Pilar Khoury
![]() Khoury with Saint-Étienne in 2020 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Pilar Tony Khoury[1] | ||
Date of birth | 25 August 1994 | ||
Place of birth | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada[1] | ||
Height | 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)[2] | ||
Position(s) | Forward | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Nantes | ||
Number | 7 | ||
Youth career | |||
2004–2011 | Ottawa Gloucester Hornets | ||
College career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2011–2016 | Ottawa Gee-Gees | (58) | |
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2016–2018 | Albi | 31 | (3) |
2018–2019 | Grenoble | 22 | (11) |
2019–2021 | Saint-Étienne | 17 | (10) |
2021– | Nantes | 14 | (4) |
National team‡ | |||
2021– | Lebanon | 1 | (0) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11:35, 7 March 2022 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11:29, 21 October 2021 (UTC) |
Pilar Tony Khoury (Arabic: بيلار توني خوري; born 25 August 1994) is a Lebanese footballer who plays as a forward for French club Nantes and the Lebanon national team.
Khoury played at college level for the Ottawa Gee-Gees, the University of Ottawa's team; she left in 2016 as their all-time goal scorer. She then moved to France, where she joined Albi in the Division 1 Féminine; Khoury then played for Division 2 sides Grenoble, Saint-Étienne and Nantes.
Born in Canada, Khoury is of Lebanese descent and has represented Lebanon since 2021.
Club career[]
Youth and college[]
At 10 years old, Khoury began her youth career at local club Ottawa Gloucester Hornets, where she remained for seven years.[3] She began as a defender, before being moved up to forward in her last year at the club.[3]
Khoury then moved to the University of Ottawa's team, the Ottawa Gee-Gees.[3] She made her breakthrough in her third season at the club, breaking the university’s scoring record twice and winning multiple individual titles.[3] Khoury finished her career with the Ottawa Gee-Gees as their all-time leading goal scorer, with 58 goals.[4]
Albi[]
Khoury began her senior career in 2016, moving to Division 1 Féminine side Albi in France on 1 August.[5] After being a reserve for the first half of the 2016–17 season, she became a regular in the second half and helped her side avoid relegation.[3] Her second season saw Khoury miss multiple matches due to injuries, and the club was relegated to the .[3]
Grenoble[]
She moved to Grenoble for the 2018–19 season in the Division 2.[3] After a slow start, scoring once in the first half of the season, Khoury scored 10 goals in her next 10 games.[3] She also scored three goals in four Coupe de France féminine games.[6]
Saint-Étienne[]
In 2019, Khoury joined Division 2 runners-up Saint-Étienne where, in her first season, she scored six league goals in 11 matches.[6] She also scored a goal in her only Coupe de France appearance.[6] In 2020–21, Khoury scored four goals in four games,[6] before the season was cancelled.[7] She finished with 11 goals in 18 games in all competitions.[6]
Nantes[]
On 27 July 2021, Khoury moved to Nantes.[8] She made her debut on 5 September, in a 3–0 win against Lens.[9] On 10 October, Khoury scored her first goal for Nantes, helping her team win 3–0 against .[10]
International career[]
Born in Canada, Khoury is of Lebanese descent.[3] She has stated her preference to play for Lebanon over Canada, saying that she dreamed of representing Lebanon from a young age.[3]
Khoury was first called up for Lebanon in April 2021, ahead of a friendly tournament in Armenia.[11] Regarding her first call-up, she stated: "I have difficulty expressing how much it means to me. To represent my parents' country after all the sacrifices they made for my soccer career".[11] However, due to resulting positive to COVID-19, she was unable to travel.[12]
She made her debut on 21 October, helping Lebanon beat the United Arab Emirates 1–0 in the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification.[2]
Personal life[]
Khoury's maternal grandfather, Louis Saad, was also a footballer;[3] he died in 2013.[11] Khoury stated that he taught her how to play football.[11] A few days prior to dying, her grandfather passed his French citizenship onto her, which facilitated her move to play professionally in France three years later.[12]
While playing for the Ottawa Gee-Gees, Khoury completed a bachelor’s degree in health sciences with a minor in psychology.[3] Khoury was also a student during her time at Albi.[3]
Style of play[]
Initially a striker, Khoury developed into a winger during her stay at Nantes.[12]
Honours[]
Individual[13]
- OUA Player of the Year: 2014–15, 2015–16
- OUA First Team All-Star: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
- U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian: 2014–15, 2015–16
Records
- Ottawa Gee-Gees all-time goal scorer: 58 goals[4]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ a b "Pilar Khoury". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ a b "Pilar Khoury". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Baradhi, Maria (14 November 2020). "A.S. Saint Etienne's Pilar Khoury: A National Team Prospect". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
- ^ a b "uOttawa Gee-Gees Records". uOttawa Gee-Gees. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Sangaré-Ponce, Moussa (27 June 2016). "Gee-Gees superstar to continue her career in France". uOttawa Gee-Gees. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c d e "Pilar Khoury". Footofeminin.fr. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Sabathier, Romane (25 April 2021). "Annulation du championnat de D2 Féminine : décision difficile à encaisser pour les joueuses de l'US Orléans". France 3 Centre-Val de Loire (in French). Retrieved 29 July 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Duret, Sebastien. "#D1Arkema - Le tableau du mercato estival : ca a bougé ce mardi". Footofeminin.fr : le football au féminin (in French). Retrieved 29 July 2021.
- ^ "Nantes–Lens 3–0". Footofeminin.fr. 5 September 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Nantes–Orléans 3–0". Footofeminin.fr. 10 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c d Jobin, Jonathan (31 March 2021). "Une première chance en équipe nationale du Liban pour Pilar Khoury". Radio-Canada.ca (in Canadian French). Retrieved 3 April 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b c "Interview with Pilar Khoury". FA Lebanon. 18 November 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Pilar Khoury". uOttawa Gee-Gees. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
External links[]
![]() |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pilar Khoury. |
- Pilar Khoury at FA Lebanon
- Pilar Khoury at Soccerway
- Pilar Khoury at Global Sports Archive
- Pilar Khoury at Footofeminin.fr
- Pilar Khoury at Ottawa Gee-Gees
- 1994 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Ontario
- Soccer players from Ottawa
- Lebanese women's footballers
- Canadian women's soccer players
- Canadian people of Lebanese descent
- Sportspeople of Lebanese descent
- Naturalized citizens of France
- Women's association football forwards
- Ottawa Gee-Gees women's soccer players
- ASPTT Albi players
- Grenoble Foot 38 (women) players
- AS Saint-Étienne (women) players
- FC Nantes (women) players
- Division 1 Féminine players
- Division 2 Féminine players
- Lebanon women's international footballers
- Lebanese expatriate women's footballers
- Lebanese expatriate sportspeople in France
- Canadian expatriate women's soccer players
- Canadian expatriate sportspeople in France
- Expatriate women's footballers in France