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Hilal El-Helwe

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Hilal El-Helwe
El-Helwe with Lebanon at the 2019 Asian Cup
Personal information
Full name Hilal Bassam El-Helwe[1]
Date of birth (1994-11-24) 24 November 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth Hanover, Germany[1]
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[2][3]
Position(s) Forward, winger
Team information
Current team
Bourj
Number 99
Youth career
0000–2008 Hannover 96
2008–2010 TSV Havelse
2010–2012 SC Langenhagen [de]
2012–2013 TSV Havelse
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2015 TSV Havelse 59 (16)
2015–2016 VfL Wolfsburg II 22 (7)
2016–2018 Hallescher FC 55 (4)
2018–2019 Apollon Smyrnis 21 (3)
2019–2021 SV Meppen 38 (7)
2021 Al-Faisaly 3 (0)
2021–2022 Ahed 8 (4)
2022 Penang 19 (5)
2023– Bourj 18 (7)
International career
2015– Lebanon 53 (9)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 04:22, 4 July 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 30 January 2024

Hilal Bassam El-Helwe (Template:Lang-ar, Lebanese Arabic pronunciation: [ˈhleːl basˈseːm lˈħɪlwe]; born 24 November 1994) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Lebanese Premier League club Bourj and the Lebanon national team. A versatile forward, he can play both centrally and as a winger on either flank.

After playing for five years in Germany for TSV Havelse, VfL Wolfsburg II, and Hallescher FC, El-Helwe moved to Greek club Apollon Smyrnis in 2018. He returned to Germany in 2019, signing for SV Meppen, with whom he played for two years. El-Helwe then moved to Asia in 2021, playing for Al-Faisaly in Jordan, Ahed in Lebanon, and Penang in Malaysia. In 2023 he joined Bourj in Lebanon.

Born in Germany, El-Helwe made his international debut for Lebanon in 2015. He scored a brace against North Korea in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, helping Lebanon win their first-ever game in the competition.

Early life

El-Helwe was born to Lebanese parents in Germany; his father had moved to Germany aged seven.[4] El-Helwe has relatives living in Lebanon.[4]

Club career

TSV Havelse

Coming through the youth system, El-Helwe debuted for the senior side of TSV Havelse on 31 August 2013 coming on as a substitute in a 3–2 defeat to Eintracht Braunschweig II.[5] His first goal in the Regionalliga Nord came on 27 October of the same year, scoring the equalizing goal against SV Wilhelmshaven on the 14th minute.[6] He ended his first season at the club with six goals in 26 league games.[7]

In his second season, El-Helwe scored his first domestic brace on 10 October 2014 against Schwarz-Weiß Rehden.[8] He improved on his previous tally scoring 10 goals in 33 appearances for the club, earning him a move to VfL Wolfsburg II the following season.[7]

VfL Wolfsburg II

On 5 September 2015, El-Helwe debuted for VfL Wolfsburg II against his former side TSV Havelse in a 6–1 win, coming on as a substitute on the 65th minute.[9] On 1 November 2015, he scored his first goal for the side against Borussia Hildesheim in a 5–1 away win.[10]

El-Helwe played a total of 22 league games for the side, scoring seven and assisting seven in the process.[7][11] He helped Wolfsburg win the Regionalliga Nord,[12] and played two promotion play-off games against Jahn Regensburg, losing 2–1 on aggregate.[13]

Hallescher FC

El-Helwe with Hallescher FC in 2017

On 22 June 2016, 3. Liga side Hallescher FC announced the acquisition of El-Helwe from VfL Wolfsburg II on a two-year contract.[14] On 6 August 2016, he played his first league match at home against Chemnitzer FC in a 1–1 draw, coming on as a substitute for Sascha Pfeffer on the 78th minute. El-Helwe's first goals for the club came in the form of a brace at the DFB Pokal game against 1. FC Kaiserslautern on 20 August 2016, scoring two goals in four minutes in a 4–3 win.[15]

In the following season, El-Helwe scored his first league goal for the club on 22 July 2017 in the first match of the season, scoring in the 73rd minute against SC Paderborn after coming off the bench in a 4–4 draw.[16] El-Helwe scored a total of four league goals for Halle, all during the 2017–18 season.[7]

