Youssouf Sabaly leaves Al-Duhail for fresh Al-Shamal challenge

Senegalese-French right-back Youssouf Sabaly has joined Al-Shamal SC from fellow Qatar Stars League club Al-Duhail.

The 33-year-old defender switches clubs after one season with Al-Duhail, having moved to the Qatar side from Spanish club Real Betis in July 2025 for €2m. Sabaly’s move to Al-Shamal was completed on 4 September 2026.

Sabaly is a right-footed full-back who stands 1.73m tall and brings experience from several major European leagues to his new club. He began his career in the Paris St-Germain academy before progressing through the club’s youth and reserve teams.

After making his senior breakthrough at PSG, Sabaly spent time on loan at Evian and Nantes before joining Bordeaux. He later returned to PSG at the end of his loan spell, then signed for Bordeaux in 2017 in a €4m transfer.

Sabaly left Bordeaux for Real Betis on a free transfer in 2021. During his time in Spain, he helped Betis win the Copa del Rey in the 2021-22 season, one of the major honours of his club career.

His switch to Al-Shamal keeps him in the Qatar Stars League, where he began the 2026-27 campaign with Al-Duhail. He had not made an appearance in the competition before completing the move, with Al-Shamal becoming the latest club in a senior career that has included spells in France, Spain and Qatar.

Sabaly also won the Under-20 World Cup with France in 2013, adding an international youth title to his domestic honours. His arrival gives Al-Shamal an experienced option at right-back as the club continues its campaign in Qatar’s top flight.

The transfer represents the second consecutive summer in which Sabaly has moved between Qatar Stars League clubs, following his 2025 arrival at Al-Duhail from Real Betis. He has now completed his move to Al-Shamal from Al-Duhail.