Pilar Khoury

Last updated

Pilar Khoury
Pilar Khoury 2020 (cropped).jpg
Khoury with Saint-Étienne in 2020
Personal information
Full name Pilar Tony Khoury [1]
Date of birth (1994-08-25) 25 August 1994 (age 29)
Place of birth Ottawa, Ontario, Canada [1]
Height 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in) [2]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Strasbourg  [ fr ]
Number 7
Youth career
2004–2011 Ottawa Gloucester Hornets
College career
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2011–2016 Ottawa Gee-Gees (58)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2016–2018 Albi 31 (3)
2018–2019 Grenoble 22 (11)
2019–2021 Saint-Étienne 17 (10)
2021–2023 Nantes 38 (11)
2023– Strasbourg  [ fr ] 5 (3)
International career‡
2021– Lebanon 7 (3)
Medal record
Women's football
Representing Flag of Lebanon.svg  Lebanon
WAFF Women's Championship
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2022
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:37, 5 February 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 8 April 2023

Pilar Tony Khoury (Arabic : بيلار توني خوري; born 25 August 1994) is a footballer who plays as a forward for French Division 2 Féminine club Strasbourg  [ fr ] and the Lebanon national team.

Contents

Khoury played at the college level for the Ottawa Gee-Gees, the University of Ottawa's team; she left in 2016 as their all-time goal scorer with 58 goals. Khoury moved to France the same year, where she joined Albi in the Division 1 Féminine; she then played for Division 2 sides Grenoble, Saint-Étienne, Nantes and Strasbourg.

Born in Canada, Khoury is of Lebanese descent and has represented Lebanon internationally since 2021. She helped Lebanon finish runners-up at the 2022 WAFF Women's Championship, in which she scored her first international goal.

Early life

Khoury was born in Canada to Lebanese parents. [3] She noted that she was surrounded by Lebanese people and culture growing up, due to the large presence of Lebanese diaspora in her area. [3]

Club career

Youth and college

At 10 years old, Khoury began her youth career at local club Ottawa Gloucester Hornets, where she remained for seven years. [4] She began as a defender, before being moved up to forward in her last year at the club. [4]

Khoury then moved to the University of Ottawa's team, the Ottawa Gee-Gees. [4] She made her breakthrough in her third season at the club, breaking the university’s scoring record twice and winning multiple individual titles. [4] Khoury finished her career with the Ottawa Gee-Gees as their all-time leading goal scorer, with 58 goals. [5]

Albi

Khoury began her senior career in 2016, moving to Division 1 Féminine side Albi in France on 1 August. [6] After being a reserve for the first half of the 2016–17 season, she became a regular in the second half and helped her side avoid relegation. [4] Her second season saw Khoury miss multiple matches due to injuries, and the club was relegated to the Division 2 Féminine. [4]

Grenoble

She moved to Grenoble for the 2018–19 season in the Division 2. [4] After a slow start, scoring once in the first half of the season, Khoury scored 10 goals in her next 10 games. [4] She also scored three goals in four Coupe de France féminine games. [7]

Saint-Étienne

In 2019, Khoury joined Division 2 runners-up Saint-Étienne where, in the 2019–20 season, she scored six league goals in 11 matches. [7] She also scored a goal in her only Coupe de France appearance. [7] In 2020–21, Khoury scored four goals in four games, [7] before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in France. [8] She finished with 11 goals in 18 games in all competitions. [7]

Nantes

On 27 July 2021, Khoury moved to Nantes. [9] She made her debut on 5 September, in a 3–0 win against Lens. [10] On 10 October, Khoury scored her first goal for Nantes, helping her team win 3–0 against Orléans. [11] She ended the 2021–22 season with six goals in 20 league games, [7] missing out on Division 1 promotion by one point. [12] Khoury also scored one goal in five Coupe de France games, [7] helping her side reach the semi-finals. [12]

Strasbourg

On 28 July 2023, fellow Division 2 team Strasbourg  [ fr ] announced the signing of Khoury. [13]

International career

Born in Canada, Khoury is of Lebanese descent. [4] She has stated her preference to play for Lebanon over Canada, saying that she dreamed of representing Lebanon from a young age. [4]

Khoury was first called up for Lebanon in April 2021, ahead of a friendly tournament in Armenia. [14] Regarding her first call-up, she stated: "I have difficulty expressing how much it means to me. To represent my parents' country after all the sacrifices they made for my soccer career". [14] However, due to resulting positive to COVID-19, she was unable to travel. [3]

