Mahmoud El Ali

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Mahmoud El Ali

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = Mahmoud Mohamad El Ali{{GSA player|mahmoud-el-ali/192015|access-date=22 April 2021}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|03|04|df=y}}

| birth_place = {{Interlanguage link|Aabboudiye|ar|العبودية (عكار)}}, Lebanon

| height = 1.83 m

| position = Striker

| years1 = 2004–2005

| clubs1 = Rayyan

| caps1 =

| goals1 = 5

| years2 = 2005–2013

| clubs2 = Ahed

| caps2 =

| goals2 = 52

| years3 = 2013

| clubs3 = Persiba Balikpapan

| caps3 = 16

| goals3 = 3

| totalcaps = ?

| totalgoals = 60

| nationalyears1 = 2007–2012

| nationalteam1 = Lebanon

| nationalcaps1 = 46

| nationalgoals1 = 12

}}

Mahmoud Mohamad El Ali ({{langx|ar|محمود محمد العلي}}; born 4 March 1984) is a Lebanese former professional footballer who played as a striker. El Ali represented the Lebanon national team, scoring 12 goals in 46 games, before being banned for life from professional football due to his involvement in the 2013 Lebanese match fixing scandal.

Club career

El Ali began his senior career at Lebanese Premier League club Rayyan, during the 2004–05 season.{{Cite web|title=Mahmoud El-Ali|url=http://www.national-football-teams.com/player/13255/Mahmoud_El_Ali.html|last=Strack-Zimmermann|first=Benjamin|website=www.national-football-teams.com|language=en|access-date=2020-05-05}} The forward scored five goals. In 2005 El Ali moved to Ahed, scoring four goals and helping his side finish in fifth place during the 2005–06 season. The following season (2006–07), El Ali improved on his previous season's numbers, scoring 12 goals. However, Ahed finished in fifth place once again. In 2007–08, El Ali helped his side win their first league title, scoring three goals.

The following three seasons, El Ali lifted two more league titles (2009–10 and 2010–11), two Lebanese FA Cups (2008–09 and 2010–11),{{Cite web|title=Lebanon - List of Cup Winners|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesl/lebcuphist.html|website=RSSSF|access-date=2020-05-05}} three Lebanese Elite Cups (2008, 2010, and 2011), and three Lebanese Super Cups (2008, 2010, 2011). The forward was also part of the Lebanese Premier League Team of the Season for two consecutive seasons, in 2010–11 and 2011–12.{{Cite web|title=معتوق أفضل لاعب لبناني وحيدر يطالب بإصلاحات|url=https://al-akhbar.com/Sport/88593|website=الأخبار|language=ar|access-date=2020-05-05}}

In January 2013, El Ali moved to Indonesian Liga 1 side Persiba Balikpapan.{{Cite web|title=Pelatih Persiba : Striker Lebanon, Mahmoud El Ali Cerdik dan bertenaga|url=http://12paz.blogspot.com/2013/01/pelatih-persiba-striker-lebanon-mahmoud.html|last=|first=|date=2 January 2013|website=12paz.blogspot.com|access-date=2020-05-05}}{{Cite web|title=Persiba Bakal Andalkan Duet Striker Timnas Lebanon|url=https://www.bola.net/indonesia/persiba-bakal-andalkan-duet-striker-timnas-lebanon-76fc15.html|last=|first=|date=19 January 2013|website=www.bola.net|access-date=2020-05-05}} He scored three goals in 16 league games.{{cite web|title=Mahmoud El Ali|url=http://www.ligaindonesia.co.id/index.php/klub/PERSIBA-BALIKPAPAN-41/detail-pemain/?id=5552|publisher=ligaindonesia.co.id|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304203058/http://www.ligaindonesia.co.id/index.php/klub/PERSIBA-BALIKPAPAN-41/detail-pemain/?id=5552|archive-date=4 March 2016|accessdate=11 January 2013}} On 26 February 2013, El Ali was accused of illegal betting on several national and continental games concerning Lebanese teams and the national team.{{Cite web|title=Lebanon National Football team players Mahmoud al-Ali, Ramez Dyoub banned for life, fined USD 15,000 for manipulating results|url=https://www.lbcgroup.tv/news/breaking-news/76470/lebanon-national-football-team-players-mahmoud-al/en|website=LBCI Lebanon|language=en|access-date=2020-05-05}} He was banned for life from football and was fined $15,000. Following El Ali's involvement in the 2013 Lebanese match-fixing scandal, on 26 April 2013, Persiba Balikpapan terminated El Ali's contract with the club.{{Cite web|title=Persiba Balikpapan Segera Pecat Mahmoud El Ali|url=https://regional.kompas.com/read/2013/04/26/14312994/persiba.balikpapan.segera.pecat.mahmoud.el.ali|last=Media|first=Kompas Cyber|website=KOMPAS.com|date=26 April 2013 |language=id|access-date=2020-05-05}}

