SPORT

Iraq sport

2004-12-09T06:35:00.000-08:00

Australia to host Iraq in 2005

Australia will host Iraq in a friendly international next year as part of their preparations for the 2005 Confederations Cup in Germany and 2006 World Cup qualifiers. Australian Soccer Association chairman Frank Lowy released a statement saying the match would take place on March 26 at a venue to be decided. "Iraq showed by making the semi-finals at the Olympic Games and the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup that they are a quality football nation and will be an important test for us as we continue on the road to Germany," Lowy said. "We played Iraq back in 1973 as part of World Cup qualifying and we ended up making the finals for the first and only time so perhaps this is a good omen ahead of our World Cup qualifiers later in the year." Lowy said Australia had agreed to pay the full costs for the Iraq team and Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed bin Hammam said the fixture was an important step in strengthening ties between Asia and Oceania. "For Iraq's players, the game gives them the chance to do battle with truly world-class footballers," he said. "By playing quality top-flight opponents like Australia and being exposed to different styles of play, Asian football will definitely continue its upward curve."

Gulf Cup

2004-12-08T06:29:00.000-08:00

A.Abu Al-Hail likely to miss Gulf Cup
Iranian side Istighlal Al-Ahwaz have not agreed to release Abdul Wahab Abu Al-Hail to allow to him to join up with the Iraqi national team in the Gulf Cup. As things stand now, Abu Al-Hail looks set to miss out on the tournament. Abu Al-Hail's absence would be a blow to Hamad's side in their quest to challenge for the cup. The 29 year-old-midfielder is the only truly experienced midfielder in Hamad's squad and his absence would force Hamad to juggle his options around.

Iraqi League

2004-11-02T01:28:00.000-08:00

Al-Jawia and Al-Zawra held to draws

Al-Mena' scored their second successive win in the Iraqi league with a 2-1 victory over local city team Al-Basra. Bashar Hadi, the son of the team's coach and Iraqi legend Hadi Ahmed, scored and former Al-Zawraa' star Nassir Tala'a added another to lift Al-Mena'a to the top of Group 4 in the Iraqi league. Al-Basra pulled one back through Hosam Kadhum. The match saw former Shorta midfielder Qais Issa put another solid show in the Menaa' shirt once again. In other Group 4 action, Al-Simawa were held to a 2-2 draw by Al-Nassriya, Misaan won 1-0 over Al-Diwaniya. Al-Kout's game against Al-Shorta was postponed due to the latter's participation in a friendly tournament in the United Arab Emirates. In Group 3 Al-Talaba recovered from their shock loss to Al-Karkh last week to register a 4-2 win over Balad. The team from the town north west of Baghdad were sunk by a hattrick from Alaa Kadhim and a goal from Alaa' Nairoz. Elsewhere an injury time equalizer from Ali Hasan earned Al-Ramadi a valuable 1-1 draw at Al-Karkh, with former Iraqi international Monthir Khalaf on the scoresheet for Al-Karkh. Al Nafot defeated Salah Addin 2-1. Al-Karkh top the standings with 4 points from two matches. In Karbala, Al-Zawraa's clash with the home side ended in a 1-1 draw. Moslim Mubarak snatched an equalizer for the visitors in 76th minute after former Zawra'a star Sahib Abbas had put the home side in front. Al-Istiqlal held Babil to a 1-1 draw, Al-Najaf scored their first win of the season with a 1-0 win over Al-Sho'la, while Al-Kadhmiya tied with Al Sinaa'a 1-1. In Group 1, Al-Jawia's troubles continued with another dismal performance in their 0-0 draw with Al-Silaymaniya, while Duhok and Arbil played to a 2-2 draw in an entertaining match. Al-Silaymaniya's Sayrawan defeated Duhok's Pirs 2-0. Kirkuk earned their first three points of the season with a 3-1 triumph over Zakho.

Iraq league

2004-10-29T14:56:00.000-07:00

Talaba stunned in Iraq league opener

The opening round of the 2004/05 Iraqi league season saw a surprise result as Baghdad giants Al Talaba suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Al Karkh. Iraq’s other big clubs had few problems though as Al Zawra’a scored a 4-0 victory against Al Kazimiya while Al Shorta defeated Southern Nafat 5-1. Five-time league champions Al Talaba suffered an opening day setback as they fell to a late goal at Al Karkh. The only goal of the Group C match came just seconds before the final whistle as Sinan Fawzi netted the decisive goal. Elsewhere, Al Zawra’a hammered Al Kazimiya with goals by Hisham Mohammed, Wisam Zaki, Ahmed Abduljabar and Alaa Sattar securing a comfortable Group B win for the home side. Al Shorta also cruised to victory against Southern Nafat with a brace by Hasem Rida and one goal by Taysir Abdulhusain giving them a 3-0 lead at half time. Amar Ahmed and Bashar Saed added second half goals to wrap up the big win for Al Shorta in Group D Southern Nafat’s only consolation came from Usama Sattar who notched his side’s lone goal. Iraq league – Round 1 results: Group A Al Quwa Al Jawiya 3 Zakho 0 Pires 0 Al Sulaymania 0 Mosul 1 Kirkuk 0 Duhok 1 Sirwan 1 Group B Al-Jaish v. Babel (postponed) Al-Sina’a 1 Al Istiklal 0 Al Zawra’a 4 Al Kazimiya 0 Al Shoala 1 Karbala 3 Group C Salahaddin 0 Deyali 0 Al Kahraba 4 Samara'a 0 Balad 1 Al Nafat 0 Al-Karkh 1 Al Talaba 0 Group D Al Minaa 2 Al Diwaniya 0 Misan 0 Al Kout 0 Southern Nafat 1 Al Shorta 5 Al Nassriya 1 Basra 1

Iraqi League

2004-10-28T01:57:00.000-07:00

Iraqi League under criticism

27 October 2004 Iraq-After all the excitement of getting the Iraqi league up and running, the league is now attracting some criticism for its format and structure. The Iraqi league has shied away from the divisional system, instead, the league consists of 50 teams all playing in one division but they are divided into 4 geographical zones. The Father of Iraqi football, Amobaba commented that the league structure does not help players improve their standards. His comment was echoed by Abdul Ghani Shahd, the coach of Al Najaf who told Azzaman newspaper, “Most of these teams have no experience and they don’t know how to play football. This will affect the standards of the league.” The Iraqi league is back having gone missing last year due to the political situations in the country.

Iraqi League

2004-10-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

Life's back in the Iraqi league

21 October 2004 Iraq's domestic league started on Wednesday when Al-Shurta defeated Naft-ul-Junoob 5-1. With three government ministers and the police academy close by, tight security arrangements were very visible in the midst of the large crowds which had gathered to witness the game. Last year, the League was cancelled due to the difficult circumstances within the country. The organizers hoped that League will bring more soccer fans in the future particularly after Iraq's outstanding show in Athens Olympics where they reached the semi-finals.

Go Iraq

2004-10-10T13:06:00.000-07:00

Jordan and Iraq to host World Cup 2018

7 October 2004 Jordan-Prince Faisal of Jordan today declared that both Jordan and Iraq are considering to submit a request to FIFA on the possibility of co-hosting the World Cup in 2018. The dream to be the first West Asian countries to host the World Cup since 1930 was conveyed by Prince Faisal when he visited London, according to the Guardian newspaper. “We’ve had initial discussions between Jordan FA and Iraq FA to submit our formal request to FIFA,” said Prince Faisal. He particularly played down the difficulties facing Iraq, “It depends what the future holds in the next five years. Of course, with the current situation, many people think it is quite impossible for Iraq to host such an event but who knows what could happen in the future. Iraq could be a very prosperous nation then,” added Prince Faisal. The FIFA World Cup 2014 might go to Brazil and it will be Asia’s turn next to host in 2018. Korea Republic and Japan were the first Asian countries to co-host the World Cup in 2002.

AFC Youth Championship 2004

2004-10-03T11:47:00.000-07:00

Iraq lost quarter final match

Iraq 1 Syria 0 IPOH, MALAYSIA – Majed Al Haj scored late in the second half as Syria ended Iraq’s quest for a sixth AFC Youth Championship crown with a 1-0 win over their West Asian rivals at the Perak Stadium on Sunday evening. The Syrians went into the match as underdogs against an impressive Iraqi side that won all three of their group matches against Korea Republic, Thailand and Yemen without conceding a goal. However, Al Haj put an end to both of those streaks by heading home in the 75th minute against an Iraqi team that played with only 10 men for more than half the match following the dismissal of defender Al Rehema after 34 minute for an elbowing incident. The Syrians were also reduced to 10 players in injury time at the end of the game when Safir Alatasi received his marching orders after being booked for a second time, but it did not affect the result as Syria marched towards a semi-final meeting with China and also qualified for the FIFA World Youth Championship for the first time since 1995. “Congratulations to the Syrian team. They played a very organized match and outplayed us on the pitch,” said Iraq coach Hadi Finjan. “We did not underestimate Syria. We know that they are a good team and we were prepared to play them. However, we lost our cool and were quite ill-mannered after losing a player and gave them a psychological advantage.”

