Al-Ettifaq Club (), commonly known as Al-Ettifaq or simply Ettifaq, is a professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club in

Dammam Dammam (Arabic: الدمام ad-Dammām) is a city and governorate, and the capital of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Located on the coast of the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 1,386,166 as of 2022, making it the country's fifth- ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

, which competes in the

Saudi Pro League The Saudi Pro League (SPL), also known as the Roshn Saudi League (RSL) for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Saudi Arabia and the highest level of the Saudi football league system. The SPL is regarded as th ...

. The club was established by the merger of three Dammam-based clubs in 1945. Al-Ettifaq were the first Saudi team to win an international title – the 1984 Arab Club Champions Cup. They were also the first to win the Saudi Premier League without any defeats, and the first Saudi team to win the

GCC Champions League The AGCFF Gulf Club Champions League (), formerly known as the GCC Champions League, is a regional association football, football competition governed by the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation (AGCFF) for clubs from its Arab Gulf Cup Football Feder ...

. Al-Ettifaq have a total of 13 titles to their name. The club also has its own

futsal Futsal is a variant of association football played between two teams of five players each on a court smaller than a football pitch. Its rules are based on the Laws of the Game (association football), Laws of the Game of association football, and i ...

section.

History

Humble beginning (1941–1953)

Before the establishment of Al-Ettifaq as a professional sports club that also managed football, there were three clubs in the city of

that were founded in 1941. Al-Taawoun (different from Al-Taawoun from Buraydah city), Al-Sha'ab and Al-Shabab. These clubs began practising their own sporting activities and gathering the people across the region; however, these clubs are hardly gaining any revenue for the sport activity to continue. 4 years later in 1945, the presidents of the club and its staff met in Faris Al-Hamid's house, the ministry of sport at the time. They discussed the solution for their problem, the result of this meeting was to merge all three clubs in Dammam into one single unified club. The ministry would fund the newly merged club and get its share of ownership. Al-Hamid also suggested at the time to name the new club as "Al-Ettifaq" (الاتفاق ''al-ittifāq''), which meant "the agreement" in Arabic. The club's original color will also change, the new colors would be green and white, which eventually changed into green and red afterwards. Some time later Mohammed Hassan Khairi from

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

became the new club manager. In the early years of the club, the energetic and ambitious coach from

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

start to reform the sport club from Dammam

First King Cup and Crown Prince Cup (1954–1971)

Al-Ettifaq saw some success in the domestic championship of the 1960s. A key decision was to sign the most prolific Ettifaqi player

Khalil Al-Zayani Khalil Al-Zayani () is a Saudi Arabian former international footballer and Association football, football coach. Al-Zayani is part of Al-Zayani family residing in Dammam, Dammam city in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia, Eastern Province of Saud ...

in 1962, graduating from youth team Academy, as a wingback/ centerback (defender) at just 15 years old. The young Zayani had to balance his education and professional football career. At the time a nationwide football league was not yet implemented and regional leagues and tournaments were only occasionally held. Nevertheless, the manager's decision to entrust the defense role to the young boy proved correct, as the club for the first time managed to overcome their adversities and reach the final of the 1963 Crown Prince Cup. Al-Ettifaq face their final opponent in the national tournament,

Al-Ittihad Al-Ittihad may refer to: Sports Football Men Teams * Al-Ittihad Club (Jeddah), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia * Al Ittihad SCSC (Tripoli), Tripoli, Libya * Al Ittihad Gheryan, Gharyan, Libya * Al Ittihad Misurata SC, Misurata, Libya * Al Ittihad SC ...

in their home ground (

Jeddah Jeddah ( ), alternatively transliterated as Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; , ), is a List of governorates of Saudi Arabia, governorate and the largest city in Mecca Province, Saudi Arabia, and the country's second largest city after Riyadh, located ...

