Hilal El-Helwe
Hilal Bassam El-Helwe (Arabic: هلال بسام الحلوة, 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.
| El-Helwe with Lebanon at the 2019 Asian Cup | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Hilal Bassam El-Helwe[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 24 November 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | Hanover, Germany[1] | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Forward, winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Bourj | ||
| Number | 99 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2008 | Hannover 96 | ||
| 2008–2010 | TSV Havelse | ||
| 2010–2012 | SC Langenhagen | ||
| 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 | 3 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2015– | Lebanon | 44 | (9) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 09:39, 21 August 2023 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 29 March 2022 | |||
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 edit
El-Helwe was born to Lebanese parents in Germany; his father had moved to Germany aged seven.[3] El-Helwe has relatives living in Lebanon.[3]
Club career edit
TSV Havelse edit
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.[4] 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.[5] He ended his first season at the club with six goals in 26 league games.[6]
In his second season, El-Helwe scored his first domestic brace on 10 October 2014 against Schwarz-Weiß Rehden.[7] 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.[6]
VfL Wolfsburg II edit
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.[8] On 1 November 2015, he scored his first goal for the side against Borussia Hildesheim in a 5–1 away win.[9]
El-Helwe played a total of 22 league games for the side, scoring seven and assisting seven in the process.[6][10] He helped Wolfsburg win the Regionalliga Nord,[11] and played two promotion play-off games against Jahn Regensburg, losing 2–1 on aggregate.[12]
Hallescher FC edit
On 22 June 2016, 3. Liga side Hallescher FC announced the acquisition of El-Helwe from VfL Wolfsburg II on a two-year contract.[13] 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.[14]
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.[15] El-Helwe scored a total of four league goals for Halle, all during the 2017–18 season.[6]
Apollon Smyrnis edit
With his contract expiring, El-Helwe joined Super League Greece side Apollon Smyrnis on a free transfer for the 2018–19 season.[16] 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.[17] On 23 February 2019, El-Helwe scored the equalizer against defending champions AEK, with the match ending 2–1 to the opposing team.[18] 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.[19][20]
SV Meppen edit
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.[21] His first goal came on 3 November 2019, scoring against Bayern Munich II in a 5–3 home win.[22] On 12 June 2020, El-Helwe scored against his former club Hallescher FC coming on as a substitute.[23] Despite him equalising the score 1–1, the match ended in a 3–2 loss.[23]
In the last two matchdays of the 2019–20 season, on 1 and 4 July 2020, El-Helwe scored two goals and assisted one.[24] He scored a goal against Preußen Münster in a 3–0 away win,[24] and scored and assisted one against Eintracht Braunschewig, helping his side win 4–3.[24][25] El-Helwe finished the season with five goals and three assists in 27 games,[26] averaging a contribution every 144 minutes;[6] SV Meppen finished in 7th place of out 20.[27]
El-Helwe scored his first goal of the 2020–21 season on 3 October 2020, in a 2–1 home defeat to Verl.[28] He agreed the termination of his contract with SV Meppen on 25 February 2021.[29]
Al-Faisaly edit
On 1 March 2021, El-Helwe joined Jordanian Pro League club Al-Faisaly.[30] 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.[31] El-Helwe's league debut came on 10 April, in a 2–2 draw against Sahab.[32]
Following his international duty with the Lebanon national team, El-Helwe returned to Jordan on 24 June;[33] however, he refused to attend the training session, and looked to break his contract with the club following financial disagreements.[34]
Ahed edit
On 16 July 2021, Lebanese Premier League side Ahed announced the signing of El-Helwe,[35] on a six-month contract.[36] Having made his debut on 13 September,[37] as a starter in a 1–0 win against Tripoli,[38] El-Helwe's first goals for Ahed came on 6 November, scoring twice to help his side beat Sporting 2–0.[39] He scored six goals in 11 games in all competitions for Ahed.[1]
Penang edit
On 17 February 2022, El-Helwe joined Malaysia Super League side Penang.[40] His first goal for Penang came on 9 April, scoring a penalty in a 1–1 draw against Negeri Sembilan.[41] 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.[42] He scored another brace in the quarter-finals, against Sri Pahang, to qualify his team to the semi-finals.[43]
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.[44] He left the club with five goals and two assists in 19 league games.[44]
Bourj edit
On 23 July 2023, El-Helwe signed for Bourj in the Lebanese Premier League.[45] 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.[46] He scored once again the next matchday on 20 August, in the form of an 84th-minute equalizer against Racing Beirut.[47]
International career edit
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.[48] He played as a starter, and was subbed out after 56 minutes.[49] 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.[50]
In December 2018, he was called up for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup squad,[51] and played in all three group stage games.[52] 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.[53] 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.[53]
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.[54]
Style of play edit
El-Helwe is a versatile striker who can also play as a winger on both sides.[55] 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.[56] El-Helwe is also a good finisher in the box.[56] 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.[21]
Career statistics edit
Club edit
| 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 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | |||
| Career total | 228 | 49 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 247 | 58 | ||
- ^ Includes DFB-Pokal, Greek Cup, Jordan FA Cup, Lebanese FA Cup, Malaysia FA Cup
- ^ Includes Jordan FA Shield, Lebanese Elite Cup, Malaysia Cup, Lebanese Federation Cup
- ^ Appearances in Regionalliga promotion play-offs
- ^ a b Appearance(s) in AFC Cup
International edit
- As of match played 29 March 2022[37]
| 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 | |
| Total | 44 | 9 | |
- Scores and results list Lebanon's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each El-Helwe goal.
