Roda Antar

1.1. Family and origins

Roda Antar was born on September 12, 1980, in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He is of Lebanese descent through his father. His older brother, Faisal Antar, is also a professional footballer. Both brothers began their football careers at their hometown club, Tadamon Sour.

1.2. Personal interests and skills

Beyond his football prowess, Antar is known for his linguistic abilities, being proficient in Arabic, German, English, and Chinese. His personal interests include billiards and tennis. He has also expressed admiration for Brazilian football legend Romário.

2.1. Youth and early career

Antar started his career with Lebanese Premier League side Tadamon Sour, progressing through their youth system alongside his older brother Faisal Antar. He made his debut during the 1998-99 season at the age of 17, scoring his first goal in April in the 27th minute of a 3-1 home victory against Safa. In the 1999-00 season, he scored his first goal in October in a 2-2 draw against Sagesse in round four. He ultimately scored four league goals that season, as Tadamon Sour finished as runners-up in the Lebanese Federation Cup. For the 2000-01 season, Antar scored his first goals with a brace in a 4-1 away win against Al-Ansar on January 10, finishing the season with six league goals.

2.2. German club career

Antar's performances, particularly during the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, attracted attention, leading to his move to Germany, where he played for three prominent clubs.

2.2.3. 1. FC Köln

In 2007, both Antar and Youssef Mohamad transferred to 2. Bundesliga side 1. FC Köln for the 2007-08 season. Antar debuted for Köln on August 10 in a 2-0 away win against FC St. Pauli. He scored his first goal for the club, a spectacular bicycle kick, in a 2-1 home victory against SV Wehen Wiesbaden on March 23, with the goal being voted "Goal of the Month." On May 4, 2008, he scored Köln's second goal in their 3-1 home win against 1899 Hoffenheim. During this match, Antar was deliberately kicked in the face by Hoffenheim midfielder Carlos Eduardo Marques, an incident confirmed by TV footage, leading to a multi-game suspension for Marques by the German Football Association.

In the penultimate game of the 2007-08 season, Antar was instrumental in helping Köln secure promotion back to the Bundesliga, scoring a double in a decisive 2-0 home victory against Mainz 05 on May 11. He finished the season with seven goals in 31 league appearances, as Köln secured third place with 60 points and earned promotion for the 2008-09 Bundesliga season.

However, in February 2009, Antar left Köln following disagreements with the club's sporting director, Michael Meier, and manager, Christoph Daum. The conflict centered on Antar's commitment to the first team. Despite the club offering support and individual training sessions to fulfill his contract, which was set to run until June 30, 2009, Antar did not attend training sessions. His agent indicated that he had received offers from Japan, Russia, and China.

2.3. Chinese club career

Following his departure from Germany, Roda Antar spent a significant portion of his career in the Chinese Super League, playing for multiple clubs and achieving further success.

2.3.1. Shandong Luneng Taishan

On March 16, 2009, Antar signed with Chinese Super League club Shandong Luneng Taishan for a transfer fee of 700.00 K EUR. He remained with the club for five years, playing a crucial role in their success. He featured in the 2010 AFC Champions League, where Shandong was eliminated in the group stage. A highlight of his tenure was winning the league title in 2010. On the opening day of the 2012 Chinese Super League season, Antar scored in the 32nd minute to give Shandong a lead in a 2-1 away loss against Guizhou Renhe on March 10. Although there were reports in November 2012 that Beijing Guoan was interested in him as his contract was expiring, he ultimately renewed his contract with Shandong Luneng, staying until December 2013. During his time at Shandong Luneng, he made 127 appearances and scored 36 goals.

2.4. Return to Tadamon Sour and retirement

In 2016, Antar moved back to Lebanon, signing for his former club Tadamon Sour. He played one final season, scoring six league goals in 16 matches, before officially retiring from professional playing at the end of the season.

3.1. Early international appearances

Antar was first called up to the Lebanon national football team at the age of 18, making two appearances at the 1998 Arab Nations Cup. He scored his first international goal in a 2-0 victory against Kyrgyzstan at the 2000 WAFF Championship on May 25, 2000. Later that year, he scored two more goals in friendlies against Kuwait (June 25) and Oman (August 8). In 2001, Antar added six more goals to his international tally, scoring once in a 3-0 friendly victory against the Philippines and five more during the qualifiers for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He achieved his first hat-trick for the national team during the 2002 Arab Nations Cup on December 24, 2002, in a 4-2 victory against Yemen, bringing his total to 12 national team goals.

Antar was selected by coach Josip Skoblar for Lebanon's squad at the 2000 AFC Asian Cup, where he wore the number 20 shirt. Both Roda and his brother, Faisal Antar, were part of the squad, with Roda being one of five under-21 players. He featured in all three of Lebanon's group stage matches: a 4-0 loss against Iran (substituted in the 65th minute), a 2-2 draw against Iraq (substituted in the 47th minute), and a 1-1 draw against Thailand (substituted in the 63rd minute). Lebanon was eliminated from the tournament, finishing bottom of Group A with two points.