). Loud cheers echoes from the opposing supporters after Al-Ettifaq defeated 6–2. The club run for

1963 King Cup Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...

is less successful from their Crown Prince Run. 1963-1964 Saudi Season end with Al-Ittihad securing their double title again after defeating their rival Al-Hilal. The young boy talent are tested once again in 1964-1965 Saudi football season, when barely 16 years old defender are selected by Khairi as the captain squad. The manager recognize his vision prowess in the field and charisma. Khairi encourage the squad to aim high for the new record, he wanted for his coached player to raise occasional Regional League cup,

King Cup The King Cup (sometimes spelled King's Cup) (), officially known as The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques' Cup (), is the Saudi Arabian football knockout cup competition. The King's Cup is the second-oldest knockout competition in Saudi Arabian ...

and Crown Prince Cup at the same time or as we know as " treble". The now fully matured 17 years old Defender captain walk his first step to become nation football champion, when he secured his club back at the final match

Crown Prince Cup The Saudi Crown Prince's Cup () was the oldest Saudi Arabian annual cup competition. History The cup was the oldest and first domestic football competition in Saudi Arabia; the first edition was held in 1956–57; five editions were played betwe ...

against Al-Ittihad at the same pitch. The deafening voice of Ittihad supporter become silence as his club taking revenge for the crushing defeat almost 3 years earlier. The sport club from Dammam lift their first ever trophy with triumph. However Ettifaq failed to win the King Cup on that season in which Al-Ahli from the same city as Al-Ittihad went victorious. In 1964-1965 Saudi Season even though Ettifaq won a national trophy, they fall short to achieve their treble goal. Meanwhile, for the young Zayani, around this time he is scouted to be part of Saudi National Team. Some of Ettifaq player also constitute part of the Eastern Team who compete under Crown Prince Cup new regulation and they managed to reach final in 1966-1967 Saudi Season. On 1966 King Cup, in the final Al Ettifaq defeated by Al-Wehda and in 1967 King Cup, tasted defeat again by Al-Ittihad. For the third times in a row reaching final, Al-Ettifaq finally raise their first ever

after defeating the defending champion in previous tournament. On the next seasons however, Al-Ettifaq defeated by new challenger and Al-Ahli become the winner of King Cup in that season. Hassan Khairi retired from the club activity after coaching Ettifaqi player for over 1 decade. Al-Zayani keep playing as the club player until 1971 and retired from Saudi National Team in 1973, completely retiring from football the age of just 26 years old. In his career he managed to reach 5 finals in different competition and win 2 trophies for his club. Khalil Al-Zayani played his entire club career for Al-Ettifaq.

Champion from Dammam (1972–1989)

Sharp decline in 1970s

After Khairi and Zayani departure, Al-Ettifaq never the reach the final of national tournament. Slowly the condition inside the club become worrisome, Saudi Ministry of Sport then offer the 29 years old retired ex-player, to coach the club and also prepare the club for implementation of planned national league. Al-Ettifaq would be main representation from the city of Dammam. Zayani agree to step up and took managerial role. At this time nationwide league are newly established with 8 clubs registered. Al-Ettifaq only eligible to play in second-tier of the Saudi League, First Division League and only able to make into 2nd place just behind

Al-Nahda The Nahda (, meaning 'the Awakening'), also referred to as the Arab Awakening or Arab Enlightenment, was a cultural movement that flourished in Arab-populated regions of the Ottoman Empire, notably in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Tunisia, during ...

. The winner and runner-up at that time are promoted into

Saudi Premier League The Saudi Pro League (SPL), also known as the Roshn Saudi League (RSL) for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Saudi Arabia and the highest level of the Saudi football league system. The SPL is regarded as th ...

