One of the most prominent players in the world loyal to their clubs

Matar.. 39 years old and preparing for the 15th consecutive season

Ismail Matar has been with Al Wahda team for 22 years.

From the source

The legend of Al Wahda Club, Ismail Matar, is preparing to set a new record, as he will play the 15th consecutive season in the ADNOC Professional Football League, to become the only one to participate in all versions of the competition since the start of the professional era in the 2008-2009 season, and he also fought long seasons before professionalism, His age in the stadiums reaches more than 22 years full of giving and achievements with his club Al-Wahda and the national teams, and he is considered one of the most prominent players in the world in loyalty to their clubs, and they are the ones who spent the longest period with one club.

Ismail Matar, 39, proved that age is just a number after his remarkable brilliance last season, and his participation in 23 matches out of 26 meetings he played with Al Wahda, which ranked third in the competition.

Matar comes in third place among the oldest players active in the stadiums, after Lincoln FC striker Lee Casiaro (40 years), and Japanese goalkeeper Mito Holly Hook Koji Homa (44 years).

Matar's brilliance prompted the management of Al-Wahda to preserve the legend until he continues with his team next season.

This step will help Matar to break the international record and the former star of the unit, Abdel Salam Gomaa, who retired at the age of 39, as the unit commander is scheduled to complete his fortieth year on the seventh of next April.

Ismail Matar was born in 1983 in Abu Dhabi, and graduated in various stages of life in Al Wahda until he reached the first team, and achieved the league championship with Al Wahda in the 2009-2010 season, and two titles before professionalism.

He was named the best player in the 2003 Youth World Cup in the UAE, and was one of the most important elements in the winning team of “Gulf 18” in the UAE, and “Gulf 21” in Bahrain.

He participated with the national team in the 2012 London Olympics, and led the national team in the Asian Cup on more than one occasion.

He was also crowned with many titles, including the best Arab player in the 2003-2004 season, the best player and top scorer in the 2007 Gulf Cup, with five goals, and the second best Asian player in 2008.

And he won the title of historical top scorer for Al Wahda Club, and during his long career in the stadiums, he scored 96 goals in the league against 19 clubs, including 50 goals in 262 matches in the professional era, and is only four goals away from entering the Hundred Club.

His first goal in the local league dates back to November 18, 2001.

In the external camp, which was finally concluded by Al-Wahda in Austria, Matar scored a world goal with a free kick against the Saudi Al-Ittihad, and led Al-Annabi to a 1-1 draw in a friendly match, and inaugurated the new season with his team against Al-Wasl on 2 September.

Al-Awadi: Ismail Matar is an exceptional phenomenon and his case deserves study

The football analyst, the former general supervisor of football in Baniyas, Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadi, considered that “Ismail Matar is an exceptional case, not only at the local level, but also at the Arab, Asian and international levels as well.”

Al-Awadi told "Emirates Today": The secret of Matar's glow, despite his approaching forty years, is due to his commitment, whether on the field or outside, which helped him to continue on the field throughout these years, and with a distinguished giving that forced everyone to demand that he join the team despite his advanced age.

He added: Ismael Matar surpassed in his professional life the foreign players who come to play in our league. We saw how he was preparing for the new season through videos that were spread on social media, during which he performed exercises that a twenty-year-old player could not perform.

Al-Awadi also said: Personally, I consider Matar an "Emirati story", and a unique model and case that deserves to be studied in a practical way to be repeated with the national players, and from here comes the role of clubs and football companies with the necessity of holding workshops for players to increase their culture in terms of psychological and disciplinary aspects and changing their lifestyles.

Matar is excitedly looking forward to the new season, and is celebrating his fortieth year next April.

Ismail Matar numbers

■ Number of matches: 262.

■ Number of goals: 96 goals.

Nicknames:

A title in the ADNOC Professional League, a title in the President's Cup, the Super Cup three times, and the Gulf National Team Cup twice.

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