Haitham Zein
Lebanese footballer (born 1979)
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Haitham Ali Mohamad Al Haj Ali Zein (Arabic: هيثم علي محمد الحج علي زين; born 6 January 1979), or simply Haitham Zein, is a Lebanese former footballer who played as a forward. He played for numerous Lebanese Premier League clubs, mainly at Tadamon Sour, and represented Lebanon internationally.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Haitham Ali Mohamad Al Haj Ali Zein[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 6 January 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Fallujah, Iraq[1] | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994–1995 | Tadamon Sour | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1995–2005 | Tadamon Sour | (94) | |
| 2005–2006 | Nejmeh | (0) | |
| 2006–2008 | Bahrain SC | (7) | |
| 2008–2009 | Chabab Ghazieh | (2) | |
| 2009–2011 | Islah Borj Shmali | (13) | |
| 2011–2012 | Salam Sour | 15 | (3) |
| Total | ? | (119) | |
| International career | |||
| 2002 | Lebanon U23 | (1) | |
| 1997–2004 | Lebanon | 50 | (16) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Early life
Zein was born in Iraq to parents from Burj el-Shamali, Lebanon; he began playing football aged 11 in the streets of the Al-Anbar Governorate.[2] He then moved to Lebanon with his family due to the Gulf War.[2]
Club career
Tadamon Sour
Zein signed for Tadamon Sour's youth team in 1994.[2] He made his senior debut in 1995, coming on as an 80th-minute substitute against Bourj at the Saida Municipal Stadium; trailing 2–1, Zein scored a goal and assisted two, helping his side overturn the result to 4–2.[2] He played with Tadamon until 2005, scoring 94 league goals.[3]
Nejmeh
On 9 November 2005, Zein moved to Nejmeh,[4] spending half a season. He described his short experience at Nejmeh as negative.[3]
Bahrain SC
He moved abroad to Bahrain SC in 2006.[5]
Return to Lebanon
He returned to Lebanon in 2008, signing for Chabab Ghazieh,[5] before moving to Islah Borj Shmali the following season.[6] Zein was among the league's top scorers in the 2010–11 Lebanese Premier League, scoring eight goals.[7] In October 2011, he signed for Salam Sour,[8] making 15 appearances for the side and scoring three goals. He retired that season.[9]
Zein scored 112 goals in the Lebanese Premier League – 96 without considering his goals scored in the cancelled 2000–01 season.[3]
International career
In 2002, Zein played for the Lebanon Olympic team at the 2002 Asian Games, scoring a goal in an 11–0 win against Afghanistan.[10] He played for the senior team between 1998 and 2004. He played 50 international matches, scoring 16 goals.[11]
Managerial career
Personal life
Zein's nephew, Mahdi Zein, also plays football.[14]
Career statistics
International
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 23 August 1999 | Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan |  Jordan | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1999 Arab Games |
| 2. | 2–0 | |||||
| 3. | 3–0 | |||||
| 4. | 25 August 1999 | Al-Hassan Stadium, Irbid, Jordan |  Oman | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1999 Arab Games |
| 5. | 16 February 2000 | Lebanon |  North Korea | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 6. | 8 March 2000 | King Abdullah II Stadium, Amman, Jordan | Jordan | 1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 7. | 25 May 2000 | King Abdullah II Stadium, Amman, Jordan |  Kyrgyzstan | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2000 WAFF Championship |
| 8. | 25 June 2000 | Tripoli, Lebanon |  Kuwait | 1–1 | 1–3 | Friendly |
| 9. | 10 September 2000 | Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon |  United Arab Emirates | 2–? | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 10. | 7 March 2001 | Tripoli International Stadium, Tripoli, Lebanon |  Syria | 1–0 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 11. | 13 May 2001 | Beirut Municipal Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon |  Pakistan | 1–0 | 6–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 12. | 2–0 | |||||
| 13. | 5–0 | |||||
| 14. | 28 May 2001 | Suphachalasai Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand |  Sri Lanka | 4–0 | 5–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 15. | 9 June 2004 | Beirut Municipal Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon |  Maldives | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 16. | 19 June 2004 | Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran | Syria | 1–3 | 1–3 | 2004 WAFF Championship |