AFC Youth Championship Malaysia 2004

2004-09-29T04:30:00.000-07:00

Iraq stroll into last eight

Iraq booked their place in the knockout stage of the AFC Youth Championship 2004, scoring their second straight win in Group D with a 2-0 victory over Thailand at the Perak Stadium on Tuesday. Meanwhile, defending champions Korea Republic got their campaign back on track by trouncing Yemen 4-0 in a physical encounter which saw both teams finishing with 10 men each. The Iraqis were coming off a stunning 3-0 win over the Koreans in their opening game and they didn’t take too long to get on the scoresheet again as Wisam Abdullah unleashed a thunderbolt from 20 metres that flew past Thai goalkeeper Chalerinkiat Sombatpan into the top right corner of the net after only eight minutes. Arthit Suntornphit had a free-kick pushed aside by Iraqi custodian Mohammed Kadhum as the Thais turned up the pressure after falling behind, but the Iraqis managed to double their lead on 32 minutes as Wisam Abdullah made a strong run down the left before centering for an unmarked Hayder Hasan to fire the ball into the unguarded net. Thailand dominated possession in the second half but were unable to find a way to break down the solid Iraqi backline that has yet to concede a goal in the competition. Seven players, four Thais and three Iraqis were booked in a physical match littered with fouls. The rain stayed away for the Iraq-Thailand match but the heavens opened when Korea Republic played Yemen in the night’s second match in Ipoh. Korea and Thailand meet at the Perak Stadium on Thursday with the winners moving on to join Iraq in the quarter-finals.

2004-09-29T04:19:00.000-07:00

حمد يهدد بالاستقالة

في محاولة للفت الأنظار إلى الصعوبات التي يواجهها منتخب العراق لكرة القدم، هدد مدرب الفريق عدنان حمد بتقديم استقالته من منصبه بعد انتهاء الدور الأول لتصفيات آسيا المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم في ألمانيا عام 2006. و قال حمد إن المنتخب يواجه الكثير من المشكلات و المصاعب في إطار استعداداته للمواجهة الحاسمة مع منتخب أوزبكستان الذي يحتاج فيها للفوز من أجل التأهل إلى الدور الثاني للتصفيات، و أشار إلى أن الفريق يفتقر إلى أبسط درجات الإعداد النوعي في ظل غياب المستلزمات التدريبية حيث يواصل تحضيراته في ملعب لا توجد فيه معدات للتدريب. و أكد المدرب ضرورة اضطلاع الاتحاد العراقي لكرة القدم بدوره في معالجة هذه المشكلات بشكل فوري خاصة أنها بدأت تتفاقم و تلقي بظلالها على استعدادات المنتخب لمباراة أوزبكستان المقررة في 13 أكتوبر/تشرين أول المقبل بالعاصمة الأردنية عمان. و تتصدر أوزبكستان ترتيب المجموعة الثانية من التصفيات برصيد 10 نقاط يليها العراق 8 و فلسطين 4 و تايوان من دون نقاط. جدير بالذكر أن حمد قاد المنتخب الأولمبي إلى نصف نهائي أولمبياد أثينا للمرة الأولى في تاريخه و ذلك خلال المنافسات التي جرت في العاصمة اليونانية في شهر أغسطس/آب الماضي، و جاء هذا الإنجاز الرائع رغم الظروف الصعبة التي يمر بها العراق.

Pan-Arab Games

2004-09-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

Iraq claims three golds in the second day of Pan-Arab Games

الرباع العراقي يعبد المنعم يحطم الرقم العربي في حركة النتر وزن 143كلغبرز الرباع العراقي محمد عبد المنعم في منافسات اليوم الأول ـ السبت ـ لرفع الأثقال الجارية بمدينة برج الكيفان ضمن فعاليات الدورة الرياضية العربية العاشرة بنيله ثلاث ميداليات ذهبية في فئة 56 كلغ التي جرت وتحقيق رقم قياسي عربي في النتر برفع 143 كلغاحرز العراقي محمد عبد المنعم 3 ذهبيات في وزن 56 كلغ (الخطف والنتر والمجموع) في رياضة رفع الاثقال ضمن الدورة العربية العاشرة المقامة حاليا في الجزائر وتستمر حتى 8 اكتوبر المقبل‚ في الخطف‚ رفع عبد المنعم 120 كلغ متقدما على السعودي علي حسين صاحب الفضية (5‚102 كلغ)‚ والسوري مصطفى رومو صاحب البرونزية (100 كلغ)‚ وفي النتر‚ رفع عبد المنعم 142 كلغ متقدما على رومو الذي نال الفضية (130 كلغ)‚ والمصري أحمد سعد صاحب البرونزية (130 كلغ)‚ وفي المجموعة‚ كانت الذهبية لعبد المنعم بعدما جمع 262 كلغ امام برو صاحب الفضية (250 كلغ)‚ واللبناني زكي عبدالله صاحب البرونزية)230 كلغ

AFC Youth Championship Malaysia 2004

2004-09-28T05:12:00.000-07:00

Iraq stun champions Korea

Iraq announced their challenge at the AFC Youth Championship 2004 with a 3-0 thumping of reigning champions Korea Republic in their opening Group D match on Sunday. Thailand also got off to a winning start in the group with a 2-1 win over Yemen in Sunday’s other Group D fixture. Heavy rain in Ipoh made playing conditions at the Perak Stadium difficult but Iraq adapted better and went ahead three minutes before the break through Mouslim Almas. Almas added his second of the game in the 84th minute before substitute Farid Ghadban rounded out the scoring in injury time. "It’s a very good thing for us to get three points from our opening game especially against a strong team like Korea," said Iraq coach Kifork Mardakyan. "It was an important win and will give us a good push for our upcoming games against Thailand and Yemen."

استعدادات منتخبنا الوطني

2004-09-27T05:08:00.000-07:00

تسمية وفد منتخبنا لمباراة منتخب سلطنة عمان

سمى الاتحاد العراقي لكرة القدم وفد منتخبنا الوطني الذي سيغادر بغداد مطلع الاسبوع القادم متوجها الى الاردن في طريقه الى مسقط لخوض المباراة الدولية الودية امام منتخب سلطنة عمان و التي ستجري بينهما يوم السابع من الشهر القادم في اطار استعداد الفريق العراقي للمباراة الحاسمة التي سيلعبها امام منتخب اوزبكستان في الاردن يوم الثالث عشر من الشهر القادم و كذلك استعداد منتخب سلطنة عمان لمباراته المهمة التي سيخوضها امام منتخب اليابان ضمن تصفيات بطولة كاس العالم. و يراس الوفد السيد عبد الخالق مسعود الامين المالي لاتحاد الكرة و يضم في عضويته السادة محمد جواد الصائغ نائب رئيس الوفد و محمد عبد الرزاق عبد الحافظ ممثل الاتحاد و المدرب عدنان حمد و مساعديه ياسين عمال و معد ابراهيم و عبد الكريم ناعم و الدكتور عماد شاكر طبيبا و جبار عبد الحسين معالجا و حميد محسن و عامر ثابت اداريين و شدراك يوسف منسقا و اللاعبين نور صبري و عدي طالب و احمد علي و عبد الوهاب ابو الهيل و باسم عباس و ياسر رعد و حيدر عبد الامير و رزاق فرحان و نشأت اكرم و صالح سدير و حسان تركي و قصي منير و مهدي كريم و حيدر جبار و هوار ملا محمد و سرمد رشيد و حيدر محمود و يونس محمود و عماد محمد و هيثم كاظم و لؤي صلاح و جاسم محمد غلام

Jassim Swadi

2004-09-17T06:30:00.000-07:00

Jassim Swadi scores his first Macclesfield Town

A young Macclesfield Town side were beaten 2-1 by Hyde United in the Cheshire Senior Cup. A highlight for the Silkmen being a first goal from Iraq international Jassim Swadi just before the break. Hyde took the lead on 35 mins through a neat finish from Chris Lynch. Deep into injury time in the first half the Silkmen were awarded a free kick about 35 yards out. Swadi stepped up and cracked the ball through the wall into the bottom corner with the help of a slight deflection. Early in the second half Rooney went close with a great effort but the ball flew inches past the upright. 20 minutes into the half and Hyde's beanpole of a substitute Matty McNeil saw his close range header hit the post. On 70 minutes Hyde took the lead. A corner was whipped in from the left and it was met by John O'Kane who headered the ball past Deasy. Steve Owens had a 20 yard effort finger tipped over by Mullock on 88 minute.

The Gulf Cup competition

2004-09-15T11:55:00.000-07:00

Iraq drawn with hosts Qatar, UAE and Oman

Iraq returned to the Gulf Cup competition after an absence of 14 years, and were placed in Group A with hosts Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman.

The draw conducted in the Qatari capital Doha was attended by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohammed bin Hammam.

