{{Short description|Footballer (born 1952)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2025}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Jamal Al-Khatib | image = | caption = | fullname = Jamal Sobhi Abdel-Hafiz Al-Khatib | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1952|12|12|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Beirut]], Lebanon | height = 1.76 m | position = [[Forward (association football)|Forward]] | youthyears1 = 1962–1965 | youthclubs1 = [[Al Ansar FC|Ansar]] | years1 = 1966–1969 | clubs1 = [[Al Ansar FC|Ansar]] | caps1 = | goals1 = | years2 = 1971 | clubs2 = → [[Khaitan SC|Khaitan]] (loan) | caps2 = | goals2 = | years3 = 1970–1991 | clubs3 = [[Nejmeh SC|Nejmeh]] | caps3 = | goals3 = | years4 = 1975 | clubs4 = → [[Qatar SC|Al-Esteqlal]] (loan) | caps4 = | goals4 = | nationalyears1 = 1967 | nationalteam1 = [[Palestine national football team|Palestine]] | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = | nationalyears2 = 1971 | nationalteam2 = [[Lebanon national football team|Lebanon]] | nationalcaps2 = 2 | nationalgoals2 = 0 }} '''Jamal Sobhi Abdel-Hafiz Al-Khatib''' ({{langx|ar|جمال صبحي عبد الحافظ الخطيب}}, born 12 December 1952) is a [[Association football|footballer]] who played as a [[Forward (association football)|forward]].
Born in Lebanon, he played for the [[Palestine national football team|Palestine]] and [[Lebanon national football team|Lebanon]] national teams. Because of his speed and technical prowess, he was nicknamed "the Gazelle" and is most remembered for his tenure with [[Nejmeh SC|Nejmeh]] in the 1970s and 1980s.
==Early life== Al-Khatib was born on 12 December 1952 in [[Beirut]], Lebanon, to a Palestinian parents: his father was from [[Lydda]] while his mother was from [[Jaffa]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |title=جمال صبحي الخطيب .. غزال كروي صال وجال.. لعب مع «الغريمين» ومع ثلاثة منتخبات عربية - جريدة البناء {{!}} Al-binaa Newspaper |url=https://www.al-binaa.com/archives/266205 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216053942/https://www.al-binaa.com/archives/266205 |archive-date=2023-12-16 |access-date=2025-10-25 |work=جريدة البناء {{!}} Al-binaa Newspaper |language=ar}}</ref> He grew up in a football-loving family and began playing from a young age. When he was twelve years old, he played for the Al-Sha'la club in the Tariq Al-Jadida area of Beirut, which included Ard Jaloul and the nearby hills. Mustafa Afif Al-Baba, the secretary of [[Al Ansar FC|Ansar]], found him and invited him to join.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=الحلبي |first=سامر |date=2021-04-25 |title=جمال الخطيب لـ "أحوال": ياسر عرفات أرغمني على البقاء مع "النجمة" |url=https://ahwal.media/archives/22698 |access-date=2025-10-25 |website=أحوال ميديا |language=ar}}</ref>
He joined the youth academy of Ansar under coach Al-Baba before progressing to the senior team in 1966.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=جمال الخطيب..الفلسطيني الذي أشاد به الجوهرة بيليه |url=https://www.al-ayyam.ps/ar/Article/352038/%D8%AC%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B0%D9%8A-%D8%A3%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%88%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%87 |access-date=2025-10-25 |website=www.al-ayyam.ps |language=ar}}</ref>
==Club career== Al-Khatib was promoted to Ansar's senior squad in 1966; the same year, he became the team's top scorer alongside Mahmoud Sidani. He played for the club until 1969, when he joined [[Nejmeh SC|Nejmeh]] and played under coach Samir Al-Adou. He quickly became one of the team's most popular and effective forwards, known for his pace and finishing ability. During this time, he also trained with Kuwaiti club [[Khaitan SC|Khaitan]],<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=2008-07-20 |title=الغزال الأسمر جمال الخطيب |url=https://forum.kooora.com/f.aspx?t=10976211 |access-date=2025-10-25 |website=منتديات كووورة}}</ref> and received numerous offers from abroad such as [[Al-Nasr SC (Dubai)|Al-Nasr]], [[Al Hilal SFC|Al Hilal]], [[Galatasaray S.K. (football)|Galatasaray]], [[Panathinaikos F.C.|Panathinaikos]], and others.<ref name=":2" /> Reports also suggested he received an offer to join [[Al Ahly SC|Al Ahly]] of Egypt.{{Citation needed|date=October 2025}}
During his time with Nejmeh, he was among the top scorers in the [[Lebanese Premier League|Lebanese League]], with a notable season in [[1974–75 Lebanese Premier League|1974–75]] where he scored around 13 goals.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-01 |title=جمال الخطيب الهدّاف |url=https://www.nidaalwatan.com/article/20056-%D9%87%D9%84-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%85-3%D8%AC%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D8%B7%D9%8A%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%87%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%81 |access-date=2025-10-25 |website=نداء الوطن |language=en}}</ref> He contributed to Nejmeh's success, where the team went on to win the league title,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lebanon 1974/75 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesl/leb75.html |access-date=2025-10-25 |website=www.rsssf.org}}</ref> finishing the campaign with an invincible season by winning 18 games, drawing 4, and losing none.{{Citation needed|date=October 2025}}
