Ali Al-Habsi
Encyclopedia
Ali Abdullah Harib Al-Habsi , born December 30, 1981 in Muscat
) is an Omani
professional association football player. He currently plays in the Premier League as a goalkeeper
for Wigan Athletic
, having played previously for Bolton Wanderers
and Lyn Oslo.
, a stay which lasted only one year. During his short time with Al-Nasr, Ali helped his team win the Sultan Qaboos Cup
in a final against rivals, Dhofar which ended in a 2-1 victory.
. He was also voted "Norwegian Goalkeeper of the Year" in 2004.
, his father Sam Allardyce – and the club itself.
Al-Habsi did not make any first team appearances in his first year at Bolton. Al-Habsi made his full Bolton debut in the 2–1 extra time League Cup
victory over Fulham
in September 2007.
Al-Habsi then went on to make a further 15 appearances during the course of the 2007/08 season, most notably his performance against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup
against whom he produced several good saves against the star studded German
team. He made his first Premier League start against Wigan Athletic
. In December 2008, he was rewarded for his work with an extension to his contract until 2013. Despite this, Al-Habsi lost his place when Jussi Jääskeläinen
returned from injury.
on loan for the 2010/11 season. He made his debut on 24 August 2010 in a Carling Cup
match against Hartlepool United, and made his first Premier League start for the club on 28 August 2010 against Tottenham Hotspur.
On 18 May 2011, Al Habsi was named Wigan's player of the season for 2010-11.
under-19s squad, before he was spotted by John Burridge
in 2001. Due to the difficulty of securing a work permit, he was unable to move to Europe at this early stage of his career.
He was called-up for Oman, and played in all of their three group matches at the 2004 AFC Asian Cup
in China
and also made four appearances for the team in their qualifying campaign for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
, which they excelled in the first group stage after finishing second in a group with Japan
, India
and Singapore
. He was also Oman's first-choice goalkeeper at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup
, appearing in all of their three group matches.http://www.weltfussball.de/spieler_profil.php?id=16823&modus=4
Al-Habsi also has appeared as main keeper in 4 consecutive Gulf Cups
. In each tournament he earned the award for best goalkeeper, most recently at the 2009 Gulf Cup of Nations
. He kept a clean sheet throughout the 2009 tournament that Oman eventually won.
Currently Al-Habsi has 70 international caps for Oman.
Muscat, Oman
Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...
) is an Omani
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
professional association football player. He currently plays in the Premier League as a goalkeeper
Goalkeeper (football)
In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...
for Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
, having played previously for Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
and Lyn Oslo.
Early years
Al-Habsi began his career at Al-Midhaibi, based in his hometown of Al-Midhaibi. After staying several years at the third division club, Al-Habsi transferred to Omani based team, Al-NasrAl-Nasr (Salalah)
Al-Nasr Sports, Cultural, and Social Club is an Omani multisport club based in Salalah, Oman and was established in 1970. The club is one of the most successful football clubs in the Sultanate, along with rivals and neighbor's Dhofar. They have never been relegated to second division since the...
, a stay which lasted only one year. During his short time with Al-Nasr, Ali helped his team win the Sultan Qaboos Cup
Sultan Qaboos Cup
The Sultan Qaboos Cup is Oman's premier knockout tournament in men's football . Its first edition was held in 1972 and the champions were Al-Ahli. Fanja are the most successful club in the competition by the cup 8 times, and Dhofar comes next by winning 7 times.-Previous winners:-Performance by club:...
in a final against rivals, Dhofar which ended in a 2-1 victory.
Norway
After playing a season at Al-Nasr, Ali Al-Habsi signed to Lyn Oslo, and played three seasons for the Norwegian club. Following his signing with the club, he became the first Omani to play international football in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. He was also voted "Norwegian Goalkeeper of the Year" in 2004.
Bolton Wanderers
His transfer from Lyn Oslo to Bolton in January 2006 was a transfer highlighted in the Stevens inquiry report, in June 2007. The report expressed concerns because of the apparent conflict of interest between agent Craig AllardyceCraig Allardyce
Craig Samuel Allardyce is a retired footballer, football agent He is the son of former player and current manager, Sam Allardyce. He is the manager of non-League club Turton.-Playing career:...
, his father Sam Allardyce – and the club itself.
Al-Habsi did not make any first team appearances in his first year at Bolton. Al-Habsi made his full Bolton debut in the 2–1 extra time League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
victory over Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
in September 2007.