Former stars of the Gulf Cup took part in the draw in Doha with Oman star Hani Al-Dhabit, former Iraqi captain Radhi Shnishel, ex-UAE player Hassan Ali, 1994 World Cup midfielders Fuad Anwar Amin of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ibrahim Subhi of Yemen, Kuwait's 1976 Gulf Cup hero Abdul-Aziz Al-Anbari, Abdul-Razzaq Mohammed of Bahrain and former Qatari national captain Adil Khamis.

Group B is made up of holders Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Yemen

For the first time in history of the Gulf Cup the tournament will be divided into two groups with the group winners and runners-up qualifying for the semi-finals. It is also the first time 8 teams will take part with Iraq being re-instated.

Iraq will play their opening game against Oman, before taking on Qatar and the UAE. The 17th Gulf Cup scheduled to be held in Qatar capital from December 10 to 24

خليجي 17: قرعة البطولة

أوقعت قرعة بطولة كأس الخليج (خليجى 17)، التى أجريت بالعاصمة القطرية الدوحة، المنتخب القطرى فى مواجهة المنتخب العراقى فى المجموعة الأولى، بينما جاء المنتخب السعودى، حامل اللقب على رأس المجموعة الثانية مع نظيره الكويتى. وضمت المجموعة الأولى منتخبات قطر، منظم البطولة و العراق و عمان و الامارات، بينما ضمت المجموعة الثانية منتخبات السعودية و الكويت و البحرين و اليمن. و من المقرر أن يشارك فى منافسات (خليجى 17) ثمانية منتخبات لأول مرة ، حيث ستشهد مشاركة منتخب العراق الذى يعود للمشاركة فى تلك البطولة مرة أخرى بعد ابتعاده عنها لمدة 14 عاما و ايضا مع وجود المنتخب اليمنى، و الذى سيشارك فى هذه البطولة للمرة الثانية فى تاريخه. و ستقام منافسات البطولة فى الفترة من 10 الى 24 ديسمبر المقبل فى العاصمة القطرية الدوحة. و اعتبر الشيخ جاسم بن ثامر آل ثاني رئيس اللجنة المنظمة لبطولة كأس الخليج السابعة عشرة لكرة القدم بالدوحة في ديسمبر المقبل بان عودة العراق للمشاركة بعد غياب 14 عاما يعتبر مكسبا كبيرا للبطولة الخليجية و من شأنه ان يثريها. و قال الشيخ جاسم الذي يشغل مناصب عدة ايضا كونه رئيس اتحادي كرة القدم و اليد و نائب رئيس اللجنة الاولمبية القطرية "انا سعيد لعودة العراق للمشاركة في العرس الخليجي وسعادتي مضاعفة لان عودته ستكون في قطر ايضا حيث شارك عام 1976 للمرة الاولى في هذه البطولة على ارض الدوحة". و أضاف "تعتبر مشاركة العراق مكسبا كبيرا للبطولة و من شأنه ان يثريها نظرا لعراقة هذا المنتخب و تاريخه الرائع فقد فقدت بطولة الخليج بعضا من رونقها خلال غياب المنتخب العراقي عن البطولات الاخيرة و انا واثق من ان مشاركته ستضفي طابعا تنافسيا كبيرا على هذه البطولة التي لها طعم خاص".

AFC U-17 Japan 2004

2004-09-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

Iraq lost quarter final match

Striker Shahab Yanpi maintained his hot-scoring form at the AFC U-17 Championship bagging two goals as Iran trounced neighbours Iraq 3-0 to advance to the semi-finals. Iran went into the match at the Nihondaira Stadium as favourites after winning all three of their opening round matches and they quickly asserted their control, taking a 1-0 lead after just eight minutes through Amir Hossein Eipakchi. Yanpi then settled the match in favour of the Persians with two goals in eight minutes in the second half. The 16-year-old struck on the hour mark and then made the score 3-0 in the 68th minute to raise his goal tally for the tournament to six. Iran, seeking their first ever AFC U-17 title, are the only team left in the tournament with a 100 per cent record. They meet China in Kusanagi on Wednesday for a place in this year’s AFC U-17 Championship final.

Iraqi sport

2004-09-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

FIFA approves Goal Programme for Iraq

It was reported in the Iraqi and Jordan press that FIFA has agreed to invest money as part of the Goal Programme to help Iraq rebuild its footballing infrastructure. The agreement between FIFA and Iraqi Football Association was signed last week at the Jordan Football Association, the Goal Programme contract signed by Hussein S. Muhammad and Paul Mooney in the Middle East. The primary focus of the rebuilding process is to construct an Iraqi headquarters in Baghdad, FIFA now engaging in negotiations with various construction companies to ensure the money endowed will be well spent. Although construction work under the auspices of the FIFA Goal Project has yet to begin, all of the plans are in place and the financial calculations have been approved by FIFA. The process, from negotiation talks with building companies to the actual construction is expected to last 18 months. Thereafter, there are strong plans to re-establish the national stadium that had been ragged by war, with the building of gymnasiums and training pitches also in the pipelines. The Asian Football Confederation had strongly backed FIFA’s decision to support Iraq’s footballing progression, the nation, despite the well documented problems back home, have shone at both youth and senior levels this year. The Iraqi Olympic side recently finished fourth at the 2004 Athens Summer Games, the first time any Asian team had achieved that feat. The same team had earlier last month, qualified for the 2004 Asian Cup quarterfinals, defeating Turkmenistan and the mighty Saudi Arabia before losing to hosts China in the last eight. For the record, Afghanistan, Jordan and Bahrain were also bestowed with the FIFA Goal Programme, the incredible rise of Jordan and Bahrain over the last 24 months clearly depicting the benefits of the far-reaching vision of FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter. As of current moment, 61 of the 180 projects in the pipeline have officially been launched, with a further 32 already completed.

AFC U-17 Japan 2004

2004-09-10T03:45:00.000-07:00

Iraq book quarter-final spot

Iraq defeated Bangladesh 3-1 to secure their place in the quarter-finals of the AFC U-17 Championship 2004. Striker Muhammad Mahmood scored the only goal of the opening half, putting Iraq ahead after 19 minutes but Bangladesh found themselves on level terms just a minute into the second half through Mithun Chowdhury. However, Ahmed Muhsin restored the Iraqi lead on 65 minutes and Ajeel Hamed made the game safe with his side’s third goal six minutes from time. Iraq finished second in Group D to Qatar, who were denied a perfect record in the group stage as Uzbekistan battled back for a 2-2 draw at the J-Village Stadium. Qatar face Kuwait while Iraq take on Iran in the quarter-finals on Sunday.

2006 World Cup Asian Qualifying Match

2004-09-08T11:10:00.000-07:00

Iraq Defeats Taiwan

Iraq has defeated Taiwan, North Korea downed Thailand and South Korea defeated Vietnam in Asian qualifying matches for the 2006 World Cup football tournament in Germany.
In Taipei, Sadir Salih scored two goals while Sa'ad Hafidh and Younes Khalef added one goal apiece as Iraq defeated Taiwan, 4-1, in a Group 2 match. It was the second time Iraq has beaten Taiwan in World Cup qualifiers.

While Uzbekistan won Palestine 3-0 in the same group.

العراق يهزم تايوان 4-1

احرز صالح سدير هدفين واضاف سعد عطية ورزاق فرحان هدفين اخرين ليفوز منتخب العراق لكرة القدم على مضيفه منتخب تايوان 4-1 في التصفيات الاسيوية للتأهل لنهائيات كأس العالم 2006 اليوم الاربعاء. واحرز سدير هدفه الاول بعد بداية اللقاء باربع دقائق فقط قبل ان يضيف هدفه الثاني من تسديدة من داخل منطقة الجزاء في الدقيقة 43. وعزز العراق تقدمه عندما استغل حفيظ ارتباك الدفاع التايواني ليحرز الهدف الثالث في الدقيقة 75 من قبل سعد عطية. وعرفت تايوان اخيرا الطريق الى الشباك عندما احرز المهاجم هوانج وي يي هدفها الوحيد في الدقيقة 82. لكن رزاق فرحان اختتم اهداف العراق عندما احرز الهدف الرابع من ضربة رأس في الدقيقة 86.