. Al-Ettifaq are promoted in the second edition of the league in 1977-1978 Saudi Premier League. In their first run in highest tier of league national, Al-Ettifaq finish 3rd place behind Al-Nassr in 2nd place and Al-Hilal as league champion. In the 1978–1979, Al Ettifaq finish in 6th position, 1979-1980 they finish again the same position and in 1981-1982 Ettifaqi finish in 5th position. In this period the club never won any single competition for over a decade except for getting promotion into Saudi Premier League. Regardless of the setbacks, Zayani still confident to continue his predecessor ambition to secure the treble for club. The former defender began to implemented new tactics and shaping new core player, once the majority squad from 1970s started to retiring. His new winning strategy are applied by promising academy players promoted from the youth teams.

Saudi Premier league and Gulf Club Cup Championship

The club new youth players catch the attention of the nation when

1982–83 Saudi Premier League The 1982–83 Saudi Professional League, Saudi Premier League was the 7th season of Saudi Premier League since its establishment in 1976. Al-Ittihad Club (Jeddah), Al-Ittihad were the defending champions, having won their 1st title in the 1981–82 ...

began on 16 December 1982. Some of the most recognized forwards such as Jamal Mohammad and Omar Bakhashwain made their debut in this season. Al-Ettifaq are undefeated in their run by the end of season in April 1983. First Saudi football club to ever do so. The club had nine wins and eight draws with a match left to conclude the season. Going into the final matchday, Al-Hilal were leading the table with 1 point ahead of Al-Ettifaq. The two teams would face their city rivals in the final matchday on separate days. On 7 April 1983, Al-Ettifaq defeated

2–0. This meant that Al-Hilal needed just a draw against Al-Nassr to secure the title, as they were ahead of Al-Ettifaq on goal difference as well. On 8 April 1983, Al-Nassr defeated Al-Hilal 2–1 to hand Al-Ettifaq their first league title. Al-Ettifaq also became the first team from

to win the title.

also became the first Saudi Arabian manager to win the league title and Jamal Muhammad managed to reach 3rd position in top scorer table behind Khalid Al-Ma'ajil in 2nd place and Majeed Abdullah as the league golden boot winner. After winning the league, city of Dammam that are located in Saudi East Coastline are invited in the 2nd edition Gulf Club competition by Arabian Gulf countries. Al-Ettifaq are among the 12 team that listed in the competition. The last decisive match will be played by the club that reach the 1st position in tha chart table which is Al-Ettifaq and Al-Arabi from

Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...

. Ettifaqi defeat their opponent in foreign soil of

Khalifa International Stadium Khalifa International Stadium (, , ) is a multi-purpose stadium located in Doha, Qatar, around west from the centre of Doha. Its ground comprises a running track and a Pitch (sports field), grass pitch. Opened in 1976, the stadium was named af ...

Doha Doha ( ) is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. It ...

Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...

, gaining the honour for the first Saudi team to win non-domestic title and their first regional title.

Temporary replacement of Zayani

victory against all odds in 1980 Asian Cup bring the wind of change in the national team. Saudi targeted the next

Asian Cup The AFC Asian Cup is the primary association football competition contested by the senior list of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), determining the contin ...

and

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and commonly known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, subsequently Al-Zayani who coach Al-Ettifaq are the most suitable candidate to managed the country strategy. Zayani temporarily left the club in March 1984, immediately replacing

Mario Zagallo Mario (; ) is a character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the '' Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Japanese video game company Nintendo. ...

one of Pele teammates in the ongoing

7th Arabian Gulf Cup The 7th Arabian Gulf Cup () took place in Muscat, the capital of Oman, from 9 to 28 March 1984. Iraq won the tournament against Qatar in a match that was decided on penalties. Both Iraq and Qatar had finished with exactly the same points in the rou ...

tournament after the former Brazilian forward defeated by

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

4–0. In Zayani absence Chico Formiga was brought in from

Santos FC Santos Futebol Clube () is a Brazilian sports club based in Vila Belmiro, a ''bairro'' in the city of Santos, São Paulo, Santos. It plays in the Campeonato Paulista, the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo's premier State football lea ...

as a replacement and preparing the squad for

1984 Arab Club Champions Cup The 1984 Arab Club Champions Cup was the second edition of the Arab Club Champions Cup, and was held in the city of Dammam, Saudi Arabia - the home city of eventual winners Al-Ettifaq. Participants Fixtures and results ---- ---- Winner ...