She made her debut on 21 October, helping Lebanon beat the United Arab Emirates 1–0 in the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup qualification. [2] Khoury was called up to represent Lebanon at the 2022 WAFF Women's Championship; [15] she helped her side finish runners-up, scoring her first international goal against Syria on 4 September. [16]

Style of play

Initially a striker, Khoury developed into a winger during her stay at Nantes. [3] She is capable of playing in all attacking positions. [13]

Personal life

Khoury's maternal grandfather, Louis Saad, was also a footballer; [4] he died in 2013. [14] Khoury stated that he taught her how to play football. [14] A few days prior to dying, her grandfather passed his French citizenship onto her, which facilitated her move to play professionally in France three years later. [3]

While playing for the Ottawa Gee-Gees, Khoury completed a bachelor’s degree in health sciences with a minor in psychology. [4] Khoury was also a student during her time at Albi. [4]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 28 May 2023 [7]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeague Coupe de France Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Albi 2016–17 Division 1 15210162
2017–18 Division 116111172
Total31321334
Grenoble 2018–19 Division 2 2211422613
Saint-Étienne 2019–20 Division 213611147
2020–21 Division 2440044
Total1710111811
Nantes 2021–22 Division 220651257
2022–23 Division 218532217
Total3811834614
Career total1083515712342

    International

    As of match played 8 April 2023 [2] [1]
    Appearances and goals by national team and year
    National teamYearAppsGoals
    Lebanon 202110
    202221
    202342
    Total73
    Scores and results list Lebanon's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Khoury goal.
    List of international goals scored by Pilar Khoury
    No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
    14 September 2022 Petra Stadium, Amman, JordanFlag of Syria.svg  Syria 5–05–2 2022 WAFF Championship
    25 April 2023 Fouad Chehab Stadium, Jounieh, LebanonFlag of Chinese Taipei (Olympics; 1986-2010).svg  Chinese Taipei 1–01–5 2024 AFC Olympic Qualifying Tournament
    38 April 2023Fouad Chehab Stadium, Jounieh, LebanonFlag of Indonesia.svg  Indonesia 2–05–02024 AFC Olympic Qualifying Tournament

    Honours

    Lebanon

    Individual [17]

    Records

    See also

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaëtane Thiney</span> French footballer

    Gaëtane Iza Laure Thiney is a French professional footballer who plays for Division 1 Féminine club Paris FC. Primarily a midfielder, she can also play as a striker.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Viviane Asseyi</span> French footballer (born 1993)

    Viviane Marie-Louise Blanche Asseyi is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Super League club West Ham United and the France national team.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenza Dali</span> French football player

    Kenza Dali is a French professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Women's Super League club Aston Villa and the France national team.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Toulouse FC (women)</span> Womens association football club in France

    Toulouse FC Féminines is a French football representing Toulouse FC. It currently competes in the Division 2 Féminine. Founded in 1980 as Toulouse OAC, the team became a section of Toulouse FC in 2001, at its peak.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Janice Cayman</span> Belgian footballer

    Janice Cayman is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Leicester City.

    Anne-Marie Bănuță is a Romanian-French women's football forward who plays for Nantes in the Division 2 Féminine.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Kheira Hamraoui</span> French footballer

    Kheira Hamraoui is a French professional footballer who plays as a midfielder. She is currently a free agent.

    Valérie Marie Christelle Gauvin is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Division 2 Féminine club Montauban FCTG.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace Geyoro</span> French association football player

    Onema Grace Geyoro is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for French Division 1 Féminine club Paris Saint-Germain, which she also captains. Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, she plays for the France national team.

    Fatoumata Baldé is a Guinean association football player who plays for her country's national women's team and currently plays for US Orléans in the Division 2 Feminine.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Mariem Houij</span> Tunisian footballer

    Mariem "Maryama" Houij is a Tunisian footballer, who plays as a forward for Turkish Women's Super League club Galatasaray and the Tunisia women's national team.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Khadija Shaw</span> Jamaican footballer (born 1997)

    Khadija Monifa "Bunny" Shaw CD is a Jamaican professional footballer who plays as a forward for Women's Super League (WSL) club Manchester City and captains the Jamaica national team. She is Jamaica's all-time top goalscorer for both women and men, holds the joint record for most hat tricks in the WSL, and was awarded CONCACAF Player of the Year in 2022.