AFC U-17 Championship

2004-09-08T02:54:00.000-07:00

Iraq Beats Uzbekistan 4-1

Iraq scored three times in the final 23 minutes to beat Uzbekistan 4-1 as they recovered from their earlier defeat to Qatar to move into second place in Group D. Noor-Aldeen Mohsan put the Iraqis ahead after only seven minutes but Lutfulla Turaev levelled nine minutes later to send the teams to the dressing room tied at 1-1. However, Iraq took control after the break. Akram Jabbar restored their lead in the 67th minute and Ajeel Hamed made it 3-1 10 minutes later before Ahmed Muhsin wrapped up the scoring in the final minute. Iraq should advance to the last eight if they manage a draw against Bangladesh in their final Group D game on Thursday

AFC U-17 Championship

2004-09-06T03:58:00.000-07:00

Iraq lose opener to Qatar

Despite missing a penalty, Qatar scraped to a narrow 1-0 win over Iraq in their AFC U-17 Championship Group D opener at the J-Village Stadium on Sunday. Qatar lead the group by two points after the other game at J-Village between Uzbekistan and Bangladesh finished in a 1-1 draw. Midfielder Mohammed Abdulraab scored Qatar’s winning goal after 19 minutes as his close range effort slipped through the hands of Iraq goalkeeper Ali Zaghair. Zaghair made amends though as he prevented Qatar from going ahead further ahead by stopping Khalfan Ibrahim’s penalty kick Despite the loss, Iraq coach Salih Emish was pleased with his team’s performance. “We have only had a short time to train together and this game was a new experience for the players who have not played previously played against a high level team like Qatar,” said Emish. “They were a bit afraid of their opponents in the first half but after I spoke to them at half time, they performed much better in the second half although they were unable to get a draw. It is good experience for the players and will benefit them in the next games that they play.” In the earlier match, Bangladesh battled from a goal down to earn a 1-1 draw with Uzbekistan. Anvar Berdiev put the Uzbeks ahead after just 11 minutes but Zahid Hossain earned his side a point with a 50th minute equaliser

استعدادات المنتخب العراقي

2004-09-04T13:33:00.000-07:00

عدنان حمد يقرر ابعاد ثلاثة لاعبين عن تشكيلة المنتخب الوطني

ذكرت صحيفة الزمان العراقية الصادرة هذا اليوم وعند حضورها التدريب الاخير للمنتحب الوطني العراقي في بغداد قبل توجهه الى عمان ان مدرب المنتخب السيد عدنان حمد قد قرر ابعاد اللاعبين احمد مناجد واحمد صلاح وحيدر عبد الرزاق عن تشكيلة المنتخب الوطني الذي سيخوض المباريات المتبقية في تصفيات كأس العالم. يذكر ان هؤلاء اللاعبين الثلاثة قد ارتبطوا بعقود خارجية حديثا , فقد ذكرت صحيفة الوطن القطرية الصادرة هذا اليوم ان نادي الشمال القطري قد تعاقد مع المهاجم العراقي أحمد صلاح ليكون اللاعب المحترف الرابع في النادي . فيما ذكرت المواقع الايرانية على شبكة الانترنيت ان نادي استقلال الاحواز الايراني قد تعاقد مع ثلاثة لاعبين عراقيين هم احمد مناجد و وحيدر عبد الرزاق و باسم عباس

منتخبنا الوطني يواجه المنتخب العماني في تشرين الأول

يدخل منتخبنا الوطني معسكراً تدريبياً في العاصمة العمانية مسقط في بداية شهر تشرين الاول ويلتقي نظيره العماني في اليوم السادس من الشهر ذاته وذلك في اطار استعداده لمواجهة اوزبكستان متصدر المجموعة ضمن التصفيات المؤهلة للمرحلة الثانية من كأس العالم. وسيحسم في هذا اللقاء المتأهل الاول عن المجموعة الى المرحلة الثانية والنهائية المؤهلة لنهائيات كأس العالم 2006 في ألمانيا. يذكر ان المنتخب الاوزبكستاني يتصدر المجموعة برصيد سبع نقاط وبفارق نقطتين عن المنتخب العراقي

Qusai Munir

2004-09-02T01:54:00.000-07:00

Latest on Qusai Munir´s transfer

The transfer of the Iraqi midfielder Qusai Munir will finally not be implemented, as the football player pleaded personal and family problems, due to which he had to return back to Iraq and eventually did not sign.