, it is held in 1984 because in the previous year the championship are postponed for technical reason. Al-Ettifaq are pitted by 3 other team in one group stage which are:

Kenitra AC Kenitra (, , , ) is a List of cities in Morocco, city in northwestern Morocco. It is a port on the Sebou River with a population of 507,736 as of 2024. It is one of the three main cities of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region and the capital of the ...

from

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

winner of

Botola Pro The Botola Pro (), officially known as the Botola Pro Inwi for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Morocco and the top tier of the Moroccan football league system. Organized by the Ligue Nationale de Football Pro ...

, West Riffa from

Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

winner of

Bahraini Premier League The Bahraini Premier League is the main domestic football competition in the kingdom of Bahrain. Currently known as the Nasser bin Hamad Premier League, the first season was held in 1956-1957. The winners of the domestic championship qualify f ...

and Al-Ansar FC from

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

. Al-Etiffaq barely beat Kenitra by just 1 point difference after defeating Al-Ansar in their homebase and prevail to achieve their first treble, by securing 1 domestic title and 2 regional title. In the next season, Chico plan to achieve his first domestic title. On the start of 1985 King Cup, Al-Hilal are the defending champion, Al-Ettifaq face Al-Shabab at the round of 16 with the result of 1–0. In the next round they defeated Abha FC 2–0, the club went draw against Al-Ahli 1–1 in which Ettifaq defeat Ahli at the penalty shootout 4–5. Al-Ettifaq face the defending champion in their homebase at

Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...

. Abo Haidar are the first to score while Al-Nayfawy equalize, until the extra time end the score is still 1-1. Bakhashwain and Al-Dughaim scored the decisive penalty goal and went victorious with 4–3, Al-Ettifaq won their second king cup title.

Double regional title

Chico managed the club in 1986-1987 Saudi Premier League until halfway of season. The former prolific center back of

Palmeiras The Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras (), commonly known as Palmeiras, is a Brazilian professional association football, football club based in the city of São Paulo, in the district of Perdizes (district of São Paulo), Perdizes. Palmeiras is ...

are replaced by Al-Zayani to coach Al-Ettifaq for the second time. Winning the 1986–87 Saudi Premier League once again in his first season back, and the

1988 Arab Club Champions Cup The 1988 Arab Club Champions Cup was played in United Arab Emirates in the city of Sharjah. Al-Ettifaq won the championship for the first time beating in the final Club Africain. Participants Preliminary round Zone 1 (Gulf Area) ''Kazma SC and ...

together with the 1988 Gulf Club Champions Cup in his second season.

1989 AFC Champions League

Al-Ettifaq qualified for the 1989 AFC Champions League after winning 1988 Gulf Club Champions Cup. In their first campaign Al-Ettifaq reached the semi-final . On 11 October 1988 Al-Ettifaq managed to defend their first position after equalizing their score and against

April 25 Events Pre-1600 * 404 BC – Admiral Lysander and King Pausanias of Sparta blockade Athens and bring the Peloponnesian War to a successful conclusion. * 775 – The Battle of Bagrevand puts an end to an Armenian rebellion against th ...

from

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

1-1. In the next match of 13 October 1988 however, they are eliminated after they fall in 2nd position after defeated by

Al-Sadd SC Al Sadd Sports Club () is a Qatari sports club based in the Al Sadd district of the capital city Doha. It is best known for its association football team, which competes in the top level of Qatari football, the Qatar Stars League. Locally, it i ...

from

2–1, the eventual champion of that year.

