Atef Abu Bilal (Arabic: عاطف ابو بلال, Hebrew: עאטף אבו בילאל; born 5 February 1984) is a Palestinian-Israeli footballer who plays for Markaz Balata as a winger.[1][2] He received his first call up to the Palestine national football team in 2010 against Sudan. He has since played for Palestine at the 2010 WAFF Championship, the qualifying rounds of the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup, and the 2014 World Cup qualifying stages.

Atef Abu Bilal
Personal information
Date of birth (1984-02-05) 5 February 1984 (age 40)
Place of birth Shaqib al-Salam, Israel
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Winger
Team information
Current team
Markaz Balata
Youth career
Hapoel Be'er Sheva
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2008 Hapoel Massos Segev Shalom 42 (4)
2006Maccabi Be'er Sheva (loan) 12 (0)
2008–2010 Maccabi Ironi Netivot 38 (6)
2010 Bnei Eilat 0 (0)
2010–2012 Shabab Al-Dhahiriya ? (?)
2010–2012 Shaba Al-Khalil ? (?)
2013–2014 Hapoel Rahat 23 (15)
2014–2015 Maccabi Segev Shalom 15 (18)
2015–2016 F.C. Be'er Sheva 30 (7)
2016–2017 F.C. Tzeirei Rahat 4 (2)
2017 Shabab Dura ? (?)
2017 Shabab Al-Khalil ? (?)
2017–2018 Beitar Nordia Jerusalem 5 (1)
2018 F.C. Tzeirei Rahat 1 (0)
2018–2019 F.C. Dimona 28 (5)
2019–2020 Ironi Kuseife 12 (2)
2020– Markaz Balata 0 (0)
International career
2010–2013 Palestine 11 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 1 July 2020

Career

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Abu Bilal is a product of Hapoel Be'er Sheva F.C.'s youth system. He played one Liga Leumit match and ten Liga Alef matches for the club,[3] but has spent most of his career playing in the lower divisions of Israeli football. Abu Bilal was concurrently playing for Palestian club Shabab Al-Khalil SC and Israeli fifth tier side Maccabi Segev Shalom F.C. during 2014, yielding him an unprecedented 99-year ban from Israeli club competitions.[4]

References

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  1. ^ "Atef Abu Bilal". worldfootball.net. HeimSpiel Medien. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  2. ^ "Atef Abu Bilal". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  3. ^ Profile at Israel Football Association
  4. ^ "יחזור ב-2113: שחקן מליגה ג' הורחק ל-99 שנה" (in Hebrew). One. 22 December 2014.
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