Youra Eshaya

2004-09-02T01:28:00.000-07:00

The Desert Footballer

On August 27, 1954, Youra Eshaya, a 19 year-old youngster dubbed the ‘Desert Footballer’ by the Daily Mirror put on his boots, laced them up and kicked a ball on a grass pitch for the first time. He’d come from Habbaniya, Iraq traveling 3390 miles on land, sea and foot, all to play football for Bristol Rovers Football Club. The talented attacker became the first Iraqi player to parade his skills abroad and in Europe, when he was spotted playing for an R.A.F Iraq Command team by an English football scout, who offered him a trial at his club. Youra grew up on the big RAF Station in Habbaniya, in the heart of the Iraqi desert, where his father was employed by the British Royal Armed Forces; it was there that the young man would learn to play the great game of football, watching, learning and competing alongside English soldiers, some of whom had professional experiance in the English Football League. By the age of 18, he was already the star of the Habbaniya station side, a select team that played various other military teams in the Middle East, and was even named "Iraq's Greatest Footballer" by The Iraq Times newspaper in 1952 but Youra was destined for more. He was born in Iran in 1933, one of six children of Eshaya Pera and Batishwa Benyamin, 4 sisters Peeda, Amelda, Leeda, who died in January 1978, and Joan and his only brother Shora, who died in his early teens in July 1959 after drowning in the River Tigris in Baghdad. During the mid-30s his family moved to Iraq and settled in Maharatha Lines in Hinaidi in the outskirts of Baghdad, where Youra's father found work in a NAAFI (Navy, Army & Air Force Institutes) canteen, a commercial supply corporation for the British Military Services. Youra’s family were Assyrians, descendants of the Assyrian empire in the Middle East from 2500-612 BC in Northern Mesopotamia (Now Iraq), which at its greatest stretched from the Eastern Mediterranean coast to the head of the Persian Gulf and included Egypt. From around 100 AD, Christianity became a major factor strengthening the ethnicity of the Assyrians, which later brought them in the centre of the power-struggles in the Middle East during the 19th century with the Europeans expoliting the fact that Assyrians were Christians. This was unpopular with the Turkish authority and resulted in repression. Around the First World War some 500,000 Assyrians were killed by Turks and Kurds, and many like Youra’s family fled to neighbouring countries.After the end of WW1, the Turks were defeated resulting in the dismantling of the Ottoman Empire, the British were given the mandate to rule the 3 Vilayets or provinces of Mosul, Baghdad and Basra, which all molded together what is now known as Iraq. In 1920, with the British Empire facing a financial crisis after the end of the Great War, the Minister of War and Air Winston Churchill asked the Chief of the Air Staff Hugh Trenchard to draw up a plan for Iraq to be controlled cheaply with aircraft armed with gas bombs supported by as few as 4,000 British and 10,000 Indian troops. Months later a uprising across many parts of the country broke out, which was suppressed through months of heavy aerial bombardment, including the use of mustard gas. Both Churchill and Trenchard tried to put the most favorable light upon actions of the Royal Air Force to the British parliament and public but at least one military officer resigned. One Air Commander Lionel Charlton resigned after sendinng a letter of protest over the “policy of intimidation by bomb” after he visited an Iraqi hosptial filled with injured civilians. At the time the British Army controlled Iraq, but after a proposal from Major General Sir Hugh Trenchard would see the RAF control the country at a fraction of the price of the Army. In 1922, AVM Sir John Salmond took over with 8 Squadrons of aircraft, RAF Armoured Cars and the Iraq Levies.They were based at Hinaidi cantonment on the outskirts of Baghdad and with other airfields, at Mosul and Shaiba in the southern city of Basra. The Kingdom of Iraq became independant in 1931 and although heavily influenced and controlled by the British, it was not seen as acceptable to have an RAF station in the Iraqi capital Baghdad so blueprints were drawn up to build a major base west of the Euphrates.The site was chosen because there was water from the Euphrates, a flat area for the airfield and the lake for flying boats and recreation. It was also considered an ideal defensive position but how wrong that proved to be in May 1941, when Iraqi forces attacked the station. Construction in 1934, the camp was originally known as RAF Dhibban after the nearby village but as this translated into Arabic word for flies the name was changed in May 1938 to RAF Habbaniya. The first operational use of the airfield was in October 1938 when 30 Squadron moved in and then all the various units at Hinaidi transferred to Habbaniya with the station fully open from March 1937. In 1937, the four year-old Youra moved to Habbaniya with his family to live on the Civil Cantonment along with the rest of the Hinaidi civilians employed by the Royal Air Force. The cantonment was a town within a town at RAF Habbaniya with over 10,000 residents. They were included civilian workers, RAF Iraqi Levies and their families. There Youra started playing football at Raabi Yacoub's R.A.F. Union School, kicking a tennis ball with his classmates around the playground. He first studied the great game with the aid of text-books and gradually began to hone his natural talents and dribbling skills. Every morning his friends would knock on No.C2/149 to ask if Youra wanted to play football. The friends, who like Youra later went onto play for top teams in Iraq lived only a few blocks from each other Armenak Goujo lived only a block behind Youra’s house along with Zia Shawel, Albert Khoshaba, Hormis Goriel, Gilbert Awekam, Shidrak Yousif and his brother Ammo. Ammo Baba, lived the furthest, around 10 minutes walk from the others. The youngster played for his school team and was hardly into his teens when observant eyes began to notice him giving captain Aram Karam no choice but to select him to play for his Levy Civilian team at the age of just 15. Aram was one of the most accomplished footballers to have ever come from Iraq and a big star in Habbaniya. He began his career in 1936 playing for local teams on the RAF Hinaidi in Baghdad, today known as Al-Rasheed. He later moved to Habbaniya joining the C.C. team, one of the strongest at the RAF base. After the team was disbanded in 1947, Aram went onto play for and captain the newly formed Levy Civilian. He was distinguished from other players in Iraq because of his uncanny ability of scoring goals from seemingly impossible long range distances of up to 40 yards with either foot. In 1951, Aram was one of 16 players to be selected to play for Iraq’s first ever national team by coach Dhia Habib. He missed Iraq’s first international game against Turkey in Izmir on May 6, which ended 7-0 to the hosts, but competed in the second game six days later against Ankara Select. He proved to be a valuable player on the day as he scored Iraq’s first goal and ended the game with a hat-trick but was unable to prevent a 7-5 defeat. At around the same time, the C.C select team was formed in Habbaniya, this team achieved respectable results over top sides from Baghdad including the Police team, Air Force and the Royal Guards. In 1952, Aram moved to Kirkuk in the province of Al-Tamim and signed for a newly formed team called the Iraqi Petroleum Company of Kirkuk. Aram was captain and head coach of the Oil Company team and under his leadership, the team won six consecutive titles in the Middle East Oil Companies Championships while also winning the 1954 northern Iraqi championship. He was a quick and commanding player and an outstanding dead-ball specialist; his penalty kicks were so powerful that many say they could tear holes out of the nets. In 1960, he retired and was appointed as head of sport in the pipeline areas of the Iraqi Petroleum Company and also worked as a coach for the junior side. Additionally, Aram was a great asset as an advisor to the Iraqi FA in the selection of the national team. Apart from football, Aram was also an accomplished tennis player, winning six consecutive titles in the Persian Gulf Tennis Championships. The great striker, who emigrated to Turlock, US in 1992, scored nearly 600 goals in a long and distinguished career. During the same season while playing for the Levy Civilian, Youra also captained the junior team of the R.A.F. Employees' (Assyrian) Club, which won the R.A.F. F.A. Youth Cup. Realising his talent and potential, the Employees' Club snatched him for the following season. In his first season, Youra won the R.A.F. Football Association League and Knock-out competitions alongside Captain Hormis Goriel and the Shimson Shallou brothers Sargis and William. While playing, Youra continued to work as a clerk for the R.A.F. and play for the Employees' Club and the Civil Cantonment (C.C.) select team alongside Ammo Baba, Aram Karam and many others. Youra was not only a great footballer but also an all-round sportsmen, a keen table-tennis player, he won the Employees' Club championship in season 1951-52 and also played hockey and even boxed, winning his first boxing bout in 1952.During his time in Habbaniya, Youra, made a big impact, creating a reputation for himself as one of the teams best attacking players and also an irrepressible prodigy and matchwinner during the early 50s. A year after making his debut for the Employees’ team, he was selected to represent the famous C.C.team(Civil Cantonment), a team that represented people living on the Civil Cantonment in Habbaniya, the team made up Assyrians, Armenians, Arabs and Kurds from Employees’Club, Levy Civilian, A.M.W.D (Air Ministry Works Directorate) and Oriental, the latter made up of Kurds and Arabs, participating in the RAF league in Habbaniya. The team played with Iraq's elite clubs such as Baghdad based teams Police (Al-Shurta), Air Force (Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya) and the Royal Guards (Haris Al-Maliki) and featured players like Edison Eshay, Aram Karam, Ammo Samsom,Youel Gorgis, Zia Shawel and was led by Employees captain Hormis Goriel. With the defender as leader, the team dominated during it’s short-lived existence.The first C.C team was created of various Assyrian and a few Kurdish and Arab players of disbanded local teams, such as Eagles, Tigers, Arsenal and Blackpool, which was later dispersed in 1947 to form other teams. In 1951, the C.C select team was put together from the crop of top players from the Employees, Levy Civilians, A.M.W.D., and Oriental, the latter of Kurds and Arabs. The former R.A.F. Station of Habbaniya in Iraq was the breeding ground during its two-decade era during the 40s and 50s for many outstanding Assyrian sportsmen, a few of whom later on went to become top sportsmen in Iraq. Players like Aram Karam, Albert Khoshaba, Khoshaba Lawo, Gilbert Sami, Edison Eshay and Ammo Samson, who both played for the Air Force Club and Iraqi national team, Iraqi international Zia Shawel, who captained and coached the Assyrian Sports Club (Nadi Athori) during the mid-50s after starting his career in Habbaniya went onto play in Basra, Baghdad and then Frankfurt, West Germany, where he played for Eintracht Frankfurt amauters for a season in 1961-62, before coaching a local amateur team called Kelsterbach for 5 years. All these players and many more started at the R.A.F Station in Habbaniya before making it big with the Iraqi national team and with the more successful Baghdad clubs. The biggest star to come out of Habbaniya was Ammo Baba, who had a successful career with number of Baghdad clubs and the Iraqi national team. Ammo was born in the R.A.F. Station Hinaidi in Baghdad, later on went to coach the Iraqi national team to two Olympic finals, 2 Gulf Cup victories and 2 CISM World Military Championship. Even after the 1950s, players like