Moussa Ali Hojeij (Arabic: موسى علي حجيج; born 6 August 1974) is a Lebanese football manager and former player.

Moussa Hojeij
Hojeij with Nejmeh in 2020
Personal information
Full name Moussa Ali Hojeij[1]
Date of birth (1974-08-06) 6 August 1974 (age 50)
Place of birth Chyah, Lebanon[1]
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Youth career
1993–1994 Nejmeh
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1994–2006 Nejmeh (75)
2006–2008 Mabarra (2)
2008–2009 Khoyol
2009–2011 Shabab Sahel (1)
2011–2013 Nejmeh 30 (4)
Total ? (82)
International career
1996–2002 Lebanon 39 (6)
Managerial career
2012–2014 Nejmeh
2014 Nabi Chit
2015 Racing Beirut
2015–2016 Shabab Sahel
2016–2017 Racing Beirut
2017 Ahed
2017–2018 Tripoli
2018 Nejmeh
2020–2021 Nejmeh
2022 Nejmeh
2023 Safa
2023–2024 Ahly Nabatieh
2024 Tadamon Sour
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Hojeij was the best player in the Al-Manar Football Festival several times,[2] and was captain of the national team.[3] He is also a match analyst for Lebanon national team matches on beIN Sports.[4]

Club career

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Hojeij joined Nejmeh's youth team on 26 February 1993.[5] In 2000, Hojeij became the first captain to win the Lebanese Premier League title for Nejmeh after the civil war.[citation needed]

In 2006 he was released by Nejmeh after scoring a total of 75 league goals,[6] and signed with Mabarra.[7] In 2008 Hojeij signed for Lebanese Second Division club Khoyol,[7] and in the summer of 2009 he signed with Shabab Sahel.[7] Hojeij returned to Nejmeh in 2011, retiring in 2013.[7]

International career

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Hojeij equalised in the 76th minute against Iraq at the 2000 AFC Asian Cup through a free kick, to bring the score to 2–2.[7]

Managerial career

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Early career

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Hojeij began his managerial career in 2012, as a player-coach for Nejmeh.[7] He became head coach of Nabi Chit in 2014, who terminated his contract after matchday four.[7] Hojeij was then appointed head coach of Racing Beirut in the second half of the season, saving them from relegation.[7]

In the 2015–16 season, he took charge of Shabab Sahel, before returning to Racing the following season, with whom he won the Lebanese Challenge Cup.[7]

Ahed

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In 2017, Ahed appointed Hojeij as head coach; he most notably helped them beat Zamalek of Egypt in the 2017 Arab Club Championship, and winning the Lebanese Super Cup against Ansar.[7] On 18 December 2017, Hojeij was appointed head coach of Tripoli for the second leg of the season, finishing in eighth place after six wins, seven draws and nine defeats.[8]

Returns to Nejmeh

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Hojeij returned as head coach of Nejmeh in 2018.[9][7] On 29 June 2020, Hojeij was appointed manager of Nejmeh for the third time, after having coached them between 2011 and 2013, and in 2018.[10]

He returned to the helm of Nejmeh once again, in February 2022.[11] After insulting the Lebanese Football Association (LFA) and its president, following a red card received by Nejmeh during a league match against Safa on 3 April, the LFA suspended Hojeij for one year, and fined him £L25 million.[12] The LFA extended the suspension to two years on 11 April.[13]

Safa and Tadamon Sour

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On 9 January 2023, Hojeij was appointed head coach of Safa.[14] He became coach of Tadamon Sour in 2024.[15]

Presidential career

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On 10 June 2021, Hojeij announced his candidacy to become president of the Lebanese Football Association; the only other candidate was incumbent president Hashem Haidar.[16] The elections took place on 29 June in Beirut,[16] with Haidar winning by 40 votes to 4.[17]

