II the following season.[5]

VfL Wolfsburg II[]

On 5 September 2015, El-Helwe debuted for VfL Wolfsburg II against his former side TSV Havelse in a 6–1 win, coming on as a substitute on the 65th minute.[7] On 1 November 2015, he scored his first goal for the side against Borussia Hildesheim in a 1–5 away win.[8]

El-Helwe played a total of 22 league games for the side, scoring seven and assisting seven in the process.[5][9] He helped Wolfsburg win the Regionalliga Nord,[10] and played two promotion play-off games against Jahn Regensburg, losing 2–1 on aggregate.[11]

Hallescher FC[]

El-Helwe with Hallescher FC in 2017

On 22 June 2016, 3. Liga side Hallescher FC announced the acquisition of El-Helwe from VfL Wolfsburg II on a two-year contract.[12] On 6 August 2016, he played his first league match at home against Chemnitzer FC in a 1–1 draw, coming on as a substitute for Sascha Pfeffer on the 78th minute. El-Helwe's first goals for the club came in the form of a brace at the DFB Pokal game against 1. FC Kaiserslautern on 20 August 2016, scoring two goals in four minutes in a 4–3 win.[13]

In the following season, El-Helwe scored his first league goal for the club on 22 July 2017 in the first match of the season, scoring in the 73rd minute against SC Paderborn after coming off the bench in a 4–4 draw.[14] El-Helwe scored a total of four league goals for Halle, all during the 2017–18 season.[5]

Apollon Smyrnis[]

With his contract expiring, El-Helwe joined Super League Greece side Apollon Smyrnis on a free transfer for the 2018–19 season.[15] El-Helwe's first goal for the club, which came on 15 September 2018, was also Apollon Smyrnis' first of the season, scoring a late consolation goal against PAS Giannina in a 2–1 defeat.[16] On 23 February 2019, El-Helwe scored the equalizer against defending champions AEK, with the match ending 2–1 to the opposing team.[17] Despite finishing last in the league, El-Helwe was Apollon Smyrnis' top scorer in the 2018–19 season with three goals and one assist in 21 appearances.[18][19]

SV Meppen[]

On 3 July 2019, 3. Liga side SV Meppen announced the signing of El-Helwe on a free transfer, with his contract valid until 2021.[20] His first goal came on 3 November 2019, scoring against Bayern Munich II in a 5–3 home win.[21] On 12 June 2020, El-Helwe scored against his former club Hallescher FC coming on as a substitute.[22] Despite him equalizing the score 1–1, the match ended in a 2–3 loss.[22]

In the last two matchdays of the 2019–20 season, on 1 and 4 July 2020, El-Helwe scored two goals and assisted one.[23] He scored a goal against Preußen Münster in a 3–0 away win,[23] and scored and assisted one against Eintracht Braunschewig, helping his side win 4–3.[23][24] El-Helwe finished the season with five goals and three assists in 27 games,[25] averaging a contribution every 144 minutes;[5] SV Meppen finished in 7th place of out 20.[26]

El-Helwe scored his first goal of the 2020–21 season on 3 October 2020, in a 2–1 home defeat to Verl.[27] He agreed the termination of his contract with SV Meppen on 25 February 2021.[28]

Al-Faisaly[]

On 1 March 2021, El-Helwe joined Jordanian Pro League club Al-Faisaly.[29] He made his debut on 4 March, coming on as a 75th-minute substitute in a Jordan FA Shield game against Al-Ramtha which ended in a 2–2 draw.[30] El-Helwe's league debut came on 10 April, in a 2–2 draw against Sahab.[31]

Following his international duty with the Lebanon national team, El-Helwe returned to Jordan on 24 June;[32] however, he refused to attend the training session, and looked to break his contract with the club following financial disagreements.[33]

Ahed[]

On 16 July 2021, Lebanese Premier League side Ahed announced the signing of El-Helwe.[34]

International career[]

El-Helwe (left) with Lebanon during the 2019 AFC Asian Cup game against Saudi Arabia

On 8 October 2015, El-Helwe made his debut for the Lebanon national team, starting in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying 2–0 win against Myanmar.[35] He played as a starter, and was subbed out after 56 minutes.[36] El-Helwe scored his first international goal on 29 March 2016, in Lebanon's home match against Myanmar in the qualifiers, securing a 1–1 draw for his team in the 88th minute.[37]

In December 2018, he was called up for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup squad,[2] and played in all three group stage games.[38] On 17 January 2019, during the last game against North Korea, he scored a volley in the 65th minute thanks to a cross by Mohamad Haidar to put Lebanon in the lead.[39] In the seventh minute of added time, he scored a second volley ending the encounter in a 4–1 win and giving Lebanon their first ever win in the Asian Cup.[39] With his brace against North Korea, El-Helwe became Lebanon's first player to score more than one goal in the AFC Asian Cup.