the Yousef brothers Shidrak and Ammo who grew up in Habbaniya and played for the successful C.C. select team continued to have success with the Iraqi national team in the 70s, with both players winning the 1972 CISM World Military Championship in Baghdad and also participating in Iraq's 1st ever World Cup qualifying campaign in Australia in 1973.Youra's progress was rapid and in his first three years in the Employees' 1st team, he out-shone the rest of the players on the R.A.F. Station. He loved football and played the game with magnificent enthusiasm, he was a player full of energy and worked hard for his team. He was a constructive player, unselfish, moving all over the field, collecting and distributing the ball, creating scoring chances for his fellow-forwards. Youra was never an out and out forward and was always very unselfish in front of goal often passing to a better-placed team-mate even in the penalty area rather than netting a goal himself. The R.A.F. Football League in Habbaniya had two sections, Division 1 and 2 with promotion or relegation at the end of the season. The little 5'6' wizard mastered his football skills from Youel Gorgis, a player who later on went to play in Baghdad for Public Transport Service FC (Al-Maslaha). During the early 50s, Youra became one of the most popular players in Habbaniya and was once asked by journalist Mikhael K. Pius why he thought he was so popular with the fans, he replied. "I think it is because of my dribbling," and added "My tricks amuse the people.." However, there was more to Youra than just tricks and dribbling. Youra was a clever playmaker, an intelligent distributor, as well as a persistent and tireless runner between the midfield and attack. He was constantly moving making it impossible for his opponents to man-mark him. When he asked him if the rumour was true that he "played" football even in his dreams, Youra kicked a pebble, smiled sheepishly and said, "Yes, I have often jumped out of bed in my sleep shouting to Youel or Aram to pass me the ball!" Youra was a small player but very agile. Although only 5'4" tall, Youra sometimes beat taller opponents to headers, an ability he said, he had learned by constant practice - leaping and heading clotheslines in the Cantonment! Youra's enthusiasm and love for the game was clearly shown in October 1951 before a game between Basra. Youra had broke his nose in a game a few days earlier and was expected to miss the trip to Basra, but not if Youra had anything to do it. He had nose surgery at the British Hospital and left three days later with his team for Basra. On the train on the way to the southern Iraqi City, someone had dropped a cigarette into his sports bag, which had caught fire. But despite all the obstacles, Youra reached Basra and played in partially burnt kit and boots scoring one of his team's two goals at the end of a memorable week.. In July of 1952, Youra left his home to try to establish himself elsewhere in Iraq, but after a short while, he returned after missing his home and family.In April 1953, Youra made his big break and a earned himself a move to Europe after hitting a hat-trick in a match in Egypt. He was playing for an Iraqi Command team, made up of players from R.A.F. players from Iraq and the C.C. select team of Habbaniya against an all-professional Canal Zone side from the Suez Canal, Al-Qanah. In the crowd was a Bristol Rovers Football scout, Flight Lieutenant R.K. Weston, a Command Transport pilot shuttling between Britain and the Middle East. He was so impressed by Youra’s performance in the game, that he offered him a trial at the Football League club. The manager of Bristol Rovers Football Club Bert Tann, who was usually against bringing in foreign talent into the English game was gradually persuaded to give Youra a chance by the pilot, R.K Weston and a group of R.A.F officers at Habbaniya. When travel arrangements for the long journey to London were made, the R.A.F. officers at Habbaniya chipped into help Youra with his expenses, when the travel arrangements were made. Bristol Rovers, the club Youra joined were formed as the Black Arabs in September 1883, following a meeting of five young men at a restaurant on Stapleton Road in the Eastville district of the city. The name of the club was derived from the black shirts worn by the players and a rugby club known as the Arabs, who played on an adjacent pitch at Purdown in East Bristol. The Black Arabs played their first match, a friendly fixture on 1 December 1883 and played a further nine games during their first season, during which time they assumed the nickname of "The Purdown Poachers". The club became known as Eastville Rovers in 1884/85 and continued to play friendly matches for a number of seasons though they moved grounds on several occasions. They joined the Bristol and District League, forerunner of the Western League, in 1892 and moved to a ground at Eastville in 1897. Professionalism and a further name change, to Bristol Eastville Rovers came at the start of the 1897/88 season, with the name Bristol Rovers being adopted prior to the start of the following campaign. Having competed in the Western League and the Birmingham and District League, Rovers joined the Southern League at the start of the 1899/1900 season. They acquitted themselves reasonably well at the higher level and clinched the Championship of the Southern League in 1904/05. Though they remained in the competition until 1920, it proved to be the club's only Championship success before they became members of the Football League. The Eastville Stadium was responsible for the Clubs' nickname 'The Gas', thanks to the nearby Gasometers and subsequent air pollution they produced on damp and foggy matchdays. The Towers could be seen between the Tote End and the North Stand.Youra joined the club at its most successful period having reached the FA Cup Quarter Finalists in 1951and won the Third Division (South) Championship in 1952/53, scoring an astonishing 92 goals during their league title win under coach Bert Tann, who joined the club in 1950 and later became the longest serving manager in the clubs history with 18 years at the club. The great manager had took over from another long serving coach Brough Fletcher, who had joined the club in 1938. At the time, the club had a number of talented players like goalkeeper Howard Radford, who got his big break when regular keeper Bert Hoyle was injured in a car crash and Howard was asked to play in ten league games as Bristol Rovers had almost secured the Third Division (South) Championship, defenders Harry Bamford who represented the English FA team in South Africa in the 50s and later died in 1958 in a motorcycle accident after returning home from a coaching session at a local school, Ray Warren, who captained his only club during a 20 year career that started in 1935 to the Third Division (South) Championship in 1952/53 and Captain Jack Pitt, midfielder Peter Sampson who's formidable career began in an unusual way as he bought himself out of the Army for £65 after serving in West Africa during the late 40s, the goal-scoring right winger George Petherbridge, forwards Vic Lambdon, who was deceptively quick and could run 100 yards in 10.3 seconds, his extraordinary speed was reflected in his goal after only eight seconds in an FA Cup tie in 1951, Peter Hooper and Alfie Biggs, who all three scored over 100 goals for the Pirates. Biggs, who was a strong courageous forward played for Rovers over a considerable number of years from 1953 to 1968, the Rovers Legend had a spell with Preston North End in 1961 but returned as Rovers' record signing just over a year later and was appointed captain.However, to many Rovers fans Geoff Bradford was undoubtedly the star name in the clubs history. Bradford who is easily the club's record scorer, with a staggering 242 goals in league football and achieving a ratio of a goal every two games over fifteen seasons at his only league club, attracted the attention of the Rovers' scouts in 1949 and it proved to be an inspirational signing as he began to score freely in the third division. He scored an astonishing eight league hat tricks and was the club's top scorer in five seasons. In April 1953 he scored a hat trick against Newport County at Eastville to secure the Division Three South Championship and left him with a club seasonal record of 33 league goals. On the 2nd October 1955 in Copenhagen, Geoff became the only player ever on Rovers' books to play for England. Eight minutes from time, he characteristically scored the final goal in a 5-1 win over Denmark. The mighty Liverpool, managed by the legendary Bill Shankly once offered £20,000 for his services in 1961 but he decided to stay at Eastville to enjoy two more seasons with Rovers at fullback before retiring from football. His final goal ever came in a 4-0 win over bitter rivals Bristol City in 1963. The only other Asian footballer apart from Youra to have travelled to Britain, was the Indian international Abdul-Salim Bachi Khan, who arrived in Glasgow, Scotland in the mid-1930s to play for the famous Scottish club Glasgow Celtic. Born in Calcutta, Abdul Salim or to give him his proper name Mohammed Hashean never made a first team appearance for Celtic but did attract large amounts of attention from the Celtic faithful by not wearing the regulation heavy football boots, instead preferring to merely tighten bandages on his feet, a local custom of his. Abdul Salim played twice for the reserve side in 1936, attracting a great deal of interest and curiosity. He was described as having good ball control and a good crosser, he also scored a penalty against Hamilton. Iraq’s neighbours Iran also had a few players who had played in Europe. The first was Hussein Sediqani, he left Iran to study in Europe during the early 20th century, where he joined the youth team of Turkish club Fenerbahce before moving to Rapid Vienna. At the same time, goalkeeper Hussein Ali Khan Sardar played for Swiss first division club Servette of Geneva and also played for Belgium. Sediqani arrived back in Iran and established a team in the city Mashhad. In September 1941, Sediqani coached the first Iranian national team in their first international against Afghanistan in Kabul. The result was a goalless draw. Asian players moving to Europe to play football was largely unheard of during the early and mid-20th century. The first known Asian footballers to have played in Europe, were the Cother brothers. Edwin ‘Eddie’ ‘Darkie’ Cother and John William Cother or Jack ‘Darkie’ had a father who was born in India and were the first Anglo-Indian footballers in the English Football League. Both brothers joined Watford FC in 1898, however Eddie’s career was ruined by petty criminal convictions after only a year. He spent his last days in a Watford workhouse and lies in a paupers grave. The elder brother, Jack, a tough and ‘bulky’ full-back was more successful, making 140 appearances for Watford, scoring 3 goals during his seven year spell with the London club. After his football career he was employed by Watford Council and later worked as a programme seller and assistant on match days at the club. Another Asian player, who played in England was Frank Wong Soo. The inside forward was born in Buxton, Derbyshire, England on the 8th March, 1914, a son of an English mother and Chinese father. He started his early career playing alongside legends such as such as Joe Mercer and Stan Cullis for Cheshire Schoolboys. Frank signed for Stoke City in 1933 and went on to play for England during World War II, making 9 appearances in a team that included the legendary Stanley “The Wizard of Dribble” Matthews, Tom Finney, Tommy Lawton and Bill Mercer. However, the former Potteries man remains a "forgotten" international because the Football Association did not recognise his appearances for the England team during WW2. But for the intervention of the war, Soo would probably had become a full England international. In 1945 after playing for Reading, Soo joined his former boss Tom Mather at two clubs, first at