5.5 Culture: soccer language in the Arab world
In this section
- You will learn about the significance of soccer in the Arab world.
- You will learn some expressions that you can hear while watching soccer.
Warm-up: Watch this video featuring a song by Nancy Ajram.
Keywords : شجع بعلمك support with your flag
Also watch below is a clip celebrating the world cup 2022 in Qatar.
Culture notes
- Soccer is considered the first popular sport in the Arab world.
- Many channels and networks specialize in broadcasting and analyzing soccer games.
- Each Arab country has its national teams that compete locally and attract wide audience.
- Many children in the Middle East and North Africa grow up playing it, as well as obsessing over it and its famous sports teams, clubs, and players.
- Top 10 Arab Football Clubs: The following is a list of the most successful Arab football clubs according to Forbes Magazine’s ranking system.
1. Al Ahly SC
City: Cairo, Egypt
Rival: Zamalek SC (Cairo)
2. Al Hilal Saudi Club
City: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Rival: Al-Nassr (Riyadh)
3. Espérance Sportive de Tunis
City: Tunis, Tunisia
Rival: Club Africain (Tunis), Étoile Sportive du Sahel (Tunis)
4. Étoile Sportive du Sahel
City: Tunis, Tunisia
Rival: Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunis), Club Africain (Tunis)
5. Al-Ahli Saudi FC
City: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Rival: Al-Ittihad (Jeddah)
6. Zamalek SC
City: Cairo, Egypt
Rival: Al-Ahly SC (Cairo)
7. Club Africain
City: Tunis, Tunisia
Rival: Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunis), Étoile Sportive du Sahel (Tunis)
8. Wydad Athletic Club
City: Casablanca, Morocco
Rival: Raja FC (Casablanca)
9. Al-Hilal Omdurman FC
City: Khartoum, Sudan
Rival: Al-Merrikh (Khartoum)
10. Al-Merrikh Sporting Club
City: Khartoum, Sudan
Rival: Al-Hilal Omdurman FC
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Famous Arab Players: The following is a list of the most famous Arab soccer players currently playing.
Mohamed Salah
Country: Egypt
Club: Liverpool
Riyad Mahrez
Country: Algeria
Club: Leicester City
Islam Slimani
Country: Algeria
Club: Leicester City
Yacine Brahimi
Country: Algeria
Club: FC Porto
Mahdi Benatia
Country: Morocco
Club: Juventus
Faouzi Ghoulam
Country: Algeria
Club: SSC Napoli
Mohamed Elneny
Country: Egypt
Club: Arsenal
Hakim Ziyech
Country: Morocco
Club: AFC AJAX
Soufiane Hanni
Country: Algeria
Club: Leicester City
El Arbi Hillel Soudani
Country: Algeria
Club: GNK Dinamo Zagreb
Activity (13): Watch this video and pick up some expressions that game reporters frequently use.
This is a list you can hear frequently in football games. Can you guess their meanings?
| حلوة | الله |
| خطيرة | يا الله |
| هدف = جول | يا سلام |
| شوط | يلّا |
Key Takeaways
- Select an Arab country and research its soccer activity, teams, famous players, and achievements internationally and locally.
