%2c_Nader_Matar.jpg) Matar withNejmeh in 2019 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nader Charbel Matar[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1992-05-12)12 May 1992 (age 33) | ||
| Place of birth | Abidjan, Ivory Coast[1] | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Ansar | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Alcorcón | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008–2009 | Sporting CP B | ||
| 2009–2010 | Oeiras | ||
| 2010–2011 | Atlético Madrid C | ||
| 2011–2012 | Canillas | ||
| 2012–2014 | Asante Kotoko | ||
| 2014 | Beira-Mar | 3 | (0) |
| 2016–2020 | Nejmeh | 60 | (8) |
| 2020–2021 | Ansar | 14 | (2) |
| 2021–2022 | Muaither | 6 | (0) |
| 2022– | Ansar | 64 | (14) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2012–2024 | Lebanon | 71 | (4) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 19 July 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 11 June 2024 | |||
Nader Charbel Matar (Arabic:نادر شربل مطر,Lebanese Arabic pronunciation:[ˈneːdirˈʃarbilˈmɑtˤɑr,ˈnæː-]; born 12 May 1992) is a professionalfootballer who plays as amidfielder forLebanese Premier League clubAnsar.
Matar began his senior career in 2008 in Portugal, playing forSporting CP B andOeiras. He moved to Spain in 2010, where he played forAtlético Madrid C andCanillas, before moving to Ghana-basedAsante Kotoko in 2012. He returning to Portugal in 2014, playing six months atBeira-Mar. Matar signed for his first Lebanese club in 2016,Nejmeh, where he won threeLebanese Elite Cups and oneLebanese Super Cup in his four-year stay. In 2020, Matar moved tocross-city rivalsAnsar, helping them win their first league title in 14 years in his first season. He then moved back abroad, joining Qatar-basedMuaither, before returning to Ansar in 2022.
Born in the Ivory Coast to a Lebanese father and a Moroccan mother, Matar chose to representLebanon internationally. He made his debut in afriendly againstIraq in 2012, and also played in the2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Matar helped Lebanonqualify to the2019 AFC Asian Cup, where he played. His first goal came at the2019 WAFF Championship, againstSyria.
Matar was born inAbidjan, Ivory Coast, to a Lebanese father and Moroccan mother.[3] He grew up in Angola, and played for several local clubs.[3]
After playing at youth level forAlcorcón in Spain,[3] in 2008 Matar moved to Portugal, playing one year forSporting CP B, and one year forOeiras.[4] He returned to Spain in 2010, joiningAtlético Madrid C, before moving toCanillas,Real Madrid'sde facto C team.[4][5]
Matar signed forGhana Premier League sideAsante Kotoko in 2012.[4] In 2014 he returned to Portugal, atBeira-Mar in theLiga Portugal 2, where he was released after six months.[4]
On 2 September 2016, Matar moved to Lebanon and signed forNejmeh.[6] He scored one goal in 17 league games in2016–17, helping his team win theLebanese Super Cup andLebanese Elite Cup.[7] He was included in theLebanese Premier League Team of the Year.[8] In2017–18 Matar improved his tally, scoring four in 19, winning theLebanese Elite Cup once again.[7] He renewed his contract for an additional season on 28 March 2018.[9]
The following season, in2018–19, Matar scored three goals in 20 games, and helped Nejmeh win theLebanese Elite Cup for the third time in a row.[7] He renewed his contract for three more years on 21 March 2019.[10] On 25 October 2019, Matar was warned and fined by Nejmeh for throwing his kit on the floor following a substitution againstRacing Beirut in afriendly.[11] On 20 January 2020, Matar's contract was terminated by mutual consent following financial disputes between the two parties.[12]
Matar joinedcross-city rivalsAnsar on 21 September 2020.[13] In2020–21, he helped them win their first league title since 2007, and their 14th overall.[14] Matar scored two goals and made three assists in 14 games.[15] He also helped Ansar win thedouble, scoring a long-distance goal against Nejmeh in the2020–21 Lebanese FA Cup final, which Ansar won onpenalty shoot-outs.[16]
On 16 August 2021, Matar moved toQatari Second Division sideMuaither on afree transfer.[17] He made his debut on 15 September, in a 1–0 defeat toLusalil.[18]
On 17 January 2022, Matar returned to Ansar in the Lebanese Premier League, signing a contract until the end of the2021–22 season.[19] He renewed his contract for two years until the end of the2023–24 season, and once more for two years until end of2025–26 season.[20]
Matar made his debut for Lebanon in a 1–0 home win againstIraq in afriendly on 22 January 2012.[3][21] He was called up for the2019 AFC Asian Cup squad, playing in all three group stage games.[2] Matar's first international goal came on 2 August 2019, in a 2–1 win againstSyria at the2019 WAFF Championship.[22]
An attacking-minded midfielder, Matar's main characteristics are hisdribbling andflair; he is also aset-piece specialist.[3] Starting out as anattacking midfielder, Matar developed into a morecentral role during his stay at Nejmeh.[4]
On 9 January 2021,[23] Matar and his Moroccan wife got married inCasablanca, Morocco.[24]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lebanon | 2012 | 8 | 0 |
| 2013 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 11 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 14 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 12 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 4 | 1 | |
| Total | 71 | 4 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 August 2019 | Karbala Sports City,Karbala, Iraq |  Syria | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2019 WAFF Championship |
| 2 | 10 October 2019 | Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium,Beirut, Lebanon |  Turkmenistan | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 9 June 2023 | Kalinga Stadium,Bhubaneswar, India |  Vanuatu | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2023 Intercontinental Cup |
| 4 | 11 June 2024 | Khalifa International Stadium,Al Rayyan, Qatar |  Bangladesh | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Asante Kotoko
Nejmeh
Ansar
Individual
