Khalil Al-Zayani

Khalil Al-Zayani
Personal information
Full name	Khalil Ibrahim Rashid Al-Zayani
Date of birth	May 21, 1947 (age 76)
Place of birth	Dammam, Saudi Arabia
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Senior career*
Years	Team
1962–1973	Al-Ittifaq
International career‡
1971	Saudi Arabia
Managerial career
1976–1983	Al-Ittifaq
1984–1986	Saudi Arabia
1987–1990	Al-Ittifaq
1992–1993	Al-Qadisiyah
1994–1998	Al-Ittifaq
1999	Al-Hilal
Medal record
Men's football
Representing Saudi Arabia (as manager)
AFC Asian Cup
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of January 1, 2011; ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of January 1, 2011

Khalil Al-Zayani (

Arabic: خليل أبراهيم الزياني) is a Saudi Arabian former international footballer and football coach. Al-Zayani is part of Al-Zayani family residing in Dammam city in the Eastern Province

of Saudi Arabia.

Playing career

Al-Zayani played for the

King Cup

. Al-Zayani also represented the Saudi national team. He retired from professional football in 1973.

Managerial career

Zayani's rise as a coach was a natural progression given the success he had as a player. His coaching career started soon after he retired as a player, as an assistant coach for the

Al-Ittifaq

first team. That particular tenure lasted two years but he later had several stints with the club a manager, he was promoted to head coach for the first time in 1976.

Al-Zayani won the

Gulf Club competition

was also won in the same season making Al-Ettifaq the first Saudi team to win a non-domestic title.

In between his Ettifaq managerial stints, he was successful as the

Muscat, Oman to replace the sacked Mário Zagallo, coach of the Brazil World Cup-winning team of 1970 that featured Pelé. Zagalo was let go after a 4–0 defeat to Iraq as the Saudis collected only one win from their first three matches in the 7th Arabian Gulf Cup. Al-Zayani became the first Saudi head coach to manage the Saudi Arabia national football team. Zayani, nonetheless, proved to be up to the task as he oversaw a draw against Kuwait and was victories over the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain as Saudi Arabia

finished third in the competition.

In August 1984, he oversaw the Saudi national football team in the Olympic Games finals in Los Angeles, which was considered a significant achievement at the time, but his sights were firmly fixed on the AFC Asian Cup scheduled for December that year.

Zayani called up several younger players, including players such as

China with goals from Shaye Al-Nafisah and Majed Abdullah to claim their first Asian Cup

and first senior national team title.

Al-Zayani came back to coach Al-Ettifaq in 1987 for the second time, winning the

1988 Gulf Club Champions Cup

in his second season.

Al-Zayani went on to coach

Al-Hilal

, as well as a third stint with Al-Ettifaq.

Asian Cup success

Al-Zayani's decision to go with youth paid off with the Saudis defeating China 2–0 in the final for their first-ever AFC Asian Cup title.

Al-Zayani said about the tournament:

“That was our first ever title, and everyone was happy to get such a magnificent continental success.. “The psychological side of football is very important and this should work hand-in-hand with the tactical side. “The Asian Cup in Singapore had always special meaning, not only for me but for all the people involved in Saudi football at the time. “It was the start of a great era for us and we became one of the strongest sides in Asia in the following years.”

Current activities

In 2002, after a long career as a coach, Zayani decided to move from the bench to behind-the-desk role, as vice-president of

Al-Ittifaq

for a certain time. He is also an occasional television pundit.

Honours

Player

Al-Ettifaq

Crown Prince Cup
:
- Champion (1): 1965
King's Cup
:
- Champion (1): 1968

Manager