| 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 edit
VfL Wolfsburg II
Ahed
- Lebanese Premier League: 2021–22
- Lebanese Elite Cup runner-up: 2021
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d e "Hilal El-Helwe". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
- ^ "FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021: List of players: Lebanon" (PDF). FIFA. 4 December 2021. p. 9. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
- ^ a b "Halles El-Helwe: "Der HSV spürt den Druck"" (in German). German Football Association (DFB). 25 October 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
- ^ "Havelse vs. Eintracht Braunschw. II". Soccerway. 31 August 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ "Wilhelmshaven vs. Havelse". Soccerway. 27 October 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f Hilal El-Helwe at Soccerway. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
- ^ "Havelse vs. Schwarz-Weiß Rehden". Soccerway. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ "Wolfsburg II vs. Havelse". Soccerway. 5 September 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ "Borussia Hildesheim vs. Wolfsburg II". Soccerway. 1 November 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ Afiouni, Nadim (9 January 2019). "The final 23: who are they?". Lebanese Football Review. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
- ^ a b "34. Spieltag | Regionalliga Nord 2015/16". kicker. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Aufstiegs–Playoffs" (in German). German Football Association (DFB). 19 March 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
- ^ "Neuverpflichtung: HFC holt Hilal El-Helwe aus Wolfsburg". Mitteldeutsche Zeitung (in German). 22 June 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ "Hallescher FC vs. Kaiserslautern". Soccerway. 20 August 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ "Hallescher FC vs. Paderborn". Soccerway. 22 July 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ Koch, Julian (22 June 2018). "Nach HFC-Abgang: El-Helwe wechselt nach Griechenland". liga3-online.de (in German). Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ Soliman, Seif (16 September 2018). "Pharaohs Abroad Roundup: Shikabala makes Apollon Smyrni debut". KingFut. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ "AEK Athens vs. Apollon Smirnis". Soccerway. 23 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- ^ . Super League Greece. Archived from the original on 23 May 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
- ^ . Super League Greece. Archived from the original on 22 July 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
- ^ a b Koch, Julian (3 July 2019). "Verstärkung für die Offensive: Meppen holt El-Helwe". liga3-online.de (in German). Retrieved 3 July 2019.
- ^ "Spielbericht SV Meppen – FC Bayern Amateure". FC Bayern Munich (in German). 3 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
- ^ a b Deneke, Ingmar (12 June 2020). . NDR.de (in German). Archived from the original on 13 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- ^ a b c Abou Diab, Rami (6 July 2020). "Lebanese Players Abroad: Week 1, July 2020". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
- ^ "SV Meppen 1912 – Eintracht Braunschweig live score". livescores.biz. 4 July 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
- ^ a b Hilal El-Helwe at DFB (also available in German)
- ^ "Spieltag/Tabelle :: 3. Liga :: 2019/2020" (in German). German Football Association (DFB). Retrieved 4 July 2020.