Honours

: (tier 1) **Champions: 1982–83, 1986–87 **Runners-up: 1987–88, 1991–92 *

Saudi First Division League The Saudi First Division League (), currently known as the Yelo League for sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of professional football in Saudi Arabia. It ranks below the Saudi Pro League and above the Saudi Second Division League in the ...

: (tier 2): **Champions: 2015–16 **Runners-up: 1976–77 *

King's Cup King's Cup (incl. translations), may refer to: Sports Football * Copa del Rey, Spanish for "King's Cup," the main national knockout tournament in men's football * King's Cup (Bahrain), the premier national knockout football tournament * King's ...

: **Champions: 1968,

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...

**Runners-up: 1965, 1966,

1983 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...

1988 1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...

* Crown Prince's Cup: **Champions: 1965 **Runners-up: 1963, 2000–01, 2007–08, 2011–12 *

Saudi Federation Cup The Prince Faisal bin Fahd Cup, formerly known as the Saudi Federation Cup, was an association football competition organized by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation. History The competition was founded in the 1975–76 season, with Al-Nassr a ...

: **Champions: 1990–91, 2002–03, 2003–04 **Runners-up: 1986–87, 1994–95, 1995–96, 2004–05 * General League Shield **Runners-up: 1968–69 *

Arab Club Champions Cup The Arab Club Champions Cup (, ) is a club football competition organised by the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA) and contested by top clubs from the Arab world. The tournament is contested by a total of 37 teams from Asia and Africa. F ...

: **Champions:

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

: **Champions:

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

**Runners-up:

2007 2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year. Events January * January 1 **Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...

Current squad

Out on loan

Coaching staff

Managerial history

Note: The table is currently being updated.

Performance in AFC competitions

Asian Club Championship The AFC Champions League Elite (abbreviated as the ACL Elite) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's top-division football clubs. It is the most prestigious cl ...

: 1 appearance ** Asian Club Championship 1989: *** Qualifying Round: Al Ettifaq qualified to the

after winning the

, ending top of the group that consisted of

Kazma Kazma () is an area in Kuwait. It is located in Al Jahra Governorate, north of Kuwait City, the capital of Kuwait. It is an ancient area with a long history, known to Persians and Arabs since the Sassanid, Jahiliyyah and the early Islamic eras. ...

(Kuwait), Al Sharjah (UAE), Fanja (Oman), and West Riffa (Bahrain). *** Semi-final (group stage): Al Ettifaq finished second in their group after losing their penultimate game against the eventual champions, Qatari side Al-Sadd (2–1) in a highly controversial game. Apart from the two clubs, the group contained April 25 SC (North Korea), Mohammedan SC (Bangladesh), and

Pahang {{Infobox political division , name = Pahang , official_name = Pahang Darul Makmur , native_name = , settlement_type = States and federal territories of Malaysia, State , image_skyline = , imagesize ...

(Malaysia).Asian Club Championship 1989 – Schedule & Results
. Retrieved 21 November 2011. *

AFC Champions League The AFC Champions League Elite (abbreviated as the ACL Elite) is an annual continental club association football, football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's List of top-division football clubs i ...

: 2 appearances **

AFC Champions League 2009 The 2009 AFC Champions League was the 28th edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 7th under the current AFC Champions League title. The final was held at the National ...

: *** Group Stage – Round of 32: Al Ettifaq was arguably one of the best performers in the group stage after finishing top of the group with 12 points. They won 4 games, lost 2, and scored 15 goals in 6 games, recording the third best attacking stats in the continent in that round. Al Ettifaq were placed in Group D along

FC Bunyodkor Football Club Bunyodkor () is an Uzbek professional football club based in Tashkent that competes in the Uzbekistan Super League. Bunyodkor, a relatively unknown club at the time, made international headlines when it claimed to be close to sig ...

(led by Brazilian ace

Rivaldo Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira (; born 19 April 1972), known simply as Rivaldo, is a Brazilian former footballer who played mainly as an attacking midfielder but also as a second striker, and on occasion deployed as a wide midfielder or as ...

