Pilar Tony Khoury (Arabic: بيلار توني خوري; born 25 August 1994) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Première Ligue club Strasbourg and the Lebanon national team.
.jpg) Khoury with Saint-Étienne in 2020 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Pilar Tony Khoury[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 25 August 1994 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in)[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Strasbourg | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 7 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2011 | Ottawa Gloucester Hornets | ||||||||||||||||
| College career | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2011–2016 | Ottawa Gee-Gees | (58) | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Albi | 31 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Grenoble | 22 | (11) | ||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Saint-Étienne | 17 | (10) | ||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Nantes | 38 | (11) | ||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Strasbourg | 21 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2021– | Lebanon | 7 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 September 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 8 April 2023 | |||||||||||||||||
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 Championship, in which she scored her first international goal.
Early life
editKhoury 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
editYouth and college
editAt 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
editKhoury 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
editShe 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
editIn 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
editOn 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]
The following season, in 2022–23, Khoury scored five goals in 18 league games, as well as two goals in three cup games.[7] Nantes finished in third place.[13]
Strasbourg
editOn 28 July 2023, fellow Division 2 team Strasbourg announced the signing of Khoury.[14] She scored four goals in 19 games in the 2023–24 league season,[7] helping her team win the championship and gain promotion to the Division 1.[15]
International career
editBorn 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.[16] 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".[16] However, due to resulting positive to COVID-19, she was unable to travel.[3]
She made her debut on 21 October 2021, helping Lebanon beat the United Arab Emirates 1–0 in the 2022 AFC Asian Cup qualification.[2] Khoury was called up to represent Lebanon at the 2022 WAFF Championship;[17] she helped her side finish runners-up, scoring her first international goal against Syria on 4 September 2022.[18]
Style of play
editInitially a striker, Khoury developed into a winger during her stay at Nantes.[3] She is capable of playing in all attacking positions.[14]
Personal life
editKhoury's maternal grandfather, Louis Saad, was also a footballer;[4] he died in 2013.[16] Khoury stated that he taught her how to play football.[16] 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
editClub
edit- As of match played 26 May 2024[7]
| Club | Season | League | Coupe de France | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Albi | 2016–17 | Division 1 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 2 |
| 2017–18 | Division 1 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 2 | |
| Total | 31 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 33 | 4 | ||
| Grenoble | 2018–19 | Division 2 | 22 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 26 | 13 |
| Saint-Étienne | 2019–20 | Division 2 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 7 |
| 2020–21 | Division 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | |
| Total | 17 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 11 | ||
| Nantes | 2021–22 | Division 2 | 20 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 25 | 7 |
| 2022–23 | Division 2 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 21 | 7 | |
| Total | 38 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 46 | 14 | ||
| Strasbourg | 2023–24 | Division 2 | 19 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 4 |
| Career total | 127 | 39 | 17 | 7 | 144 | 46 | ||
International
edit| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lebanon | 2021 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 4 | 2 | |
| Total | 7 | 3 | |
- Scores and results list Lebanon's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Khoury goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 September 2022 | Petra Stadium, Amman, Jordan |  Syria
|
5–0 | 5–2 | 2022 WAFF Championship |
| 2 | 5 April 2023 | Fouad Chehab Stadium, Jounieh, Lebanon |  Chinese Taipei
|
1–0 | 1–5 | 2024 AFC Olympic Qualifying Tournament |
| 3 | 8 April 2023 | Fouad Chehab Stadium, Jounieh, Lebanon |  Indonesia
|
2–0 | 5–0 | 2024 AFC Olympic Qualifying Tournament |
Honours
editStrasbourg
Lebanon
- WAFF Women's Championship runner-up: 2022
Individual[19]
- OUA Player of the Year: 2014–15, 2015–16
- OUA First Team All-Star: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
- U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian: 2014–15, 2015–16
Records
- Ottawa Gee-Gees all-time goal scorer: 58 goals[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "Pilar Khoury". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ a b c "Pilar Khoury". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "Interview with Pilar Khoury". FA Lebanon. 18 November 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Baradhi, Maria (14 November 2020). "A.S. Saint Etienne's Pilar Khoury: A National Team Prospect". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
- ^ a b "uOttawa Gee-Gees Records". Ottawa Gee-Gees. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
- ^ Sangaré-Ponce, Moussa (27 June 2016). "Gee-Gees superstar to continue her career in France". Ottawa Gee-Gees. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Pilar Khoury". Footofeminin.fr. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ "Footofeminin.fr - Championnat de France de D2 2022-2023 - Groupe A". www.statsfootofeminin.fr. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ a b "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.
- ^ "Championnes de D2 féminine ! - Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace" (in French). 20 May 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Pilar Khoury". Ottawa Gee-Gees. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
External links
edit
- Pilar Khoury at Soccerway