Apollon Smyrnis

With his contract expiring, El-Helwe joined Super League Greece side Apollon Smyrnis on a free transfer for the 2018–19 season.[17] El-Helwe's first goal for the club, which came on 15 September 2018, was also Apollon Smyrnis' first of the season, scoring a late consolation goal against PAS Giannina in a 2–1 defeat.[18] On 23 February 2019, El-Helwe scored the equalizer against defending champions AEK, with the match ending 2–1 to the opposing team.[19] Despite finishing last in the league, El-Helwe was Apollon Smyrnis' top scorer in the 2018–19 season with three goals and one assist in 21 appearances.[20][21]

SV Meppen

On 3 July 2019, 3. Liga side SV Meppen announced the signing of El-Helwe on a free transfer, with his contract valid until 2021.[22] His first goal came on 3 November 2019, scoring against Bayern Munich II in a 5–3 home win.[23] On 12 June 2020, El-Helwe scored against his former club Hallescher FC coming on as a substitute.[24] Despite him equalising the score 1–1, the match ended in a 3–2 loss.[24]

In the last two matchdays of the 2019–20 season, on 1 and 4 July 2020, El-Helwe scored two goals and assisted one.[25] He scored a goal against Preußen Münster in a 3–0 away win,[25] and scored and assisted one against Eintracht Braunschewig, helping his side win 4–3.[25][26] El-Helwe finished the season with five goals and three assists in 27 games,[27] averaging a contribution every 144 minutes;[7] SV Meppen finished in 7th place of out 20.[28]

El-Helwe scored his first goal of the 2020–21 season on 3 October 2020, in a 2–1 home defeat to Verl.[29] He agreed the termination of his contract with SV Meppen on 25 February 2021.[30]

Al-Faisaly

On 1 March 2021, El-Helwe joined Jordanian Pro League club Al-Faisaly.[31] He made his debut on 4 March, coming on as a 75th-minute substitute in a Jordan FA Shield game against Al-Ramtha which ended in a 2–2 draw.[32] El-Helwe's league debut came on 10 April, in a 2–2 draw against Sahab.[33]

Following his international duty with the Lebanon national team, El-Helwe returned to Jordan on 24 June;[34] however, he refused to attend the training session, and looked to break his contract with the club following financial disagreements.[35]

Ahed

On 16 July 2021, Lebanese Premier League side Ahed announced the signing of El-Helwe,[36] on a six-month contract.[37] Having made his debut on 13 September,[38] as a starter in a 1–0 win against Tripoli,[39] El-Helwe's first goals for Ahed came on 6 November, scoring twice to help his side beat Sporting 2–0.[40] He scored six goals in 11 games in all competitions for Ahed.[1]

Penang

On 17 February 2022, El-Helwe joined Malaysia Super League side Penang.[41] His first goal for Penang came on 9 April, scoring a penalty in a 1–1 draw against Negeri Sembilan.[42] On 14 May, El-Helwe scored a brace against second-tier side Perak in the second round of the Malaysia FA Cup, via a penalty and a free kick, to help Penang win 4–1 and progress to the quarter-finals.[43] He scored another brace in the quarter-finals, against Sri Pahang, to qualify his team to the semi-finals.[44]

El-Helwe terminated his contract with Penang by mutual consent on 20 October, prior to the start of the 2022 Malaysia Cup the following week.[45] He left the club with five goals and two assists in 19 league games.[45]

Bourj

On 23 July 2023, El-Helwe signed for Bourj in the Lebanese Premier League.[46] Having made his debut for Bourj in the first matchday of the 2023–24 season, on 5 August 2023, as a 57th-minute substitute in a 1–0 win against Tripoli,[1] El-Helwe scored a brace the following game one week later, helping Bourj beat Chabab Ghazieh 4–0.[47] He scored once again the next matchday on 20 August, in the form of an 84th-minute equalizer against Racing Beirut.[48]

International career

El-Helwe (left) with Lebanon during the 2019 AFC Asian Cup game against Saudi Arabia

On 8 October 2015, El-Helwe made his debut for the Lebanon national team, starting in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying 2–0 win against Myanmar.[49] He played as a starter, and was subbed out after 56 minutes.[50] El-Helwe scored his first international goal on 29 March 2016, in Lebanon's home match against Myanmar in the qualifiers, securing a 1–1 draw for his team in the 88th minute.[51]

