Layla Pascal "Lili" Iskandar (; born 16 May 2002) is a Lebanese
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
*Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Smal ...
for the
Lebanon national team.
Starting out at
Salam Zgharta
Salam Zgharta Football Club (), known as Salam Zgharta or simply Salam, is a football club based in Zgharta, Lebanon, that competes in the .
Founded in 1933 as Salam Achrafieh, the club was renamed Salam Zgharta in 1971; their supporters are ...
in
2018–19, Iskandar moved to reigning champions
SAS. In her first season at the club (
2019–20), she helped SAS lift their fifth league title, scoring 15 goals in the process. Iskandar joined Danish side
HB Køge
HB Køge () is a professional Danish football club based primarily in the town of Herfølge, and secondly in the town of Køge, both in the Køge Municipality, part of 'Region of Zealand', in the eastern part of Zealand, south of Copenhagen. It ...
for the
2021–22 season. In 2022 she moved to
Etihad in Jordan, winning the 2023
league
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
* ''League of Legends'', a 2009 multiplayer online battle a ...
title as top goalscorer (14 goals). At the end of the season, Iskandar joined Saudi club
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 ...
.
Iskandar represented Lebanon at the
youth level, winning the
2019 WAFF U-18 Girls Championship as the competition's top scorer. Iskandar has also played at senior level since 2018. She helped Lebanon finish runners-up at the
WAFF Women's Championship
The West Asian Football Federation Women's Championship (), or simply WAFF Women's Championship, is an international women's association football competition contested by the senior women's national teams of the members of the West Asian Footbal ...
in
2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
as the competition's best player, and in third place in
2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
.
Club career
Lebanon
Iskandar played for hometown club
Salam Zgharta
Salam Zgharta Football Club (), known as Salam Zgharta or simply Salam, is a football club based in Zgharta, Lebanon, that competes in the .
Founded in 1933 as Salam Achrafieh, the club was renamed Salam Zgharta in 1971; their supporters are ...
during the
2018–19 season, scoring 10 goals.
In 2019 she moved to reigning champions
SAS. In the final matchday of the season, Iskandar scored a brace against
EFP to help her side win the
2019–20 league title. She ended the season with 15 goals,
scoring at a rate of more than one goal per game.
HB Køge
On 9 July 2021, Iskandar joined
HB Køge
HB Køge () is a professional Danish football club based primarily in the town of Herfølge, and secondly in the town of Køge, both in the Køge Municipality, part of 'Region of Zealand', in the eastern part of Zealand, south of Copenhagen. It ...
ahead of the
2021–22 Danish Women's League
The 2021–22 Danish Women's League, also known as Gjensidige Kvindeligaen, is the 50th season of the highest women's football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ...
on a one-year contract.
Etihad
On 3 July 2022, Iskandar moved to
Jordan Women's Pro League club
Etihad. She cited reuniting with former Lebanon national team coach
Wael Gharzeddine
Wael Gharzeddine (; born 3 February 1978) is a football coach who is the head coach of the Lebanon women's national team. Born in Lebanon, Gharzeddine moved to Australia at an early age and holds dual citizenship.
Career
Early career
Begin ...
as the main reason for joining the club. Iskandar scored her first goal on 17 July, helping Etihad beat
Al-Nasr
Al-Nassr Football Club () is a professional football club based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The club competes in the Saudi Pro League, the top tier of the Saudi football league system. Al-Nassr is one of only three clubs to have participated ...
3–0 in the league. She finished the season with five goals in 12 games,
helping her side finish runners-up in the league and the cup.
On 2 September 2023, Iskandar led Ettihad to win the
2023 Jordanian-Saudi Women's Clubs Championship
2023 Jordanian-Saudi Women's Clubs Championship was the first edition of the Jordanian-Saudi Women's Clubs Championship. organized by collaboration between the Jordan Football Association and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation. Etihad Club, th ...
as top scorer with four goals. She finished the 2023 Jordan Women's Pro League as top scorer with 14 goals in 12 games,
helping Etihad win their first league title.
Al-Ittihad
In October 2023, Iskandar joined
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 ...
during the
2023–24 Saudi Women's Premier League
The 2023–24 Saudi Women's Premier League was the second season of the Saudi Women's Premier League, the top-level women's football league in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Nassr were the defending champions and successfully retained their title.
Overview ...
on loan until the end of the season.
She finished the season with seven goals and one assist in 17 games in all competitions.
In July 2024, Al-Ittihad signed her on a permanent contract for one year. Iskandar left the club at the end of the season; she played 31 games over two seasons in the Saudi Women's Premier League, scoring 10 goals in the process.
International career
Youth
Iskandar's first international goal came on her debut for the
Lebanon under-19 national team, on 24 October 2018, in a
2019 AFC U-19 Championship qualification match against
Hong Kong U19. She played four games during the qualifiers, scoring once.
[ Iskandar was the top goalscorer of the ]2019 WAFF U-18 Championship
2019 WAFF U-18 Championship was the first edition of the WAFF U-18 Championship. A WAFF youth football championship organised by the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) for the men's under-18 national teams of West Asia. It was held in Ramalla ...
