Mehdi Khalil

Khalil started his senior career in Sierra Leone at Johansen, before moving to Sweden in 2011, first playing at Köping FF before transferring to Djurgården.

Following his experience in Sweden, Khalil moved back to his native country, at Kallon, before joining Lebanese club Safa in 2013.

After spending four years at the club, Khalil moved to Lebanese Premier League reigning champions Ahed in 2017.

Born in Bouaké, Ivory Coast to Lebanese parents,[1] Khalil moved to Freetown, Sierra Leone with his family at a young age.

[7] Thanks to Johansen's Scandinavian connections, in March 2011 Khalil joined Swedish Division 3 side Köping FF on a three-month loan.

[3] His debut came during the 2013 AFC Cup, playing in a group stage game against Riffa on 2 April 2013; the match ended in a 1–0 win.

[22] Khalil was Ahed's goalkeeper at the 2018 AFC Cup, playing eight games and reaching the zonal semi-finals,[20] where they lost to Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 5–3 on aggregate.

[6][30] Conceding just three goals in 11 matches, Khalil kept nine clean sheets (of which five were consecutive in the knock-out stages) as Ahed went unbeaten throughout the whole tournament.

[31] On 7 January 2020, Khalil joined Persian Gulf Pro League side Zob Ahan on a six-month loan,[32] reuniting him with former Lebanon national team coach Miodrag Radulović.

[34] Khalil became the fourth Lebanese player to play for the Iranian side, after Walid Ismail, Ali Hamam, and Rabih Ataya.

[32][33] He made his league debut for Zob Ahan on 25 January 2020 against Pars Jonoubi Jam; despite being booked in the 64th minute, Khalil kept a clean sheet, helping his side win 1–0 at home.

[39] Due to an ACL injury he sustained while training with the Lebanon national team in August 2021, Khalil was sidelined for six months.

[1] Khalil returned to action as Ahed's first-choice goalkeeper in the first matchday of the 2022–23 season, against Akhaa Ahli Aley on 4 September 2022.

[44] On 15 June 2023, Ahed announced Khalil's loan for one season to Al-Faisaly in the Jordanian Pro League;[45] he arrived in Jordan on 10 July.

[46] Khalil played in Al-Faisaly's last game in the 2023 Jordan Shield Cup, a 0–0 draw against Ma'an on 14 July, which won his team the tournament.

[47] He became the first foreign goalkeeper to play in the Jordan Super Cup,[48] taking part in the 2023 edition between Al-Faisaly and Al-Wehdat which his side lost.

[49] On 7 January 2024, Al-Faisaly announced the termination of his contract by mutual consent, following their elimination from the AFC Champions League group stage.

[53][54] He was part of the squad that played in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers between 2015 and 2016; initially Abbas Hassan's reserve for the first three matches,[55] Khalil became Lebanon's first-choice goalkeeper in the final five games of the second round of qualification.

[56] Drawn with North Korea, Hong Kong, and Malaysia, Khalil helped Lebanon finish top of the group unbeaten, conceding only four goals in six games.

[62] On 20 August 2021, during a training session in view of the first qualification game against the United Arab Emirates, Khalil sustained an ACL injury,[63] keeping him on the sidelines for six months.

[40] He was called back up to the national team in September 2022 for a training camp in Bnachii, Zgharta,[64] and played his first game on 19 November, in a 2–0 defeat to Kuwait.

Khalil with Ahed in 2019
Khalil celebrating with his teammates at Zob Ahan in 2020
Khalil stopping a shot by South Korean forward Son Heung-min in 2019