Mohammad Kassas

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Mohammad Kassas

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = Mohammad Ali Kassas{{GSA player|mohammad-kassas/168755|access-date=20 March 2021}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|07|01|df=y}}

| birth_place = Maqne, Lebanon

| height = 1.86 m

| position = Striker

| currentclub = Nejmeh (technical director)

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Mabarra

| years1 = 1988–1997 | clubs1 = Mabarra | caps1 = | goals1 =

| years2 = 1997 | clubs2 = Ansar | caps2 = 0 | goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1997–1998 | clubs3 = Safa | caps3 = | goals3 =

| years4 = 1999–2000 | clubs4 = Shabab Sahel | caps4 = | goals4 = 2

| years5 = 2000–2002 | clubs5 = Sagesse | caps5 = 45 | goals5 = 18

| years6 = 2002–2003 | clubs6 = Olympic Beirut | caps6 = | goals6 =

| years7 = 2003–2005 | clubs7 = Nejmeh | caps7 = | goals7 = 43

| years8 = 2005–2006 | clubs8 = Al-Qadsiah | caps8 = | goals8 = 6

| years9 = 2006–2007 | clubs9 = Sagesse | caps9 = | goals9 = 4

| years10 = 2007 | clubs10 = Ahed | caps10 = | goals10 = 2

| years11 = 2008 | clubs11 = Nawair | caps11 = | goals11 = 5

| years12 = 2009 | clubs12 = Shabab Sahel | caps12 = | goals12 = 6

| years13 = 2009–2010 | clubs13 = Sagesse | caps13 = | goals13 =

| years14 = 2010–2011 | clubs14 = Safa | caps14 = | goals14 = 16

| years15 = 2011–2013 | clubs15 = Al-Ramtha | caps15 = 33 | goals15 = 16

| years16 = 2012 | clubs16 = → Mabarra (loan) | caps16 = | goals16 =

| years17 = 2013–2014 | clubs17 = Nabi Chit | caps17 = | goals17 =

| years18 = 2014 | clubs18 = Al-Ramtha | caps18 = 9 | goals18 = 2

| years19 = 2014–2016 | clubs19 = Sagesse | caps19 = | goals19 =

| years20 = 2016–2017 | clubs20 = Safa | caps20 = 11 | goals20 = 3

| years21 = 2021 | clubs21 = Sagesse | caps21 = | goals21 =

| totalcaps =

| totalgoals =

| nationalyears1 = 2002 | nationalteam1 = Lebanon U23 | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = 3

| nationalyears2 = 2001–2009 | nationalteam2 = Lebanon | nationalcaps2 = 26 | nationalgoals2 = 3

}}

Mohammad Ali Kassas ({{langx|ar|محمد علي قصاص}}; born 1 July 1976) is a Lebanese former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is the technical director of {{Lebanese football updater|Nejmeh}} club Nejmeh.

Kassas was the Lebanese Premier League top goal-scorer for Nejmeh twice in a row, scoring 22 goals in 2003–04 and 21 goals in 2004–05. He also represented the Lebanon national team, scoring three goals in 23 appearances.

Club career

Kassas started his senior career in 1988, aged 12, at Mabarra in the Lebanese Fourth Division. He helped the side reach the Lebanese Second Division, before moving on a trial to Ansar during the summer of 1997. In 1997 Kassas moved to Safa and played for one season. During the 1999–2000 season, Kassas played for Shabab Sahel,{{Cite web|url=https://www.abdogedeon.com/volleyball/NOUJOUM/mohammad_kassas.html|title=MOHAMMAD KASSAS|website=www.abdogedeon.com|access-date=2020-01-19}} before moving to Sagesse for two seasons; he scored 18 league goals in 45 games with the side.{{Cite web|url=http://www.national-football-teams.com/player/3770/Mohammad_Kassas.html|title=Mohammad Kassas|last=Strack-Zimmermann|first=Benjamin|website=www.national-football-teams.com|language=en|access-date=2020-01-19}} In 2002, Kassas moved to Olympic Beirut for $500,000 in the largest deal in Lebanese history, with whom he won the domestic double, then to Nejmeh in 2003. At Nejmeh, Kassas was crowned top goalscorer of the Lebanese Premier League twice in a row, scoring 22 goals in 2003–04 and 21 goals in 2004–05.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesl/lebtops.html|title=Lebanon - List of Topscorers|website=RSSSF|access-date=2020-01-19}} He also won the Lebanese Premier League in both seasons.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesl/lebchamp.html|title=Lebanon - List of Champions|website=RSSSF|access-date=2020-01-19}}