, which she won, scoring seven goals in five matches.
In December 2020, Iskandar played two friendly games against Egypt U19, a 3–1 defeat and a 3–2 win, scoring in both games. With her two goals against Egypt, Iskandar became the first player to reach 10 goals for the under-18 and under-19 teams.
Senior
Iskandar's senior debut for 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 ...
came on 8 November 2018, coming on as a substitute against Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
in a 2020 AFC Olympic qualification match. Iskandar also played four games for Lebanon at the 2019 WAFF Championship
The 2019 West Asian Football Federation Championship, also called Asiacell WAFF Championship Iraq 2019 due to sponsorship by Asiacell, was the 9th edition of the WAFF Championship, an international tournament for member nations of the West Asian ...
,[ helping her team reach third place.
On 24 October 2021, Iskandar scored her first goal in a 2022 AFC Asian Cup qualification game against ]Guam
Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
, which ended in a 3–0 win. Iskandar took part in the 2022 WAFF Championship; she helped her side finish runners-up as the tournament's best player, scoring one goal against Palestine
Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
on 29 August. On 8 April 2023, Iskandar scored her first international brace in a 5–0 win against Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
in the 2024 AFC Olympic Qualifying Tournament. On 30 September 2023, Iskandar scored in the 102nd minute of the 2023 SAFF Friendly Tournament final, a 1–0 win against Bhutan
Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...
. In the process, she broke Christy Maalouf
Christy Tony Maalouf (; born 20 December 2005) is a Lebanese footballer who plays as forward for French club and the Lebanon national team.
Club career
Maalouf began her career at the Jeita Country Club, before moving to Zouk Mosbeh in 20 ...
's record of eight international goals for Lebanon.
Iskandar opened the 2024 WAFF Championship with a hat-trick against Guam
Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
on 19 February 2024, helping her side win 4–3; she became the first player to score 10 goals for her national team. Iskandar's third goal of the match was also the Lebanon women's national team's 100th of all time.
Style of play
In her youth, Iskandar was an attacking midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...
with good finishing and capable of creating attacking chances.
Personal life
Iskandar speaks three languages: English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Culture, language and peoples
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
* ''English'', an Amish ter ...
, French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
, and Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
. Her idol is American footballer Alex Morgan
Alexandra Morgan Carrasco (born Alexandra Patricia Morgan; July 2, 1989) is an American former professional association football, soccer player.She co-captained the United States women's national soccer team, United States national team with ...
, who she described as a "lady on and off the pitch".
Career statistics
Club
International
:''Scores and results list Lebanon's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Iskandar goal''.
Honours
SAS
* Lebanese Women's Football League
The Lebanese Women's Football League () is the only league of women's football in Lebanon. It is run by the Lebanese Football Association and began in May 2008, with six teams participating in the debut season. As of the 2024–25 season, ni ...
: 2019–20
Etihad
* Jordan Women's Pro League: 2023; runner-up: 2022
* Jordanian-Saudi Women's Clubs Championship: 2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
* Jordan Women's Cup runner-up: 2022
Lebanon U18
* WAFF U-18 Girls Championship: 2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
Lebanon
* WAFF Women's Championship
The West Asian Football Federation Women's Championship (), or simply WAFF Women's Championship, is an international women's association football competition contested by the senior women's national teams of the members of the West Asian Footbal ...
runner-up: 2022
The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
; third place: 2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
Individual
* Jordan Women's Pro League top scorer: 2023
* Women's Club Championship top scorer: 2023
* WAFF Women's Championship best player: 2022
* WAFF U-18 Girls Championship top goalscorer: 2019
This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year.
Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
Records
* Lebanon all-time top goalscorer: 15 goals (''as of 1 June 2025'')
See also
* List of top international women's football goalscorers by country
* List of Lebanon women's international footballers
The Lebanon women's national football team represents Lebanon in international women's football. The team is fielded by the Lebanese Football Association (LFA), the governing body of football in Lebanon, and competes as a member of the Asian Footb ...
References
External links
Profile
at HB Køge
HB Køge () is a professional Danish football club based primarily in the town of Herfølge, and secondly in the town of Køge, both in the Køge Municipality, part of 'Region of Zealand', in the eastern part of Zealand, south of Copenhagen. It ...
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iskandar, Lili
2002 births
Living people
People from Zgharta
Sportspeople from North Governorate
Lebanese women's footballers
21st-century Lebanese sportswomen
Women's association football forwards
Salam Zgharta FC (women) players
Stars Association for Sports players
HB Køge (women) players
Etihad Club players
Al-Ittihad Club (Jeddah, women) players
Lebanese Women's Football League players
Jordan Women's Pro League players
Saudi Women's Premier League players
Lebanon women's youth international footballers
Lebanon women's international footballers
Lebanese expatriate women's footballers
Lebanese expatriate sportspeople in Denmark
Lebanese expatriate sportspeople in Jordan
Lebanese expatriate sportspeople in Saudi Arabia
Expatriate women's footballers in Denmark
Expatriate women's footballers in Jordan
Expatriate women's footballers in Saudi Arabia