International career

El Ali made his international debut for Lebanon 16 June 2007, at the 2007 WAFF Championship, against Syria; Lebanon lost 1–0.{{Cite web|title=Mahmoud El-Ali – International Appearances|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/leb-elali-intl.html|website=RSSSF|access-date=2020-05-05}} The Lebanese forward's first international goal came on 23 September 2007, in a friendly against the United Arab Emirates (UAE); the match finished in a 1–1 draw. On 17 July 2011, El Ali scored his first, and only, international brace; he scored twice against the UAE in a friendly.

In 2013, El Ali was accused of match fixing a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification game against Qatar, on 14 November 2012, purposely throwing the match in the opponents favour. Lebanon lost 1–0. Following the investigations, on 24 April 2013 El Ali was banned for life from the sport. El Ali retired with 12 goals in 46 appearances for the national team.{{Cite web|title=Lebanon – Record International Players|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/leb-recintlp.html|website=RSSSF|access-date=2020-05-05}}

Career statistics

= International =

class="wikitable sortable" \|+List of international goals scored by Mahmoud El Ali ! No. !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
1	23 September 2007	Dubai, United Arab Emirates	{{fb\|UAE}}	1–1	Draw	Friendly
2	8 October 2007	Saida, Lebanon	{{fb\|IND}}	4–1	Win	2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification
3	2 January 2008	Kuwait City, Kuwait	{{fb\|KUW}}	2–3	Loss	Friendly
4	9 April 2008	Beirut, Lebanon	{{fb\|MDV}}	4–0	Win	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
5	7 June 2008	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	{{fb\|KSA}}	1–4	Loss	2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification
6	21 January 2009	Phuket, Thailand	{{fb\|THA}}	2–1	Loss	2009 King's Cup
7	6 January 2010	Sidon, Lebanon	{{fb\|VIE}}	1–1	Draw	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
8	rowspan="2" \|17 July 2011	rowspan="2" \|Al Ain, United Arab Emirates	rowspan="2" \|{{fb\|UAE}}	rowspan="2" \|2–6	rowspan="2" \|Loss	rowspan="2" \|Friendly
9
10	23 July 2011	Beirut, Lebanon	{{fb\|BAN}}	4–0	Win	2014 FIFA World Cup Qualification
11	11 November 2011	Kuwait City, Kuwait	{{fb\|KUW}}	1–0	Win	2014 FIFA World Cup Qualification
12	29 February 2012	Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates	{{fb\|UAE}}	2–4	Loss	2014 FIFA World Cup Qualification

Honours

Ahed

Lebanese Premier League: 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11
Lebanese FA Cup: 2008–09, 2010–11
Lebanese Elite Cup: 2008, 2010, 2011
Lebanese Super Cup: 2008, 2010, 2011

Individual

Lebanese Premier League Team of the Season: 2006–07,{{Cite web|last=Al Sahili|first=Mohamed|date=4 July 2007|title=|script-title=ar:تقرير مفصل مع الصور الحصرية لكوورة لبنانية عن مهرجان المنار 2006–2007|url=https://www.kooora.com/?n=23888|access-date=10 February 2022|website=Kooora|language=ar}} 2007–08,{{Cite web|date=10 July 2008|title=|script-title=ar:العراقي سدير أفضل لاعب في استفتاء "المنار"|url=https://www.alkhaleej.ae/2008-07-10/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%8A-%D8%B3%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A3%D9%81%D8%B6%D9%84-%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%A8-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B1/%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B6%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A/%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B6%D8%A9|access-date=13 February 2022|website=alkhaleej.ae|language=ar}} 2010–11,{{Cite web|date=18 May 2011|title=|script-title=ar:معتوق أفضل لاعب لبناني وحيدر يطالب بإصلاحات|url=https://al-akhbar.com/Sport/88593|access-date=14 May 2019|website=al-akhbar|language=ar}} 2011–12{{Cite web|date=15 May 2012|title=|script-title=ar:بلال نجارين أفضل لاعب في مهرجان "كرة المنار"|url=https://www.malaeeb.com/pages/article/2941-%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%84+%D9%86%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%86+%D8%A3%D9%81%D8%B6%D9%84+%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%A8+%D9%81%D9%8A+%D9%85%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86+%27%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A9+%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B1%27|access-date=13 May 2019|website=malaeeb.com|language=ar}}