MEET OUR TEAM

ALI EL JISHI

DIRECTOR & CLUB OWNER

The founder and Chief Operating Officer of TFA, Ali El Jishi comes with a wealth of knowledge, experience, and exposure in the field of football. He has been an avid football lover since childhood. Pursuing his passion for the game, Jishi went on to play football at the semi-professional level in various parts of the world. The extensive traveling allowed him to gain a deeper insight into the various techniques and tactics that players and coaches employ in the game of football. The experiences enriched his understanding of the game and he decided to put it to good use with the formation of The Football Academy in Dubai. With this project, Jishi aims to build an organization where he can pass on the learnings of his career and facilitate young football talent to thrive in the world of football.

Danny Guthrie

Head Coach

Danny, a UEFA coach who heads TFA’s Elite Performance Centre, is working on 1 on 1 coaching to speed up development and elevate an athlete’s game. Having an extensive 20 years of experience in professional football, he uses his real-life journey to motivate and guide the teams and share practical tips. He aims to take young players from all over the world and develop them individually and create a team that at first can compete in division 3 and eventually promote to division 2.

Fouad Hafid

Senior Coach

Fouad has gathered over 10 years of experience in coaching football in France. By the age of 21, he was working with U18s and coached football to over 19s, by 24 he obtained his Level B certificate from the French FA along with a BA degree in Sports science and a MA with a specialty – “Psychological Preparation of the athlete”. Those accreditations combined with his practical experience give Fouad an edge when it comes to understanding and shaping the overall development of young players. Since 2014 Fouad has coached in Dubai where his career evolved further, taking him from a coaching position to an Academy Manager. Fouad's maturity and rich coaching experience make him a valuable addition to the EPC team.

Osama Shahin

2nd Team Coach

With almost two decades of experience, Coach Osama has been involved in many tournaments as a coach and a player. His participation at the UAE Companies League, as a player and later on as a Coach, is a source of rich experience that students can learn from. Previously Osama worked at Al Nasr Football Club as a technical supervisor and as a coach to the junior and youth teams there helping the Club bag many prestigious titles.

Blessing Mushonga

Club Nutritionist

Blessing possesses a tremendous amount of expertise in the field of nutrition and sport as evident by his Honours BSc. Degree in Nutritional Sciences and pursuit of a Masters degree in Sports Nutrition.

Furthermore, his three years of experience with the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee Medical Commission and numerous national sporting teams has enabled him to pass on meaningful insights and deliver superior performance services to help young athletes reach their peak competitive prowess on the global stage.

Abdallah Sghaier

Strength & Conditioning Coach

Abdallah Sghaier has an impressive 18 years of experience as a strength and conditioning coach with professional football players in Tunisia, Libya, the UAE's National Team and Aal Wahda's Al Nasr Academy and Reserve Team. His credentials are precisely what you'd expect from such an experienced professional, including a Physical Education teacher Diploma (Tunisia), International Diploma of Strength and Conditioning (France), Football coaching license (UAE), and certification of football periodization from the World Football Academy.

Ali Shahosseini

Goal Keeping Coach

Ali Shahosseini is a highly experienced goalkeeper/assistant coach, with over 12 years of practical experience, a UEFA B coaching licence, a UEFA B Goalkeeping license and a master’s degree in sport. He is an energetic and driven coach, who has achieved great success in his coaching career and is dedicated to developing athletes. Not only is he passionate about mentoring aspiring athletes, but he is also adept at problem-solving and communicating effectively, with excellent attention to detail and a creative approach. He is devoted to improving athlete performance through the use of innovative training and development strategies.

"Through my adventurous coaching and enthusiasm for learning, I have achieved UEFA B and UEFA B Goalkeeping licences, a Master's degree in Sport, and invaluable coaching experience in the UK. My passion for excellence in football has driven me to excel and make the most of this opportunity abroad."

Muhammad Laeeq

Club Physiotherapist

Dr. Muhammad Laeeq is a highly experienced Physiotherapist, certified in Strength and Conditioning at Pakistan's Level 1 and 2, and has been successfully working with the National Football and Rugby teams of the country for the past 5 years. He is enthusiastically devoted to aiding athletes in the recovery of injuries and returning to participating in their favorite sports. He is also committed to prevention of injuries prior to their occurrence. With a Master's Degree in Sports Physiotherapy, Dr. Laeeq is an irreplaceable team member who is eager to go the extra mile in order to provide the best care for his patients.