- ^ Abou Diab, Rami (5 October 2020). "Lebanese Players Abroad: October 2020, Week 1". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
- ^ "Vertragsauflösung: El-Helwe verlässt SV Meppen" (in German). kicker. 25 February 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
- ^ Khaled, Nasser (1 March 2021). الفيصلي الأردني يعلن ضم هلال الحلوة [Jordanian team Al-Faisaly announces the purchase of Hilal El-Helwe]. Kooora. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
- ^ [First appearance for El-Helwe with Al-Faisaly]. Football Lebanon (in Arabic). 4 March 2021. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- ^ Abou Diab, Rami (13 April 2021). "Lebanese Players Abroad: April 2021, Week 2". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
- ^ الفيصلي يؤكد: هلال الحلوة غادر الأردن دون علمنا [Al-Faisaly: Hilal El-Helwe left Jordan without our knowledge and turned off his cell phone]. Alghad (in Arabic). 26 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ الحلوة يترك الفيصلي ويتّجه إلى تركيا [El-Helwe leaves Al-Faisaly and heads to Turkey]. Lebanon Football Guide (in Arabic). 26 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ Khaled, Nasser (16 July 2021). العهد يعلن عن صفقة الحلوة [Ahed announces the El-Helwe transfer]. Kooora. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- ^ Khaled, Nasser (23 December 2021). الحلوة على أعتاب الرحيل إلى الدوري الماليزي [El-Helwe is on the cusp of leaving for the Malaysian League]. Kooora (in Arabic). Retrieved 9 January 2022.
- ^ a b "Hilal El-Helwe". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ "Match Report of Tripoli SC vs Al Ahed SC". Global Sports Archive. 13 September 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
- ^ بالصور.. الحلوة يحفظ صدارة العهد بثنائية في سبورتينغ [In pictures, El-Helweh protects Ahed's lead with a brace against Sporting]. Kooora (in Arabic). 6 November 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
- ^ "Hilal si 'pematah' rahang bek, pernah bikin pengulas naik 'sheikh'" [Hilal, the 'breaker' of a defender's jaw, once turned a commentator into a 'sheikh']. Majoriti (in Malay). 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
- ^ Aznan, Syafiq (9 April 2022). "Penang, NSFC kongsi mata" [Penang, NSFC share points]. Berita Harian (in Malay). Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ^ Arzaman, Al-Zaim (14 May 2022). "[VIDEO]: Gol Sendiri 'Cantik' Aiman Yusni Antara Koleksi Jaringan Dalam Derbi Utara" [[VIDEO]: Aiman Yusni's 'Beautiful' Own Goal Between Network Collections In North Derbi]. Semuanya BOLA (in Malay).
- ^ Awang, Asrol (23 July 2022). "Sri Pahang kecundang" [Sri Pahang Lost]. Harian Metro (in Malay). Retrieved 23 July 2022.
- ^ a b Sulaiman (20 October 2022). "Penang FC Tamatkan Kontrak Hilal El-Helwe" [Penang FC Terminate Hilal El-Helwe's Contract]. VOCKET FC (in Malay).
- ^ Khaled, Nasser (23 July 2023). البرج يتعاقد مع هلال الحلوة [Bourj signs with El-Helwe]. Kooora (in Arabic). Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ يوم التعادلات 1 – 1 في بطولة لبنان لكرة القدم [The day of the 1–1 draws in the Lebanese Football Championship]. VDL News (in Arabic). 20 August 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
- ^ Jabra, James (9 October 2015). . The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 16 October 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ Sören, Nolte (12 October 2015). . Sportbuzzer.de (in German). Archived from the original on 16 October 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
- ^ "Lebanon vs. Myanmar". ESPN. 29 March 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ "AC2019 Final Squads". Asian Football Confederation. p. 19. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ "Hilal El-Helwe". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ a b "Group E: Lebanon 4–1 DPR Korea". Asian Football Confederation. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ "Al Helwe stunner sends Lebanon to FIFA Arab Cup". FIFA. 23 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ "Qatar v Lebanon: Confidence high for World Cup hosts, says Sanchez". beIN SPORTS. 8 January 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ a b Afiouni, Nadim (9 January 2019). "The final 23: who are they?". Lebanese Football Review. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
External links edit
- at Apollon Smyrnis
- Hilal El-Helwe at kicker (in German)
- Hilal El-Helwe at Goalzz.com (also in Arabic at Kooora.com)