Honours

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Player

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Nejmeh

Mabarra

Individual

Manager

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Shabab Sahel

Racing Beirut

  • Lebanese Challenge Cup: 2016

Nejmeh

Individual

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Moussa Hojeij". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  2. ^ wissam Bleik (13 July 2012), مهرجان كرة المنار الرابع:موسم 1999/2000, archived from the original on 10 January 2020, retrieved 29 April 2019
  3. ^ "السعودية تتخطى لبنان وسوريا تخسر في كأس العرب". www.aljazeera.net (in Arabic). Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  4. ^ الدوري اللبناني (7 March 2019). "وثائقي قناة bein sports عن أسطورة نادي النجمة والمدرب الحالي موسى حجيج". YouTube. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  5. ^ "First Team List 2005/2006 [PENDING]". Nejmeh SC. 26 November 2005. Archived from the original on 26 November 2005. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  6. ^ "منتديات كووورة". forum.kooora.com. 14 January 2007. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "موسى حجيج.. أسطورة محفورة في تاريخ لبنان". كووورة. 3 April 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  8. ^ "حدث في مثل هذا اليوم | بوكير يعود إلى لبنان والاتحاد يُعاقب جمهور النجمة". lebanonfg.com. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  9. ^ "موسى حجيج الى النجمة... بعد غياب 4 سنوات". An-Nahar. 11 December 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  10. ^ Mahfoud, Maroun (29 June 2020). "Official: Moussa Hojeij returns to Nejmeh SC". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  11. ^ "رسميا.. موسى حجيج مدربا للنجمة". كووورة. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  12. ^ "إيقاف مدرب النجمة لمدة عام". كووورة. 4 April 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  13. ^ "مضاعفة عقوبة موسى حجيج.. وتغريم البرج". كووورة. 11 April 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  14. ^ "تأكيدا لكووورة.. الصفاء يعين حجيج مديرا فنيا". كووورة. 9 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  15. ^ "حجيج مدربا للتضامن".
  16. ^ a b "حجيج يعلن ترشحه لرئاسة اتحاد الكرة بلبنان". كووورة. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  17. ^ "موسى حجيج يقرر الطعن على انتخابات الاتحاد اللبناني". كووورة. 2 July 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  18. ^ "IFFHS Men's All Time Lebanon Dream Team". IFFHS. 6 February 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  19. ^ "مهرجان كرة المنار". Shoot (328 ed.). 10 April 2000. p. 13.
  20. ^ "مهرجان كرة المنار". Shoot (440 ed.). 3 June 2002. p. 23.
  21. ^ "مهرجان كرة المنار". Shoot (498 ed.). 4 July 2003. p. 16.
  22. ^ مهرجان كرة المنار. Shoot (in Arabic) (166 ed.). 31 March 1997. p. 3.
  23. ^ مهرجان كرة المنار. Shoot (in Arabic) (232 ed.). 8 June 1998. p. 4.
  24. ^ مهرجان كرة المنار. Shoot (in Arabic) (288 ed.). 5 July 1999. p. 8.
  25. ^ مهرجان كرة المنار. Shoot (in Arabic) (328 ed.). 10 April 2000. p. 13.
  26. ^ مهرجان كرة المنار. Shoot (in Arabic) (383 ed.). 30 April 2001. p. 15.
  27. ^ مهرجان كرة المنار. Shoot (in Arabic) (440 ed.). 3 June 2002. p. 23.
  28. ^ مهرجان كرة المنار. Shoot (in Arabic) (498 ed.). 4 July 2003. p. 16.
  29. ^ البرازيلي أديلسون أفضل لاعب في استفتاء المنار للبطولة الأخيرة في بيروت. saba.ye (in Arabic). 18 August 2004. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  30. ^ مهرجان كرة المنار. Shoot (in Arabic) (599 ed.). 20 June 2005. p. 13.
  31. ^ "...مهرجان كرة المنار يختار نجارين". www.sport.almanar.com.lb. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
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