In 1975, when [[Pelé]] visited Lebanon to play a [[Exhibition game|friendly match]] against Nejmeh,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-29 |title=Why did Pelé visit Beirut a week before Lebanon’s Civil War erupted? |url=https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1318579/why-did-pele-visit-beirut-a-week-before-lebanons-civil-war-erupted.html |access-date=2025-10-25 |website=L'Orient Today |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Haddad |first=Natalie |date=2022-12-30 |title=The Story Of When Pele Came To Lebanon, With 6 Iconic Photos |url=https://www.the961.com/story-of-pele-in-lebanon/ |access-date=2025-10-25 |language=en-US}}</ref> he praised Al-Khatib's skill and stated that he could easily play abroad with his level of talent.<ref name=":2" />
In 1973, renowned Turkish team [[Fenerbahçe]] made Al-Khatib an offer through Lebanese international referee Sarkis Demirdjian.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> After flying to [[Istanbul]], the Lebanese player participated in his first training session and performed admirably, impressing the technical staff and scoring six goals. Demirdjian was immediately asked by the club's administration to finish the transfer at any costs. When Demirdjian discovered, to his astonishment, that his business in Beirut had been vandalised by irate Nejmeh supporters the following day, he called the Turkish club's management and told them, "Forget Jamal."{{Citation needed|date=October 2025}}
In 1975, Al-Khatib was informed by the late Palestinian president [[Yasser Arafat]] that the [[Qatar Football Association]] wanted to Include him for their national team. He then traveled to [[Doha]], where he was received by the Crown Prince [[Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani]] who asked him to join [[Qatar SC|Al-Esteglal]]. Al-Khatib went on to score eight goals in the [[Qatar Stars League|Qatari League]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Qatar - List of Topscorers |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesq/qattops.html |access-date=2025-10-25 |website=www.rsssf.org}}</ref> He also scored a brace in the final of the 1975–76 [[Emir of Qatar Cup|Emir Cup]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=ارشيف الدوري والكأس |url=http://www.alkass.net/dev/cup2011-emir-history.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927184407/http://www.alkass.net/dev/cup2011-emir-history.aspx |archive-date=2013-09-27 |access-date=2025-10-25 |website=www.alkass.net}}</ref> However, he could not continue with the club due to Nejmeh asking for $100,000, then doubling the amount.<ref name=":1" />
Al-Khatib is also credited with the first-ever goal scored in the [[Arab Club Champions Cup]] against [[Al Ahli SC (Amman)|Al-Ahli]] in the [[1981–82 Arab Club Champions Cup]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=1st Arab Club Champions Cup 1981/82 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/arabchamp82.html |access-date=2025-10-25 |website=www.rsssf.org}}</ref> He also scored in the final of the competition, but Nejmeh went on to be runners-up behind [[Al-Shorta SC|Al-Shorta]].<ref name=":3" />
==International career== Al-Khatib played for the [[Lebanon national football team|Lebanon national team]] for most of his international career during the 1970s.<ref name=":0" />
In 1967, Al-Khatib joined a group of diaspora players that included Fouad Abu Ghaida, Marwan Kanafani, Faisal Al-Bibi, Omar Taha, and others when he was called up to represent the [[Palestine national football team|Palestine national team]]. Al-Khatib scored a goal against [[Tunisia national football team|Tunisia]] in the Palestinian national team's subsequent trip to the Maghreb nations.<ref name=":1" />
In 1976, Al-Khatib was selected for the [[Qatar national football team|Qatar national team's]] roster for the [[4th Arabian Gulf Cup|1976 Gulf Cup]], which [[Qatar]] hosted. Since Al-Khatib had played for the [[Palestine national football team|Palestinian]] and [[Lebanon national football team|Lebanese national teams]] in the past, the Kuwaiti delegate protested to his name during a meeting of the chiefs of the participating countries.<ref name=":1" /> After the Crown Prince objected, the Qatari team nearly pulled out of the tournament since it was depending entirely on Jamal. In the end, Al-Khatib could not play for the national team, and [[Qatar national football team|Qatar]] went on to participate in the tournament.{{Citation needed|date=October 2025}}
==Style of play== Nicknamed "the Gazelle”, Al-Khatib was known for his exceptional pace, dribbling, and ability to score under intense pressure. Fans praised him for his loyalty and sportsmanship both on and off the field.{{Citation needed|date=October 2025}}
==Personal life== The eighth member of the family, Al-Khatib was the youngest child after his siblings Jamila, Abdul Hafeez, Farouk, Omar, Hiam, Jamil, and Sabah. Following his youngest son, Jamal, his father Subhi Al Khatib had four daughters: Hanaa, Amal, Basma, and Sanaa.<ref name=":0" />
==Legacy== Al-Khatib is considered to be among the most gifted forwards in Lebanese and Palestinian football history, and is considered one of the best Arab footballers. He is also remembered for his longevity and skills.{{Citation needed|date=October 2025}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{FA Lebanon player|24105}}
{{Lebanese Premier League top scorers}} {{Qatar Stars League top scorers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Khatib, Jamal}} [[Category:1952 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Footballers from Beirut]] [[Category:Lebanese people of Palestinian descent]] [[Category:Palestinian men's footballers]] [[Category:Lebanese men's footballers]] [[Category:Al Ansar FC players]] [[Category:Nejmeh SC players]] [[Category:Lebanese Premier League players]] [[Category:Palestine men's international footballers]] [[Category:Lebanon men's international footballers]] [[Category:Men's association football forwards]]