Leicester City and again at Luton Town in 1950 before finally retiring. he became successful coach, coaching Padova in Italy for two seasons in the early 1950s, before moving to Scandinavia, where he stayed for three decades managing and coaching several Danish, Norwegian and Swedish teams including AIK Stockholm, and, most successfully, Djurgaardens IF with whom he won the Swedish Championship in 1955. Soo returned to England to manage Scunthorpe United at the end of the 1950s for one season.However foreign players in the England was not uncommon even before the Bosman inspired foreign invasion during the mid-90s. Several players from the British colonies in South American, the Caribbean and Africa came to play in the Football League in England. One such player was Arthur Wharton known as the World’s first Black Professional Footballer. He was born in Ghana and first came to England to train as a Methodist preacher, before he was discovered during the late 19th century. Arther played for Darlington, Preston North End, where he played in an FA Cup semi-final, before moving on to play for Rotherham and Sheffield United. He was an eccentric goalkeeper, often seen hanging from the crossbar catching the ball with his feet. Another of his trick was to lie on the goal line before sprinting out to foil the oncoming striker. Apart from his ability as a goalkeeper, he was also a professional cricketer playing well into his forties, a record breaking cyclist, sprinter and noted boxer. Other players followed Wharton like Tessilli ‘Thunder’ Balogun, a 6’ 2’’ athletic, bow-legged Nigerian striker. He was signed up by Peterborough United FC after his exploits while on the Nigerian Football Association tour of England in 1949, he also played for season for Q.P.R and returned home to his native Nigeria in 1958 to become a football coach. Another player Roy Brown of Anglo-Nigerian decent played in the 1950s amongst the likes of Stanley Matthews and Neil Franklin before moving onto play for Watford and Chemsford City, while in the mid-50s South African Steve ‘Kalamazoo’ Mokone, who had represented his country at the age of 16, came to England to became South Africa’s first Black Professional footballer after being encouraged move to England by the Wolves and England Captain Billy Wright. Mokone had a season playing for Coventry City in 1956 at the age of 18, but left England to become a superstar first in Holland with Hercales and later in Italy with Internationale and Torino and and he also quested for Valencia (Spain), PSV Eindhoven(Holland). He signed for Spanish giants Barcelona in 1959, but because they had fulfilled their full quota of foreigners, he was loaned to Olympique Marseille in France. A trio of Egyptian internationals also played in England during the early 20th century. The first was Hussein Hegazi, who came to England in 1911 to study at Cambridge University, where he played for the varsity team, amateur side Dulwich Hamlet and Football League sides Fulham and Millwall. Tawfik Abdullah played for Derby County in 1920 and later Hartlepool United. Two Egyptian internationals joined clubs in Scotland in the mid-30s, after returning with their national coach Scotsman James McRea. One was Mostafa Kamal Mansour, he played in goal for Queen's Park, while the other was right winger Mohammed Latif, who joined Glasgow Rangers. Players from the Carribean also arrived to play in Britain. One of the first was Jamaican Lloyd Lindbergh 'Lindy' Delapenha, he started his career as an amateur for Arsenal in the late 40s before moving to Middlesbrough during the early 1950s. He was a great favourite at the North East club scoring 90 goals in 260 appearances. Another was Gil Heron, the father of highly regarded jazz musician and poet Gil Scott Heron, whose lyrics and music inspired the majority of cutting edge American Black musicians in the late 70’s and 80’s. He was born in Kingstion, Jamaica in 1922 and was spotted by a scout from Celtic, while playing for his American club Detroit Corinthians on a North American tour and was later signed up by the club in 1951. Gil went on to score on his debut, but he was released by the club the next year and joined Third Lanark and the English club Kidderminister Harriers before moving back to Detroit Corinthians. South Americans footballers were also brought in by clubs in England. Third division club Barrow signed 2 Argentinian players in 1937, nearly 40 years before Tottenham Hotspurs brought in the exciting duo of Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa. The two players, half back Augustus Corpa and inside left Casco Rinaldi were crew members on a ship that had just been built in the town for the Argentine navy, and was in the process of being fitted out before undergoing sea trials. Another South American playing in the Football League was the Chilean forward Jorge ‘George’ Robledo Oliver, who played in England alongside his brother Ted. George was the more succesful and played for Huddersfield and Barnsley before moving to Newcaslte United in 1949 scoring a total of 91 goals in 164 games. The striker, who won the FA Cup consecutively in 1951 and 1952, played for Chile in the 1950 World Cup, lining up against England.The most successful Asian footballer to have played in Europe bar Cha Bum Kun of the 1970s was Filipino international forward Paulino Alcantara, who played for Spanish giants Barcelona from 1912 to 1927, ending up as the Catalan clubs all-time leading goalscorer with an outstanding 374 goals in 375 games. Alcantara was born in Iloilo, Philippines in 1896 to a Filipina mother and a Spanish father who was in the Spanish Army stationed in the province. He arrived in Barcelona, Spain in 1910 to continue his education. While in school, he played for a club formed by his classmates called, "Galeno”, but later joined the Barcelona youth team. At the age of 15, Alcantara made his first team debut and made an instint impression, scoring a hat-trick in an 8-2 win. From 1916 to 1918, he went back to the Philippines. During this time, he played with a team called the Bohemians of Manila. After coming back to Barca, Alcantara was placed in defence by the British coach Jack Greenwell, but his decision was short-lived as Barca’s club members, "Los Socios," demanded that Alcantara be switched back to his normal position. The paying members received their wish as Alcantara went back to scoring goals on a usual basis. In 1920, Spain selected him for the Olympic team, but he turned down the offer because of his medical studies. Since education was his first priority, he only represented Spain in international football competition five times. He scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Belgium in his first international match at the age of 25. He also played for the Philippine National Team. At age 31, he felt it was time to dedicate his life to his profession and retired from playing, after a "testimonial" in honor of the star between the Spanish national team and Barcelona in 1927. He briefly served on the coaching staff of Spain’s national team in the 50s – three matches against Switzerland, Belgium and Sweden. One of the most succesful foreigners playing in England during the 1950s was the remarkable German Bernhard “Bert” Carl Trautmann. Bert was born in Bremen in northern Germany on October 22, 1923. Like any youngster at the time in Germany, he joined the Hitler Youth and fought for his country during World War 2. When the war had ended, the German paratrooper had been court martialled for sabotage, captured by the Russians, he escaped for the first time but was captured by the Free French, he escaped of another time and was captured by the Americans, however he escaped again and was finally captured by the British. The German first started playing in England at the POW Camp 50 at Ashton in Makerfield, he played at left half at first before playing in goal, only when he was unable to play in the outfield due to injury. He played in local games and earned himself a reputation which eventually earnt him moves to first St. Helens Town and then Manchester City. The signing of the former German soldier caused uproar and even caused season ticket holders at the club to threaten a boycott, while various groups in Manchester and around England bombarded the club with letters denouncing the act. Trautmann overcome the anti-German hatred from the fans and even succussfully succeded the great Frank Swift, whom many fans considered to have been the greatest of all time. He made his debut for the club at Craven Cottage against Fulham, where he ended up being applauded off at the end by the opposition players. The great keeper went on to help City to win the 1955 Cup Final and the 1956 Cup Final when he broke his neck with 15 minutes left and continued in goal to help his club to win the FA Cup, he famously went up the Wembly steps to receive his cup medal, still clutching his neck. In 1956, he won the footballer of the year award selected by the Football Writers' Association, the first foreigner to win the prestigious awardYoura's arrival in London on a boat and train from France created a commotion. Equipped by the memory of a photograph, 'a travel agency man was to meet and greet Youra at London's Victoria Station to escort him to Paddington to catch a train to Temple Meads in Bristol. But he missed him in the crowd! Mr. John Gummow, Bristol Rovers' secretary, waited at the Bristol station for the "handsome, tanned desert boy" with a photo of Youra in his hand, but Youra was not on the train! He telephoned the agency. "Sorry," he was told. "Your desert footballer has slipped through Victoria and vanished! He is somewhere in London." Inspired by the spirit of adventure, Youra had decided to make his own way to Bristol. Youra arrived in Bristol on 26th August, 1954 and played in a trial game against Paulton, 2 days later. Impressed by his skill and talent, Bristol Rovers signed him up. However as Youra was only admitted to England on a one-month visitor's permit and though the intervention of his club manager, Mr. Bert Tann, and other officials, he was granted a months extension but after that had ended he was ordered to leave the country, The Bristol Evening World headline read "Bristol Rovers are fighting "Go Home on Tuesday " order to Youra Eshaya" In the short period of time Youra had made such a good impression on the press and the football public that the Home Office's "Go Home" order created an uproar in the football circles. Dozens of people offered Youra a job so that he would not be a drag on the labour market, and the Bristol Rovers FC and the Bristol Evening World enlisted the help of members of parliament. Mr. Tann saw Sir Walter Monkton, Minister of Labour and MP for Bristol West, and Mr. W. A. Wilkins, another MP and a football fan, both of who had a talk with the Home Secretary." The hue and outcry from the public finally softened up the Home Secretary, who finally agreed to let Youra stay permanently and play football. He was also granted employment by the National Coal Board and he started working as a miner at Pensford Colliery, Somerset, on November 7, 1954, earning 8 pound, 1 shilling a week.Bert Tann, the coach of Bristol Rovers Football Club, who did not employ foreign players before Youra's arrival after the club decided that it would not harm them if they broke their rule considering the talents of the RAF's like-able protégé, was impressed by the continual good reports he had of Youra's rapid progress. At first, Youra played for the Western League team of Bristol Rovers, which was their 3rd team. Rovers Reserves team was a nursery from which players were picked to play for the higher league teams. Youra played as an amateur because he was not allowed by the Football Association to play as a paid professional until he had had at least two years' qualified residency in England. In a short time Youra proved that he could play football as well as any of his English team-mates, and the officials were delighted by his talent and future potential, even though some