In December 2018, he was called up for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup squad,[52] and played in all three group stage games.[53] On 17 January 2019, during the last game against North Korea, he scored a volley in the 65th minute thanks to a cross by Mohamad Haidar to put Lebanon in the lead.[54] In the seventh minute of added time, he scored a second volley ending the encounter in a 4–1 win and giving Lebanon their first ever win in the Asian Cup.[54]

On 23 June 2021, El-Helwe scored a volley in a 2021 FIFA Arab Cup qualification match against Djibouti to help Lebanon win 1–0 and qualify for the final tournament.[55]

In December 2023, El-Helwe was included in the Lebanese squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.[56]

Style of play

El-Helwe is a versatile striker who can also play as a winger on both sides.[57] Notwithstanding his height of 1.86 m (6.1 ft), which makes him good at holding play, he is a quick player who runs in behind the defence.[58] El-Helwe is also a good finisher in the box.[58] SV Meppen's sporting director, Heiner Beckmann, described El-Helwe as "physically strong, quick and very versatile in attack" upon signing for the club in 2019.[22]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 4 July 2024[1][7][27]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
TSV Havelse 2013–14 Regionalliga Nord 26 6 26 6
2014–15 Regionalliga Nord 33 10 33 10
Total 59 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 59 16
VfL Wolfsburg II 2015–16 Regionalliga Nord 22 7 2[c] 0 24 7
Hallescher FC 2016–17 3. Liga 25 0 1 2 26 2
2017–18 3. Liga 30 4 30 4
Total 55 4 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 56 6
Apollon Smyrnis 2018–19 Super League Greece 21 3 4 1 25 4
SV Meppen 2019–20 3. Liga 27 5 27 5
2020–21 3. Liga 11 2 11 2
Total 38 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 38 7
Al-Faisaly 2021 Jordanian Pro League 3 0 0 0 2 0 3[d] 0 0 0
Ahed 2021–22 Lebanese Premier League 8 4 2 2 0 0 1[d] 0 11 6
Penang 2022 Malaysia Super League 19 5 4 4 23 9
Bourj 2023–24 Lebanese Premier League 18 7 0 0 18 7
Career total 243 53 11 9 2 0 4 0 2 0 262 62

International

As of match played 22 January 2024[38]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Lebanon 2015 2 0
2016 7 1
2017 5 1
2018 4 1
2019 9 5
2020 0 0
2021 13 1
2022 4 0
2023 5 0
2024 4 0
Total 53 9
Scores and results list Lebanon's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each El-Helwe goal.
List of international goals scored by Hilal El-Helwe
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 29 March 2016 Saida Municipal Stadium, Sidon, Lebanon  Myanmar 1–1 1–1 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
2 10 October 2017 Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon  North Korea 1–0 5–0 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification
3 27 March 2018 Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon  Malaysia 2–1 2–1 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification
4 17 January 2019 Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates  North Korea 2–1 4–1 2019 AFC Asian Cup
5 4–1
6 10 October 2019 Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium, Beirut, Lebanon  Turkmenistan 1–0 2–1 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
7 15 October 2019 Colombo Racecourse, Colombo, Sri Lanka  Sri Lanka 2–0 3–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
8 3–0
9 23 June 2021 Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar  Djibouti 1–0 1–0 2021 FIFA Arab Cup qualification

Honours

VfL Wolfsburg II

Ahed

See also

References

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  2. ^ "AFC Asian Cup 2023 Qatar Squad Lists" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation. p. 13. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  3. ^ "FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021: List of players: Lebanon" (PDF). FIFA. 4 December 2021. p. 9. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Halles El-Helwe: "Der HSV spürt den Druck"" (in German). German Football Association (DFB). 25 October 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  5. ^ "Havelse vs. Eintracht Braunschw. II". Soccerway. 31 August 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  6. ^ "Wilhelmshaven vs. Havelse". Soccerway. 27 October 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Hilal El-Helwe at Soccerway. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Havelse vs. Schwarz-Weiß Rehden". Soccerway. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
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  10. ^ "Borussia Hildesheim vs. Wolfsburg II". Soccerway. 1 November 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
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  47. ^ Khaled, Nasser (12 August 2023). بالصور.. الحلوة يقود البرج لضرب الغازية برباعية [In pictures.. El-Helwe leads Bourj to defeat Ghazieh 4–0]. Kooora (in Arabic). Retrieved 21 August 2023.
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