In 2005, Kassas moved to Saudi Arabian side Al-Qadsiah for one season, where he scored six league goals. He returned to Lebanon the following season, signing for Sagesse in 2006. He then moved to Ahed, before moving to Syria in 2008 as he signed for Nawair. After half a season in Syria, Kassas returned once again to Lebanon, signing first for Shabab Sahel in 2009, for whom he scored 6 league goals, then for Sagesse in 2009.

In 2010, Kassas joined Safa, helping them reach the final of the 2010 AFC Cup. In 2011, he left Lebanon and signed for Jordanian side Al-Ramtha; he scored 16 league goals in 33 games in two seasons at the club. Kassas was also sent on loan to Mabarra in 2012. helping them gain promotion to the Lebanese Premier League. Kassas returned to Lebanon in 2013, signing for Nabi Chit and also helping them gain promotion to the Lebanese Premier League. In 2014 Kassas returned to Al-Ramtha, before making his final return to Lebanon in 2014, signing for Sagesse. In 2016, Kassas joined Safa and scored three goals in 11 matches during the 2016–17 season, where he retired.

In March 2021, Kassas returned from retirement, resigning for Sagesse in the Lebanese Second Division ahead of the second leg.{{Cite web|title=الأندية غير راضية.. والحكمة في طريق العودة|url=https://www.alahednews.com.lb/article.php?id=29445&cid=130|access-date=2021-03-20|website=www.alahednews.com.lb|language=ar}}

International career

In 2002, Kassas played for the Lebanon Olympic team at the 2002 Asian Games, scoring a hat-trick in an 11–0 win against Afghanistan.{{Cite web |last=Díaz Rubio |first=Julián |last2=Zlotkowski |first2=Andre |title=Asian Games 2002 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/asgames02.html |access-date=14 June 2022 |website=RSSSF}}

Managerial career

In April 2022, Kassas was appointed technical director of Nejmeh.{{Cite web |date=2022-04-29 |title=محمد قصاص مستشارا فنيا للنجمة |url=https://www.kooora.com/?n=1134940 |access-date=2022-05-05 |website=كووورة}}

Personal life

Kassas's son, Ali Kassas, is also a footballer.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.facebook.com/MTVLebSports/videos/426167257188781/ |title=31K views · 309 reactions {{!}} علي قصاص: الولد سرّ أبيه {{!}} علي قصاص: الولد سرّ أبيه #mtvfootball #mtvsports #lebanesefootball {{!}} By MTV Sports {{!}} Facebook |language=en |access-date=2025-02-27 |via=www.facebook.com}}

Honours

Olympic Beirut

Lebanese Premier League: 2002–03
Lebanese FA Cup: 2002–03

Nejmeh

Lebanese Premier League: 2003–04, 2004–05

Ahed

Lebanese Premier League: 2007–08

Individual

Lebanese Premier League top scorer: 2003–04, 2004–05{{Cite news|date=20 June 2005|title=مهرجان كرة المنار|edition=599|pages=13|work=Shoot}}
GCC Golden Boot :2009–10
Lebanese Premier League Team of the Season: 2001–02,{{Cite news|date=3 June 2002|title=|script-title=ar:مهرجان كرة المنار|language=ar|edition=440|pages=23|work=Shoot}} 2003–04,{{Cite web|date=18 August 2004|script-title=ar:البرازيلي أديلسون أفضل لاعب في استفتاء المنار للبطولة الأخيرة في بيروت|url=https://www.saba.ye/ar/news76330.htm|access-date=10 February 2022|website=saba.ye|language=ar}} 2004–05,{{Cite news|date=20 June 2005|title=|script-title=ar:مهرجان كرة المنار|language=ar|edition=599|pages=13|work=Shoot}} 2008–09{{Cite web|date=13 May 2009|title=|script-title=ar:مهرجان المنار... والكأس بين العهد والساحل|url=https://al-akhbar.com/Sport/136439|access-date=13 February 2022|website=al-akhbar|language=ar}}