Abdulla Koni
Abdulla Obaid Koni (Arabic: عبد الله كوني, born on July 19, 1979, in Senegal) is a retired Qatari footballer of Senegalese descent who was a defender for Al Sadd. He was also a member of the Qatar national football team.[1] He also played for their national youth team.[2]
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Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Abdulla Obaid Koni | ||
Date of birth | July 19, 1979 | ||
Place of birth | Dakar, Senegal | ||
Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
Playing position(s) | Defender | ||
Youth career | |||
1990–1996 | Al Sadd | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1996–2014 | Al Sadd | 342 | (13) |
National team‡ | |||
1998–1999 | Qatar U–20 | 3 | (0) |
1997–2012 | Qatar | 47 | (3) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of December 10, 2014 ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of December 10, 2012 |
Career
Koni captained Al Sadd to victory in the AFC Champions League in 2011. In the round of 16 of the tournament, he scored a decisive header against Al Shabab which turned out to be the winner. His team went on to win the tournament, defeating Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the final in South Korea. As a result of the AFC Champions League triumph, he led his team into the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup. In the quarter-finals, he scored the winning goal against Espérance de Tunis slotting in a cross from teammate Lee Jung-Soo, earning his team a 2–1 victory. This set up a semi-final confrontation against Barcelona on 15 December 2011.
With Barcelona leading 1–0 in the 36th minute, Barcelona forward David Villa timed a run well and allowed for a ball to be played over the top into the path of his run. Villa and Koni raced toward the Al Sadd net. As the ball hit the ground, Villa failed to corral the ball, allowing the Koni the time to catch up and challenge for the ball on its next bounce. He made a shoulder challenge on Villa as he attempted to strike the ball, causing Villa to fall awkwardly on his left leg and break it. Because of this, Koni was dubbed as "maybe the most influential player of the Euro 2012".[3]
Career statistics
International goals
# | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 29 November 2003 | Singapore | ![]() | 0–2 | Won | 2004 Asian Cup qual. | |||||
2. | 8 January 2004 | Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium, Kuwait City, Kuwait | ![]() | 1–2 | Won | 2003 Gulf Cup of Nations | |||||
3. | 16 November 2007 | Thani bin Jassim Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar | ![]() | 1–2 | Lost | Friendly match | |||||
Correct as of 14 November 2015[4][5][6] |
Honours
Club
Al Sadd:
- Bronze Medalist, 2011
- 2011
- Arab Champions League: 1
- 2001
- Qatari League: 5
- 1999–2000, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2012–13
- 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007
- Qatar Crown Prince Cup: 5
- 1998, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008
- Sheikh Jassem Cup: 4
- 1998, 2000, 2002, 2007
- 2010-11
References
- FIFA.com - Abdulla Koni
- "Abdulla Obaid Koni". 11v11.com. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
- "Abdulla Koni: The Qatari Player Who May Have Decided Euro 2012". bleacherreport.com. 11 June 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- "الكويت قطر". Archived from the original on 2015-11-17. Retrieved 2015-11-14.
- Koni, Abdullah Obaid
- Asian Nations Cup 2004
External links
- Player profile - doha-2006.com
- Abdulla Koni – FIFA competition record
- Abdullah Koni at National-Football-Teams.com