Kenny Saief

Kenny Saief
Personal information
Full name Kenneth Hasan Saief
Date of birth (1993-12-17) December 17, 1993
Place of birth Panama City, Florida, United States[1]
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Left Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Anderlecht
Number 15
Youth career
2005–2006 Maccabi Haifa
2006–2008 Hapoel Haifa
2008 Maccabi Netanya
2008–2010 Beitar Nes Tubruk
2010–2011 TSV 1860 München
2011 Bnei Sakhnin
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2011 Bnei Sakhnin 6 (1)
2011–2012 Hapoel Haifa 3 (0)
2012–2013 Ironi Kiryat Shmona 2 (0)
2013–2014 Ironi Nir Ramat HaSharon 28 (9)
2014–2018 Gent 81 (13)
2018 → Anderlecht (loan) 17 (1)
2018– Anderlecht 4 (0)
National team‡
2008–2009 Israel U16 9 (1)
2011 Israel U18 8 (0)
2011 Israel U19 2 (2)
2013–2015 Israel U21 2 (0)
2016 Israel 2 (0)
2017– United States 3 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of October 8, 2018
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of October 11, 2018

Kenneth "Kenny" Hasan Saief (Arabic: حسن كينيث "كيني" سيف‎, Hebrew: קנט חסן "קני" סייף, born December 17, 1993) is an Israeli-American soccer player of Druze descent, who plays for Belgian club Anderlecht and for the United States national team.

Early life

Saief was born in Panama City, Florida, U.S., to Druze-Israeli parents and moved to Israel at the age of three. [2]

Club career

Saief began his professional career with Bnei Sakhnin in 2011, before he was transferred to Hapoel Haifa one season later. The next year, he moved to Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona and reached the final of the Israel State Cup. Saief made only two appearances however, which resulted in a transfer to Ironi Nir Ramat HaSharon. There he gained more playing opportunities.

Saief attracted the attention of Belgian Pro League team K.A.A. Gent, who signed him for a three-year deal on August 8, 2014.[3] On May 22, 2018 Saief signed official to Anderlecht.

International

Saief has represented the Israel national team at various youth levels. He reportedly stated that he expected to play for the United States men's national soccer team,[4] although he was called up to the Israel national football team and made his debut in a friendly 2–1 loss to Croatia.[5]

On June 3, 2017 Saief was called up by the United States men's national soccer team as part of their 40-man preliminary roster for the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup.[6] As part of his callup, Saief filed a one-time switch with FIFA, tying him permanently to the US program.[7]

On June 22, 2017 U.S. Soccer confirmed that Saief had been approved by FIFA for a change of association.[8]

He was chosen to make his first start for the USMNT against Paraguay on March 27, 2018.[9]

Career statistics

As of match played October 10, 2018[10]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Bnei Sakhnin 2010–11 Ligat HaAl 600000–60
Hapoel Haifa 2012–13 Ligat HaAl 300010–40
Ironi Kiryat Shmona 2012–13 Ligat HaAl 2000–0020
Ramat HaSharon 2013–14 Ligat HaAl 2893100–3110
Gent 2014–15 Pro League 20241––243
2015–16 28410–8[lower-alpha 1]0374
2016–17 First Division A 31730–13[lower-alpha 2]1478
2017–18 3020–0050
Total 8213101–21111315
Anderlecht (loan) 2017–18 First Division A 171–––171
Anderlecht 2018–19 4000–2060
Total 21100–20231
Career total 142231321023117926
  1. ↑ One appearance in the Belgian Super Cup and seven in the Europa League
  2. ↑ Appearances in the Europa League

Honors

Club

Gent

References

  1. ↑ "Kenny Saief was born in Panama City Florida" (in Dutch). Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Five Things to Know About U.S. MNT Midfielder Kenny Saief". www.ussoccer.com.
  3. ↑ "Kenny Saief signs 3-season deal" (in Dutch). Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Gent midfielder Saief says it's 'matter of time' before USMNT call-up", SBI Soccer, Ryan Tomlich, December 10, 2015.
  5. ↑ "CROATIA VS. ISRAEL 2 – 0". Soccer Way. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  6. ↑ "USA Submits 40-Player Preliminary Roster for 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup =3 June 2017". ussoccer.com.
  7. ↑ "FIFA APPROVES CHANGE OF ASSOCIATION REQUEST FOR MIDFIELDER KENNY SAIEF". US Soccer. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Kenny Saief seals national team switch from Israel to United States". ESPN FC. June 22, 2017. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
  9. ↑ https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/soccer/2018/03/27/delgado-to-make-us-debut-in-exhibition-vs-paraguay/33339049/
  10. ↑ "K. Saief". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved January 14, 2018.


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