), Sepahan Isfahan, and Al Shabab (UAE). *** Round of 16: Al Ettifaq were knocked from the Round of 16 against Pakhtakor (UZB). After leading 1–0 at halftime, they conceded two late goals that ended their hopes in qualifying to the quarter-final.AFC Champions League 2009 – Schedule & Results
Retrieved 21 November 2011. ** AFC Champions League 2012: *** The draw was held on 6 December 2011 in the Malaysian capital

Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a Federal Territories of Malaysia, federal territory of Malaysia. It is the largest city in the country, covering an area of with a census population ...

.AFC Champions League 2012 – Draw
Retrieved 9 December 2011. *** Al Ettifaq were placed in the second round of the qualifying stages, playing against the winner of the two Iranian sides:

Esteghlal Tehran FC Esteghlal Football Club (استقلال), commonly known as Esteghlal (meaning 'The Independence'), is the oldest Iranian professional football club based in Tehran that competes in the Persian Gulf Pro League. The club was founded in 1945 as 'T ...

and Zob Ahan Isfahan FC. *** Al-Ettifaq lost the one-off game played on 18 February 2012 in Iran against

and eventually went directly to the group stages of the

2012 AFC Cup The 2012 AFC Cup was the ninth edition of the AFC Cup, a football competition organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for clubs from "developing countries" in Asia. Al-Kuwait from Kuwait won their second AFC Cup title in four year ...

. *

AFC Cup The AFC Champions League Two (abbreviated as the ACL Two or ACL2) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation. It is the second-tier competition of Asian club football, ranked below the AFC C ...

: 1 appearance ** AFC Cup 2012: *** After failing to qualify to the group stage of the

2012 AFC Champions League The 2012 AFC Champions League was the 31st edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 10th under the current AFC Champions League title. Ulsan Hyundai from South Korea wo ...

, Al-Ettifaq qualified automatically to the

, and were drawn in Group C with

Kuwait SC Kuwait Sports Club () is a Kuwaiti professional football club based in Kuwait City. Their football team has won Kuwait Premier League 19 times and has won over 50 trophies overall. The club plays in the Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium located i ...

of Kuwait,

Al Ahed Al Ahed Football Club () is a football club based in Ouzai, a district in Beirut, Lebanon, that competes in the Lebanese Premier League, the top flight of Lebanese football. The club was founded in 1964 as Al Ahed Al Jadeed, initially startin ...

of Lebanon, and

VB Sports Club AT Sports Club is a Maldivian professional football club based in Malé. VB Addu FC is the former VB Sports club, which was re-branded on 14 January 2012.Kuwait SC Kuwait Sports Club () is a Kuwaiti professional football club based in Kuwait City. Their football team has won Kuwait Premier League 19 times and has won over 50 trophies overall. The club plays in the Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium located i ...

in Kuwait. The second game was frustrating to the Saudis as they drew in their own stadium 0–0 with

. They defeated the underdogs of the group

before finishing the group with a 3–1 victory in Lebanon against

. *** Al Ettifaq finished off their season with a hard-fought 1–0 victory against Omani side Al-Suwaiq SC in the Round of 16 to progress to the quarter-finals of the tournament.

International competitions

Overview

Record by country

Matches

References

External links

*
Official news website
(archived) {{DEFAULTSORT:Ettifaq FC Ettifaq Ettifaq Ettifaq Ettifaq Football clubs in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia

History

Humble beginning (1941–1953)

First King Cup and Crown Prince Cup (1954–1971)

Champion from Dammam (1972–1989)

Sharp decline in 1970s

Saudi Premier league and Gulf Club Cup Championship

Temporary replacement of Zayani

Double regional title

1989 AFC Champions League

Honours

Current squad

Out on loan

Coaching staff

Managerial history

Performance in AFC competitions

International competitions

Overview

Record by country

Matches

See also

References

External links