3.2. FIFA World Cup qualification campaigns

Antar played a pivotal role in multiple FIFA World Cup qualification campaigns for Lebanon, often as a key goal scorer and team captain.

Under German coach Theo Bücker, Antar was vital for Lebanon during the first round qualifiers for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, scoring five goals in five appearances. He played the full 90 minutes in their opening 6-0 victory against Pakistan on May 13, 2001. Two days later, he scored a double in a 4-0 win against Sri Lanka. On May 17, 2001, Antar scored in the 9th minute against Thailand, giving Lebanon a 1-0 lead before Thailand rallied to win 2-1. On May 26, 2001, he scored another double in an 8-1 victory against Pakistan. He played the full 90 minutes in a 2-2 draw against Thailand on May 30, 2001. Lebanon finished second in their group with 13 points but failed to advance to the second round.

Antar was named captain in 2004 for the second round qualifiers for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, scoring three goals in four appearances. He missed Lebanon's first match against South Korea due to a visa problem. On March 31, 2004, he debuted in the campaign, scoring Lebanon's first goal in the 83rd minute of a 2-0 away victory against Vietnam. He scored again on June 9, 2004, in a 3-0 home win against Maldives, and again in a 5-2 away victory against Maldives on September 8, 2004. He played the full 90 minutes in a 1-1 home draw against South Korea on October 13, 2004, a result that prevented Lebanon from advancing. Lebanon ultimately drew 0-0 with Vietnam in their final qualification match, finishing second in their group with 11 points.

Antar featured in two 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification matches. In the first round play-off against India, he scored in Lebanon's 4-0 first-leg victory on October 8, 2007. Following a 2-2 draw in the second leg, Lebanon advanced. Antar then played the full 90 minutes of Lebanon's third round qualifier against Uzbekistan, a 1-0 home defeat on February 6, 2008. Lebanon obtained no points from their six group stage matches and finished last in their group.

For the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, Antar returned to international football after a one-year absence, reuniting with former coach Theo Bücker. He missed Lebanon's opening group-stage match against South Korea due to a visa issue. However, in his first appearance, captain Antar helped Lebanon to a 3-1 home victory against the United Arab Emirates on September 6, 2011, assisting Akram Moghrabi for the second goal and scoring the third himself with a header in the 83rd minute, earning him the man of the match award. On October 11, 2011, Lebanon drew 2-2 with Kuwait in front of approximately 32,000 fans in Beirut. On November 15, 2011, Lebanon achieved a spirited and historic 2-1 victory over South Korea in Beirut, marking Lebanon's first-ever win against South Korea. Antar was instrumental in Lebanon's performance, as they secured ten points from their last four qualifiers, sharing the top spot in their group with South Korea and advancing to the fourth round. After this win, Lebanese striker Mahmoud El Ali praised Antar's performance and significant impact. Antar received his second yellow card against South Korea and thus missed Lebanon's 4-2 away loss against the UAE on February 29, 2012.

During Lebanon's fourth group-stage match of the fourth round on September 11, 2012, Antar, upon his return from injury, scored in the 27th minute with a header from a Mohamad Haidar free-kick, securing a 1-0 victory against Iran. This victory not only marked Lebanon's first-ever goal but also its first-ever win against Iran, ending Iran's 13-match unbeaten qualifying record. In October 2011, Antar praised the Lebanon national team for their results, stating it was the best national team in their history. He also noted that his captaincy was a job and duty to perform well and win matches alongside his teammates.

On November 12, 2015, Antar scored his 20th international goal for Lebanon in a 7-0 home victory against Laos during a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification match. He celebrated by twice showing ten fingers and pointing to the number 20 on his shirt, signifying his achievement.

3.3. International retirement and return

On March 25, 2013, Antar initially announced his retirement from international football, citing physical exhaustion due to constant long-distance traveling. However, in late October 2013, he announced his return to the national team. On March 5, 2014, during Lebanon's last 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualification match against Thailand, Antar scored Lebanon's fifth goal in their 5-2 away victory. This goal brought his tally to 19 international goals, making him the joint leading goal scorer for the Lebanon national team alongside Wartan Ghazarian. Antar officially announced his final retirement from international football on March 31, 2016, after Lebanon's 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Myanmar. He concluded his international career with 20 goals in 65 appearances.

4.1. Racing Beirut

In June 2017, Antar was appointed head coach of Lebanese club Racing Beirut. After two years with the club in the Lebanese Premier League, on April 25, 2019, Antar was suspended for one year by the Lebanese Football Association. This suspension resulted from an incident where he attacked the referee during the final league game, a 1-0 relegation battle loss against Tripoli.

4.2. Lebanon U23

On August 12, 2020, Antar was appointed manager of the Lebanon national under-23 team, taking on responsibilities for developing young talent at the national level.

4.3. Ahed

On September 28, 2020, Ahed announced Roda Antar as the club's new head coach. During the first phase of the 2020-21 season, Ahed recorded four wins, five draws, and two losses under his leadership. Antar submitted his resignation on January 3, 2021.

6.1. Club

6.2. International

: Scores and results list Lebanon's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Antar goal.