Jihad Ayoub
Footballer (born 1995)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jihad Khaled Ayoub (Arabic: جهاد خالد أيوب; born 30 March 1995) is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or centre-back for Lebanese Premier League club Jwaya. Born in Venezuela, he plays for the Lebanon national team.
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Ayoub with Ansar in 2020 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jihad Khaled Ayoub[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 30 March 1995 | ||
| Place of birth | Porlamar, Venezuela[1] | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[2][3] | ||
| Positions | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Jwaya | ||
| Number | 5 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Margarita | |||
| Millwall | |||
| Notts County | |||
| Melita | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2018 | Ahed | 1 | (1) |
| 2017–2018 | → Shabab Sahel (loan) | ||
| 2018–2019 | Bekaa | 20 | (2) |
| 2019–2022 | Ansar | 31 | (2) |
| 2022–2024 | PSS Sleman | 46 | (6) |
| 2024–2025 | Safa | 22 | (2) |
| 2025– | Jwaya | 21 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021– | Lebanon | 26 | (2) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 09:43, 3 August 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 4 June 2026 | |||
Club career
Early career
Ayoub played at youth level for academies in Venezuela, Argentina, England, and Malta.[4][5] He played for his university team in Venezuela before moving on to professional clubs.[5] His youth career includes stints at Margarita in Venezuela, Millwall and Notts County in England,[4] and Melita in Malta,[6] where he played for their under-21 team.[4]
Ayoub joined Lebanese Premier League side Ahed in January 2017,[7] helping them lift the league title in 2016–17.[8] He was sent on a one-year loan to Lebanese Second Division side Shabab Sahel for the 2017–18 season, where they finished in first place and were promoted to the Premier League.[9]
Bekaa
He moved to Bekaa on a free transfer in summer 2018.[10] On 24 February 2019, Ayoub assisted both of Bekaa's goals against Ansar in a 2–2 draw.[11] He finished the season with two goals in 20 games,[12] and was regarded as one of the club's best-performing players in the 2018–19 season.[10]
Ansar
Following a trial with the club,[13] Ayoub joined Ansar on a two-year contract in May 2019.[14] Having extended his contract in July 2020,[15] Ayoub announced his decision to end his contract in March 2021.[16] He returned to the club the same month,[17] and helped Ansar win the domestic double (league and Lebanese FA Cup) in 2020–21.[18] Ayoub renewed his contract in July 2021.[18]
PSS Sleman
On 6 July 2022, Ayoub joined Indonesian club PSS Sleman.[19]
Safa and Jwaya
Ayoub returned to Lebanon on 20 July 2024, joining Lebanese Premier League club Safa.[20]
On 7 August 2025, Ayoub joined newly-promoted side Jwaya.[21]
International career
_30_(Jihad_Ayoub).jpg)
Ayoub made his international debut for Lebanon on 1 December 2021, as a substitute in a 1–0 defeat to Egypt at the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup.[22] In December 2023, Ayoub was included in the Lebanese squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.[23] He scored his first international goal on 4 September 2024 against Tajikistan during the 2024 Merdeka Tournament.[24]
Career statistics
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lebanon | 2021 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 26 | 2 | |
- Scores and results list Lebanon's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ayoub goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 September 2024 | Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |  Tajikistan |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2024 Pestabola Merdeka |
| 2 | 9 October 2025 | Grand Hamad Stadium, Doha, Qatar |  Bhutan |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualification |
Honours
Ahed
Shabab Sahel
Ansar
- Lebanese Premier League: 2020–21
- Lebanese FA Cup: 2020–21; runner-up: 2021–22
- Lebanese Elite Cup: 2019
- Lebanese Super Cup: 2021
