Category: Lebanon

The Real Downfall of Safa Women’s Team

with WAFF Women’s Clubs Championship 2022

What really happened?  It’s very easy for anyone to go out and point fingers, especially because everyone knows I never defend myself or clarify what’s been said about me or what I’ve been accused of. But, as I told many, I will never say anything that could be misconstrued and do hurt someone.

Since the team’s inception, I’ve made it a point to ensure that we either take this to a professional level or don’t bother joining the league just to play football. A team can be assembled by anyone, but not everyone can compete and raise the bar.

What actually occurred? When this team was disbanded, 15 people who were on the payroll were let go off. The Lebanese women’s league has lost a strong challenger. Around 35 players were denied the opportunity to compete at a high level. Women’s football fans have lost a source of enjoyment because we are no longer competing. Someone’s greed and imposition led to the demise of a well-managed organisation.

Let’s talk about microeconomics for a minute. All of the following businesses lost a significant consumer. Physiotherapy clinics, pharmacies, water and ice suppliers, transportation (buses and taxi drivers), football fields, sport equipment suppliers, and so on.

Looking back at everything that took place, I’ll restate what I used to tell the staff and players: “everything happens for a reason.” I have no resentment towards anyone and am living my life extremely happy, proud of what I did and glad of the difference I’ve made in the lives of many people I’ve met.

8 Years in Lebanon

with the Lebanese Women’s Football League 2021 and Lebanese Women’s Super Cup 2022

When I first visited Beirut in 2014, I never expected to fall in love with this country, especially given my previous negative experiences in other Arab countries. Lebanon was magical in all respects: culture, people, food, weather… you name it. Since then, I’ve kept it a habit of going back annually, and year after year, I couldn’t get enough of Lebanon, to the point that I wanted to live there.

In December 2018, I was at a spontaneous dinner when an idea struck me about starting a women’s football team, and since I was already funding individual athletes in Lebanon, I jumped at the chance. It was ideal for me to take this sponsorship to the next level.

On New Year’s Eve, I met with the coach and some of the players we wanted to work with, and in January 2019, I drove to Bahrain to watch the national team, which included the majority of the players we wanted to recruit, play a significant game against Jordan.
I can’t deny that I was suspicious for some people “who is that Kuwaiti who is so into the game,” but having virtually daily contact in an advisory position alleviated a lot of issues.

August 2019 marked my first time on the staff when we decided to hold a camp in Lebanon prior to the start of the season. Unfortunately, our first season did not go well when the revolution began on the 17th of October, followed by covid-19, Beirut blasting, and the economic situation throughout Lebanon, leaving me as the only sponsor for this team along with board membership.

Four years after our first meeting, we were crowned champions of Lebanon, champions of West Asia, winners of the Super Cup, and runners-up in the league twice. But the true championship I won was the friendships and families I formed over the years, which made my journey enjoyable and full of memories and stories to tell.