On 23 June 2021, El-Helwe scored a volley in a 2021 FIFA Arab Cup qualification match against Djibouti to help Lebanon win 1–0 and qualify to the final tournament.[40]

Style of play[]

El-Helwe is a versatile striker who can also play as a winger on both sides.[41] Despite his height of 1.86 m (6.1 ft), which makes him good at holding play, he is a quick player who runs in behind the defense.[42] El-Helwe is also a good finisher in the box.[42]

Career statistics[]

Club[]

As of match played 21 May 2021[1][25][43]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup[a] League Cup[b] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
TSV Havelse 2013–14 Regionalliga Nord 26 6 — — — — 26 6
2014–15 Regionalliga Nord 33 10 — — — — 33 10
Total 59 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 59 16
VfL Wolfsburg II 2015–16 Regionalliga Nord 22 7 — — — 2[c] 0 24 7
Hallescher FC 2016–17 3. Liga 25 0 1 2 — — — 26 2
2017–18 3. Liga 30 4 — — — — 30 4
Total 55 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 56 6
Apollon Smyrnis 2018–19 Super League Greece 21 3 4 1 — — — 25 4
SV Meppen 2019–20 3. Liga 27 5 — — — — 27 5
2020–21 3. Liga 11 2 — — — — 11 2
Total 38 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 38 7
Al-Faisaly Jordanian Pro League 3 0 0 0 2 0 3[d] 0 — 0 0
Ahed Lebanese Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
Career total 198 37 5 3 2 0 3 0 2 0 210 40
  1. ^ Includes DFB-Pokal, Greek Cup, Jordan FA Cup, Lebanese FA Cup
  2. ^ Includes Jordan FA Shield, Lebanese Elite Cup
  3. ^ Appearances in Regionalliga promotion play-offs
  4. ^ Appearances in AFC Cup

International[]

As of match played 23 June 2021[44]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Lebanon 2015 2 0
2016 7 1
2017 5 1
2018 4 1
2019 9 5
2020 0 0
2021 4 1
Total 31 9
Scores and results list Lebanon's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each El-Helwe goal.
List of international goals scored by Hilal El-Helwe
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 29 March 2016 Saida International Stadium, Sidon, Lebanon  Myanmar 1–1 1–1 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
2 10 October 2017 Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon  North Korea 1–0 5–0 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification
3 27 March 2018 Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon  Malaysia 2–1 2–1 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification
4 17 January 2019 Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates  North Korea 2–1 4–1 2019 AFC Asian Cup
5 4–1
6 10 October 2019 Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon  Turkmenistan 1–0 2–1 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
7 15 October 2019 Colombo Racecourse, Colombo, Sri Lanka  Sri Lanka 2–0 3–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
8 3–0
9 23 June 2021 Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar  Djibouti 1–0 1–0 2021 FIFA Arab Cup qualification

Honours[]

VfL Wolfsburg II

Ahed

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Hilal El-Helwe". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "AC2019 Final Squads". www.the-afc.com. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  3. ^ "Havelse vs. Eintracht Braunschw. II - 31 August 2013 - Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  4. ^ "Wilhelmshaven vs. Havelse - 27 October 2013 - Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e "Lebanon - Hilal El-Helwe - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  6. ^ "Havelse vs. Schwarz-Weiß Rehden - 10 October 2014 - Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  7. ^ "Wolfsburg II vs. Havelse - 5 September 2015 - Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  8. ^ "Borussia Hildesheim vs. Wolfsburg II - 1 November 2015 - Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  9. ^ "The final 23: who are they?". Lebanese Football Review. 9 January 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b "34. Spieltag | Regionalliga Nord 2015/16". kicker.de. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  11. ^ "Aufstiegs-Playoffs". DFB - Deutscher Fußball-Bund e.V. (in German). 19 March 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  12. ^ "Neuverpflichtung: HFC holt Hilal El-Helwe aus Wolfsburg". Mitteldeutsche Zeitung (in German). 22 June 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  13. ^ "Hallescher FC vs. Kaiserslautern - 20 August 2016 - Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  14. ^ "Hallescher FC vs. Paderborn - 22 July 2017 - Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  15. ^ "Nach HFC-Abgang: El-Helwe wechselt nach Griechenland" (in German). Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  16. ^ Soliman, Seif (16 September 2018). "Pharaohs Abroad Roundup: Shikabala makes Apollon Smyrni debut". KingFut. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  17. ^ "AEK Athens vs. Apollon Smirnis - 23 February 2019 - Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  18. ^ "Team Statistics: APOLLON SMYRNI". www.superleaguegreece.net. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  19. ^ "Player stats, All teams, 2018-2019 | Super League Greece". Super League Greece. Archived from the original on 22 July 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  20. ^ "Verstärkung für die Offensive: Meppen holt El-Helwe" (in German). Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  21. ^ "Spielbericht SV Meppen - FC Bayern Amateure". FC Bayern München (in German). 3 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b NDR. "3. Liga: Meppen verliert gegen Halle". www.ndr.de (in German). Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  23. ^ Jump up to: a b c Abou Diab, Rami (6 July 2020). "Lebanese Players Abroad: Week 1, July 2020". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  24. ^ "SV Meppen 1912 - Eintracht Braunschweig live score 04.07.2020 today match results