View source for Abdulla Koni

{{short description|Qatari footballer (born 1979)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Abdulla Koni
| image = Abdullah Koni.jpg
| caption = Koni in 2011
| fullname = Abdulla Obaid Koni
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|7|19|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Dakar]], Senegal
| height = 1.85 m
| position = [[Defender (association football)|Defender]]
| currentclub = 
| youthyears1 = 1990–1996
| youthclubs1 = [[Al-Sadd Sports Club|Al Sadd]]
| years1 = 1996–2014
| clubs1 = [[Al-Sadd Sports Club|Al Sadd]]
| caps1 = 222
| goals1 = 15
| nationalyears1 = 1998–1999
| nationalteam1 = [[Qatar national under-20 football team|Qatar U20]]
| nationalcaps1 = 3
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 1997–2012
| nationalteam2 = [[Qatar national football team|Qatar]]
| nationalcaps2 = 63
| nationalgoals2 = 4
}}

'''Abdulla Obaid Koni''' ({{langx|ar|عبد الله كوني}}; born on 19 July 1979) is a former professional [[association football|footballer]] who played as a [[Defender (football)|defender]] for [[Al-Sadd Sports Club|Al Sadd]]. Born in Senegal, he represented the [[Qatar national football team|Qatar national team]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080210030856/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=159076/index.html FIFA.com - Abdulla Koni]</ref>

==Career==
Koni was born in [[Senegal]]. He captained Al Sadd to victory in the [[2011 AFC Champions League|AFC Champions League]] in 2011. In the round of 16 of the tournament, he scored a decisive header against [[Al Shabab FC (Riyadh)|Al Shabab]] which turned out to be the winner. His team went on to win the tournament, defeating [[Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors]] in the final in South Korea. As a result of the AFC Champions League triumph, he led his team into the [[2011 FIFA Club World Cup]]. In the quarter-finals, he scored the winning goal against [[Espérance de Tunis]] slotting in a cross from teammate [[Lee Jung-Soo]], earning his team a 2–1 victory. This set up a semi-final confrontation against [[F.C. Barcelona|Barcelona]] on 15 December 2011.

With Barcelona leading 1–0 in the 36th minute, Barcelona forward [[David Villa]] timed a run well and allowed for a ball to be played over the top into the path of his run. Villa and Koni raced toward the Al Sadd net. As the ball hit the ground, Villa failed to corral the ball, allowing Koni the time to catch up and challenge for the ball on its next bounce. He made a shoulder challenge on Villa as he attempted to strike the ball, causing Villa to fall awkwardly on his left leg and break it. Because of this, Koni was dubbed as "maybe the most influential player of the [[UEFA Euro 2012|Euro 2012]]",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1216682-abdulla-koni-the-qatari-player-who-may-have-decided-euro-2012|title=Abdulla Koni: The Qatari Player Who May Have Decided Euro 2012|publisher=bleacherreport.com|date=11 June 2012|accessdate=13 April 2013}}</ref> even though Spain went on to win the tournament without Villa.

== Career statistics ==

=== International goals ===
:''Scores and results list Qatar's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Koni goal''.<ref>[http://www.national-football-teams.com/player/5373/Abdullah_Obaid_Koni.html Koni, Abdullah Obaid]</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by Abdulla Koni
|-
!scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Venue
!scope="col"|Opponent
!scope="col"|Score
!scope="col"|Result
!scope="col"|Competition
!scope="col" class="unsortable"|{{Abbr|Ref.|References}}
|-
| align="center"|1 || 29 November 2003 || [[Jalan Besar Stadium]], Singapore || {{fb|SIN}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|2–0 || [[2004 AFC Asian Cup qualification|2004 Asian Cup qual.]] || <ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/tables/04asch.html Asian Nations Cup 2004]</ref>
|-
| align="center"|2 || 8 January 2004 || [[Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium]], [[Kuwait City]], Kuwait || {{fb|KUW}} || align="center"|1–1 || align="center"|2–1 || [[16th Arabian Gulf Cup]] ||
|-
| align="center"|3 || 1 December 2004 || || {{fb|LBN}} || align="center"|4–0 || align="center"|4–1 || [[Friendly match]] ||
|-
| align="center"|4 || 16 November 2007 || [[Thani bin Jassim Stadium]], [[Al Rayyan]], Qatar || {{fb|GEO}} || align="center"|1–1 || align="center"|1–2 || Friendly match ||
|}

==Honours==

===Club===
'''Al Sadd'''
* [[FIFA Club World Cup]] bronze medalist: 2011
* [[AFC Champions League]]: 2011
* [[Arab Champions League]]: 2001
* [[Qatari League]]: 1999–2000, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2012–13
* [[Emir of Qatar Cup]]: 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007
* [[Qatar Crown Prince Cup]]: 1998, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008
* [[Sheikh Jassem Cup]]: 1998, 2000, 2002, 2007
* [[Qatari Stars Cup]]: 2010-11

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.doha-2006.com/gis/SPORTS/CO/IGCOParticipantInfo.aspx?Register=5808498 Player profile - doha-2006.com]
*{{FIFA|159076}}
*{{NFT|5373|Abdullah Koni}}

{{Qatar Squad 2007 AFC Asian Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Koni, Abdullah}}
[[Category:1979 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Qatari men's footballers]]
[[Category:21st-century Qatari sportsmen]]
[[Category:Qatar men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Al Sadd SC players]]
[[Category:2007 AFC Asian Cup players]]
[[Category:Naturalized citizens of Qatar]]
[[Category:Qatar Stars League players]]
[[Category:Senegalese emigrants to Qatar]]
[[Category:Qatari people of Senegalese descent]]
[[Category:Footballers at the 2006 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Games gold medalists for Qatar]]
[[Category:Asian Games footballers for Qatar]]
[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2006 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Naturalised association football players]]
[[Category:AFC Champions League Elite–winning players]]
[[Category:Asian Games gold medalists in football]]