From Local Coach To Global Referee: Bilal’s Story

Under the bright lights of Beirut’s Tripoli National Stadium, the crowd holds its breath as the players sprint toward goal. In the middle of the pitch stands Bilal, whistle poised, eyes sharp, commanding the game with calm authority. To the thousands watching, he is a FIFA international referee ensuring fairness on the world stage. But back home in Al Qobbeh, Tripoli, he is also something more: a mentor, a role model, and living proof that sport can open doors to new possibilities.

Years ago, Bilal was a young man with a passion for football but little direction. He coached with whatever tools he could find—soda caps for cones, wooden planks for goalposts—without structure or training, and in difficult circumstances. Many in his community questioned why he bothered. They doubted his efforts.

But everything changed when he connected with Right To Play in 2017. Through training and mentorship, Bilal discovered that football could be more than just a game. It could teach teamwork, empathy, and resilience, giving children in his neighborhood the life skills they needed as much as a safe place to play. The children began to thrive under his new approach, growing more confident on and off the pitch, and seeing themselves as capable of achieving more than they thought possible. At the same time, Bilal himself was transforming. From a young man improvising with soda caps and wooden planks, he grew into a certified Coach with professional credentials, the founder of two football academies, and eventually, a FIFA international referee.

Finding Purpose In Football 

Bilal grew up in Al Qobbeh, one of Tripoli’s most underserved neighbourhoods, where poverty and political instability shaped daily life. Like many children there, he had few safe spaces to play, and sport often meant improvising on rough ground with makeshift equipment. Without guidance, many young people drifted toward the streets, where negative influences were far easier to find than support. Those experiences stayed with him, and as a young adult he began leading informal football sessions so that the next generation of children could have what he never did—a safe place to play, learn, and belong.

When Bilal first began leading informal football sessions, many in his community dismissed his efforts. “People asked me, ‘What are you doing? How will this ever help you?’,” he recalls. But Bilal saw that children needed more than just a ball. They needed encouragement, structure, and a safe place to belong. He loved guiding children in football sessions but lacked the knowledge to do it right.

In 2017, while browsing in a small sports shop for second-hand equipment, Bilal met a Right To Play staff member who noticed his interest in coaching. They told him about upcoming training opportunities and encouraged him to join.

After joining Right To Play as a coach, Bilal was selected to participate in the KNVB World Coaches training program—part of a joint sports for development initiative between Right To Play and the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB). Through the program, he gained not just technical coaching skills but also a deeper understanding of how football could teach life skills. “I used to think football was just football. But I realized it could teach so much more: confidence, empathy, teamwork—things kids needed even more than scoring goals,” he says.

With a few new tools, equipment, and confidence, Bilal began to organize structured sessions through Right To Play’s program. Despite limited resources, children kept coming, because for many, it was the only safe and positive space they had. He went on to complete five levels of coaching certification and led activities across North Lebanon, including camps for displaced children.

Building Safe Spaces for Children

More than 150 children train there, including dozens of girls who once watched from the sidelines. In Tripoli, football was rarely encouraged for girls, and many had never been given the chance to play. Today, they wear jerseys, join organized teams, and compete with pride.

“The biggest difference that Right To Play made in my life was gaining valuable certificates and receiving high-quality training from renowned coaches from around the world. These experiences boosted my confidence, opened professional opportunities, and helped me build a respected profile within my community,” he says.

His academies are more than football clubs. In neighbourhoods where poverty, unrest, and limited opportunities often leave children vulnerable, the academies offer a safe space where they can play without fear, be encouraged instead of judged, and feel valued as part of a team. Here, children learn discipline, teamwork, and self-belief, supported by Coaches who see their potential. Some of Bilal’s early players have even become coaches themselves, continuing the cycle of mentorship.

From Local to Global

Bilal’s growth didn’t stop at coaching. In 2009, he became an official referee for Lebanon’s national football league. By 2023, he achieved his childhood dream: becoming a FIFA elite international referee. This role allowed him to officiate matches on the international stage, travel across regions, and represent Lebanon among the world’s top referees. He is now also a certified AFC Level C Coach—a professional coaching license from the Asian Football Confederation that qualifies him to train youth and amateur teams across Asia—and a life skills trainer for other coaches.

His journey has not been without challenges. Lebanon’s overlapping crises could easily have ended Bilal’s work. The country’s economic collapse left many families unable to afford even basic needs, let alone sports fees or equipment. Political unrest made it unsafe at times for children to gather and play, while the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools and closed courts, cutting off their only safe spaces. Every time, Bilal kept finding ways to adapt, moving sessions when needed, keeping participation free for families, and reopening his academies as soon as it was safe. From the streets of Tripoli to international stadiums, Bilal shows what is possible when one person believes in the power of play.

Looking Ahead

Bilal’s vision is simple but powerful: to give every child in Lebanon the chance to play, learn, and dream. He believes that football, paired with mentorship, can help children build the confidence to face life’s toughest challenges.

Today, dozens of young people are building their futures and transforming their communities with lessons they learned from Bilal. His story is one of resilience, showing how sport can empower individuals and create hope, even amid Lebanon’s toughest challenges.