Al-Habsi then went on to make a further 15 appearances during the course of the 2007/08 season, most notably his performance against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
against whom he produced several good saves against the star studded German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
team. He made his first Premier League start against Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
. In December 2008, he was rewarded for his work with an extension to his contract until 2013. Despite this, Al-Habsi lost his place when Jussi Jääskeläinen
Jussi Jääskeläinen
Jussi Albert Jääskeläinen is a Finnish football goalkeeper, who plays for Bolton Wanderers.-Club career:Jääskeläinen was born in Mikkeli, and made his Veikkausliiga debut in Finland for MP Mikkeli in 1992, and became the club's first choice goalkeeper in 1994. In 1996, he moved to VPS Vaasa where...
returned from injury.
Wigan Athletic loan
On 15 July 2010, Al-Habsi joined local Premier League rivals Wigan AthleticWigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
on loan for the 2010/11 season. He made his debut on 24 August 2010 in a Carling Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
match against Hartlepool United, and made his first Premier League start for the club on 28 August 2010 against Tottenham Hotspur.
On 18 May 2011, Al Habsi was named Wigan's player of the season for 2010-11.
Wigan Athletic
On 4 July 2011, Wigan signed Al Habsi to a four-year contract for an estimated £4 million transfer fee from Bolton.Career statistics
As of 11 September 2011| Club | Division | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Lyn Oslo | Tippeligaen Tippeligaen Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official... |
2003 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| 2004 | 24 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | ||
| 2005 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | ||
| Total | 62 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 73 | 0 | ||
| Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers F.C. Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001.... |
Premier League | 2005–06 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006–07 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2007–08 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2009–10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 10 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 0 | ||
| Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic F.C. Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW... |
Premier League | 2010–11 2010–11 Premier League The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011... |
34 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| 2011–12 2011–12 Premier League The 2011–12 Premier League is the twentieth season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2011–12 fixtures were announced on 17 June 2011 at 9:00 BST. The season began on 13 August 2011 and is due to end on 13 May 2012... |
11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||
| Total | 45 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 117 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 141 | 0 | ||
International career
Ali began playing in his native Oman at the age of seventeen, and joined the ranks of the OmanOman national football team
The Oman national football team is the national team of Oman. Although the team was officially founded in 1978, the squad was formed long before, and has established a proper football association in only December, 2005...
under-19s squad, before he was spotted by John Burridge
John Burridge
John Burridge is an English former football goalkeeper who played for 29 different clubs in a career that lasted nearly 30 years. Overall, Burridge played 771 league games in the English and Scottish leagues, and several more at non-league level...
in 2001. Due to the difficulty of securing a work permit, he was unable to move to Europe at this early stage of his career.
He was called-up for Oman, and played in all of their three group matches at the 2004 AFC Asian Cup
2004 AFC Asian Cup
The 2004 AFC Asian Cup football competition is the thirteenth staging of AFC Asian Cup. It was held from July 17 to August 7, 2004 in China. The defending champions Japan defeated China in the final in Beijing....
in China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and also made four appearances for the team in their qualifying campaign for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, which they excelled in the first group stage after finishing second in a group with Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
, India
India national football team
The Indian national football team is the national football team of India and is governed by the All India Football Federation. It is a member of the Asian Football Confederation. Since 1948, the AIFF has been affiliated with FIFA, the international governing body for football. In 1954, AIFF became...
and Singapore
Singapore national football team
The Singapore national football team is the national association football team of Singapore. The team comes under the organization of the Football Association of Singapore...
. He was also Oman's first-choice goalkeeper at the 2007 AFC Asian Cup
2007 AFC Asian Cup
The Asian Football Confederation's 2007 AFC Asian Cup finals were held from July 7 to July 29, 2007. For the first time in its history, the competition was co-hosted by four nations: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The tournament was won by first-time champions Iraq, who defeated Saudi...
, appearing in all of their three group matches.http://www.weltfussball.de/spieler_profil.php?id=16823&modus=4
Al-Habsi also has appeared as main keeper in 4 consecutive Gulf Cups
Gulf Cup of Nations
The Gulf Cup of Nations , also known as Khaleeji followed by the edition of the games , is a football tournament currently held every two years rotating the host city every edition...
. In each tournament he earned the award for best goalkeeper, most recently at the 2009 Gulf Cup of Nations
2009 Gulf Cup of Nations
The 2009 Gulf Cup of Nations was the nineteenth edition of the biannual Gulf Cup competition, and took place in Muscat, Oman, from 4 January to 17 January 2009 and was won by Oman for the first time in its history, in a penalty shootout against regional rivals, Saudi Arabia.The 2009 Gulf Cup of...
. He kept a clean sheet throughout the 2009 tournament that Oman eventually won.
Currently Al-Habsi has 70 international caps for Oman.
Honours
- Best Goalkeeper of the Gulf Cup: 2003, 2004, 2007, 2009
- Arab Goalkeeper of the Year: 2004
- Norwegian Goalkeeper of the Year: 2004
- Wigan Athletic Player of the Year: 2011