    Sydney Abigail Elinsky is an American soccer player who plays as a midfielder.

    Eden Avital is an Israeli footballer who plays as a attacking midfielder for the Israeli football club Hapoel Petah Tikva and for the Israeli national team. She has previously played in Israel for the Girls Football Academy, ASA Tel Aviv, and Kiryat Gat as well as in France for Albi and Soyaux.

    Vanessa Brigitte Gilles is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a centre-back for Division 1 Féminine club Lyon, on loan from Angel City FC, and the Canada national team.

    Clara Coline Mona Matéo is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward or an attacking midfielder for Division 1 Féminine club Paris FC and the France national team.

    Léa Khelifi is a French professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Division 1 Féminine club Montpellier and the France national team.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">FC Nantes (women)</span> Womens football club in Nantes, France

    Football Club de Nantes, commonly referred to as FC Nantes or simply Nantes, is a women's football club based in Nantes, France. It has been the women's section of FC Nantes since 2012. Coached by Nicolas Chabot, the club competes in the Division 2 Féminine.

    Sylia Koui is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for French Division 2 Féminine club Nantes, which she also captains. Born in France, she plays for the Algeria national team.

    Louna Ribadeira is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Division 1 Féminine club Paris FC.

    References

    1. 1 2 3 "Pilar Khoury". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
    2. 1 2 3 "Pilar Khoury". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
    3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Interview with Pilar Khoury". FA Lebanon. 18 November 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021– via YouTube.
    4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Baradhi, Maria (14 November 2020). "A.S. Saint Etienne's Pilar Khoury: A National Team Prospect". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
    5. 1 2 "uOttawa Gee-Gees Records". Ottawa Gee-Gees . Retrieved 10 September 2022.
    6. ↑ Sangaré-Ponce, Moussa (27 June 2016). "Gee-Gees superstar to continue her career in France". Ottawa Gee-Gees . Retrieved 12 February 2021.
    7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Pilar Khoury". Footofeminin.fr. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
    8. ↑ Sabathier, Romane (25 April 2021). "Annulation du championnat de D2 Féminine : décision difficile à encaisser pour les joueuses de l'US Orléans" [Cancellation of the Women's D2 Championship: a difficult decision to take for the players of US Orléans]. France 3 Centre (in French). Retrieved 29 July 2021.
    9. ↑ Duret, Sebastien (9 September 2021). "#D1Arkema – Le tableau du mercato estival : le point" [#D1Arkema – The summer transfer window table: the point]. Footofeminin.fr (in French). Retrieved 10 September 2022.
    10. ↑ "Championnat de France de D2 2021–2022 – Groupe A – 1re journée – Nantes–Lens 3–0". Footofeminin.fr (in French). 5 September 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
    11. ↑ "Championnat de France de D2 2021–2022 – Groupe A – 5e journée – Nantes–Orléans 3–0". Footofeminin.fr (in French). 10 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
    12. 1 2 Soulard, Sebastien (22 May 2022). "FC Nantes. D2F : un épilogue douloureux pour les Nantaises" [FC Nantes. D2F: a painful epilogue for Nantes residents]. Ouest-France (in French). Retrieved 10 September 2022.
    13. 1 2 "Pilar Khoury et Julie Genty rejoignent le Racing" [Pilar Khoury and Julie Genty join Racing]. Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace (in French). 28 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
    14. 1 2 3 4 Jobin, Jonathan (31 March 2021). "Une première chance en équipe nationale du Liban pour Pilar Khoury" [A first chance in the Lebanon national team for Pilar Khoury]. Radio-Canada.ca (in Canadian French). Retrieved 3 April 2021.
    15. ↑ وصول سيدات الأرز الى الأردن للمشاركة في بطولة غرب آسيا [The arrival of the Lady Cedars to Jordan to participate in the WAFF Championship]. Lebanese Football Association (in Arabic). 27 August 2022. Archived from the original on 27 August 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
    16. ↑ الأردن يتوج ببطولة السيدات السابعة.. ويضيف اللقب الخامس إلى سجله [Jordan win the seventh women's championship.. and add a fifth title to their record]. West Asian Football Federation (in Arabic). 5 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
    17. ↑ "Pilar Khoury". Ottawa Gee-Gees . Retrieved 12 February 2021.
    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.