thought his small size might be a problem. But this did not worry Youra because he was confident he could make the grade. Youra quickly proved his worth and was promoted to higher grades. He made friends and was popular among the local football circles. The local press described him as a player with " a lot of football in him," and he was dubbed also "Ali Baba," the "Live Wire " and "slippery as an eel" and Youra was once described by a journalist as "the footballer who can do everything but the Indian rope trick" . Youra played for Bristol Rovers Colts in the Western League, the clubs 3rd team made up of inexperienced young players where the players were given time to develop their skills and talent before they were released to explode into the Football League. He played as an amateur because he was not allowed by the Football Association to play as a paid professional until he had had at least two years' qualified residency in England. In a short time,the clubs officials were delighted by Youra’s performances and future potential, even though some thought his 5’4 build might be a problem. He quickly proved his worth and was promoted to the Rovers reserves, after a scoring his first goal in his 14 appearance for the Colts, in a 4-2 win over the Bath City reserves on the 11th December at the Douglas Sports stadium, the Colts home stadium. On the 18th December, he made his debut in a 4-3 win over the Watford reserves and his second appearance for the reserves on the 25th December against the Fulham reserves, helping the team to a 2-1 win. These were the only appearances, he made for the reserves in the Football Combination League, but he also made one appearance, scoring a goal in a 4-3 friendly win over Paulton Rovers in September 1955. Youra continued to play for the Colts scoring 3 goals in 22 games in the Western League, and also made an appearance in the Western League Cup in a 1-1 draw with the Gloucester City reserves during the 1954/55 season. In his 2nd season in England, Youra made 4 appearances for the Colts scoring 1 goal. After 16 months of working as a miner and playing for Bristol Rovers FC, Youra was persuaded to return home. He was pestered by his family's "come-back-home" appeals and by the Royal Iraqi Air Force Commander, Brigadier Khadim Abbadi, who offered to obtain for Youra and his family members Iraqi naturalisation and a place for him on the Air Force as a warrant officer provided he play for his team. At first Youra resisted, but finally relented and returned home to Baghdad in December 1955, only months short of his eligibility to play professional football in England and less than a month before the greatest moment in the clubs history beating the mighty Manchester United 4-0 at Rovers ground, the Eastville as the Rovers' song 'Goodnight Irene' rang out over the ground. As Youra and his family members were Iranian subjects obtaining Iraqi naturalisation was not a particularly easy procedure. But within a very short period of time Brigadier Abbadi arranged for their papers to be processed and Youra was admitted to the Force as a warrant officer and joined the team.The Air Force Club is the first and oldest club in Iraq. It was assembled by a group of Iraqi policemen on the British controlled RAF base Hinaidi (now known as Al-Rasheed). The club was officially founded on the 22nd April, 1931 and played its first game on the 5th July, 1931 against a team from the Al-Habbaniya RAF base, who they beat.The first ever Air Force team Mustafa Hussein, Hassan Abid, Wajdi Ali, Mahod Fartona, Wafiq Ali, Abdul-Razzaq Abdul-Wahab, Kamil Keri, Raouf Shabib, Ali Khadim, Anwar Mustafa. The win over the British forces helped the club grow as many people started supported as the club as its reputation spread all-around Iraq. As the British forces and its leaders saw that the clubs activity’s had broadened and its supporters had multiplyed which was clearly apparent during match days The British wanted to get rid of some of its leaders but King Ghazi who took over as ruler of Iraq in 1933, had a strong relationship with the Iraqi flight policemen and he invited the counsel to have talks to solve the problem. It was not long before a solution of the development of the club had been thought of and the Air Force club converted to the Iraqi Flight Association, which opened a number of doors for the club around areas in Iraq. Shortly after, the club started playing again against Al-Laslaki, the top team in Iraq.In season 1932 – 1933, the club won the Prince Ghazi Cup beating Al-Laslaki 1-0 in the final with a goal from Nassir Hussein. The Air Force team was wearing green and purple jerseys during that period. The players at the time were Bashir Sadfi, Mohamad Abbas, Mustafa Hussein, Nassri Issa, Manati Ali, Salih Hindawi, Fakari Kothar, Hatim Hussein, Zaki Ali, Najib Salman, Kamil Keri, Joda Ali, Abdullah Mahmoud, Mikhail Fatahallah. In 1934, the club won Casual’s Cup arranged by Casuals Club for season 1933-1934. The Air Force Club continued its success in season 1934-35, winning the Casual’s Cup for the third time while also winning the King Ghazi Championship cup as the club became the strongest club in Iraqi football. Much had changed since Youra was away in England, many of the people he had grown up with at R.A.F.Habbaniya had moved to Baghdad, when control of the R.A.F. base was passed to the Iraqi forces in May 1955. Many of Youra's team-mates from the Employees' Club, Levy Civilian and C.C. Select team moved to Baghdad to play for top Iraqi clubs in the Iraqi League like the Royal Guards (Haris Al-Maliki), Air Force (Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya), Police (Al-Shurta), Public Transport Service FC(Al-Maslaha) and the newly founded Baghdad team Assyrian Sports Club (Nadi Athori Al-Riyadhi). Soon after returning, Youra played his first two games for Iraq in January 1956, one against Turkey's Mersin Idmanyurdu SK and the other against Tehran Select. They were thrilling games, watched by tens of thousands and broadcast live over Baghdad radio. The Turkish 2nd division club Mersin Idmanyurdu SK had toured a number of Arab countries including Syria and Lebanon and on the day they arrived in Baghdad, the newspapers were full of information spread on their pages about their victories over fellow Arab teams. On the day of the meeting between the Turkish team and our military team, played on the 2nd January 1956, the fans continued to pour into the Scouts Ground until the numbers reached 15,000 spectators. The Iraqi team included Ammo Baba of the Royal Guards and Ammo Samson of the Air Force but the spectators were all there to watch Youra, who was seen as the natural successer to Iraq’s legendary player Nassir ‘Chiko’. Nassir Chiko was the first great Iraqi footballer, who played for Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya and the Iraqi national team during the 1950s. Nassir Yousef, or “Chiko” as he was known, began his career in 1935 with Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya. The legend was one of the eleven players, who lined-up against Turkey in Ankara in 1951, to make up Iraq’s first ever international team and was later starred for the Iraqi Military team that participated in the Arab Military Championship in 1954. He also played in the Asian Military Championship, a year later in Tehran. Nassir helped Al-Jawiya to become the best team in Iraq since its foundation guiding them to a number of cups and championships during his long career with the club. Even though, Chiko was only seen by fans at stadiums in Iraq and heard on the radio during the 1950s, the player had still managed to develop a legendary status with Iraqi fans of today. He retired in 1957 and took over as coach of newly founded Amana Club, where he won the league and cup double in 1959. Filling the boots of the great man would be a big task for anyone but by his first game, the Iraqi fans would be cheering for their new hero. Youra.At the packed Kashafa stadium, the fans had all come to see the little wizard from England and he did not disappoint. They were delighted by his impressive movement, dribbling and distribution, which were the root of nearly every goal. After only 7 minutes the outside right “The Iraqi Stanley Matthews” Abbas Hamadi, scored the first goal, which was followed by another goal but the visitors objected to the decision and the goal was corked off. In the 30th minute Ammo Baba scored the second goal and then the Mersin players once again objected to a decision and the match was stopped for five minutes. The referee threated to end the game but matters returned to normal and the game continued. The first half ended 3-0 to the Iraqi military team and at the start of the second half, Ammo Baba scored in the 50th minute and was later followed by Fakri Mohammed Salman who scored the fifth goal. Playing in midfield, Youra prompted his fellow forwards on, often changing a defensive move into an attack and netted one of the goals himself, scoring Iraq’s last goal in the 72nd minute. At the end of the game, the Iraqi fans surrounded the players, chanting and cheering while carrying them off the field on their shoulders. In the second match, a week later, Iraq came up against a Tehran XI, with Youra playing all over the pitch, he engineered the demolition of the Iranians with Ammo Baba firing in four goals in an emphatic win. Al-Bilad newspaper headline the day after read "20 Thousand Fans Cheer New Iraqi Football Wizard Youra, Successor of Nassir 'Chiko'" When he arrived at his new club Air Force, Youra was met by three familiar faces, his childhood friends Armenak Goujo, Edison Eshay and Ammo Samsom. After a short space of time, Youra was already drawing attention, with Air Force challenging deadly rivals Royal Guards for silverware. The Royal Guards included many of Iraq’s best players, captain Jamil “Jamoli” Abbas, Toma Abdul-Ahad, Ibrahim Haidar, Abbas Hamadi, Fakhri Mohammed Salman “Abu Layla” and a 20 year-old striker, Ammo Baba. In 1956, the two sides played out four thrilling games for the Army Cup Championship. The first two games ended 1-1 with the third finishing 1-0 to the Royal Guards with a goal from Hassan ‘Fiore’ Karim, his son Malik Hassan Karim later went onto play professionally in France and Portugal. The loss put the Guards through with ‘Al-Jawiya’ having to play the Military Academy to book a place in the final, thanks to a great performances from the aging Nassir Chiko and Youra, the soldiers of the Academy were beaten 4-0 to set-up a final against the Royal Guards. Hassan Fiore was once again the hero as he netted the only goal of the game, the Jawiya players were distraught but it would be the Air Force team that would go onto dominate Iraqi football unlike the Royal Guards team, which was dismantled after the 1958 Revolution. The Air Force reclaimed the Army Club Championship in 1959 with Youra the hero, as his double beat the Kirkuk-based Second Armoured Division 2-1 at the Kashafa stadium.On the 20th June 1956, Youra was selected to play for the Assyrian Sports Club in a match against Taj Club of Iran. The club had been formed in 1955 to represent the Assyrian community in Baghdad, coached and captained by Zia Shawel the club included some of the best young Assyrian talents in Iraq like Khoshaba Lawo, Gorgis Ismail and the 17 year-old left back Gilbert Sami, who lined-up for the side against the Iranians. Other players called up for the game were Al-Maslaha players Youel Gorgis, Hormis ‘Gabriel’ Goriel and the Shimson Shallou brothers Sargis and William, Youra’s Air Force team-mates Edison Eshay and Ammo Samson, Royal Guard forward Ammo Baba, Iraqi Petrol Company of Kirkuk (Sharakat Al-Nafat) duo Youaresh Isaac and Aram Karam, who captained the team. The side was the nearest the Assyrians had to a national team and with Aram, Youra and Ammo Baba in goalscoring mood, not even the top players from Tehran could stop them as Aram grabbed three with Ammo and Youra netting one each.The eventful game ended as the Iranians walked off the pitch at the protest of the 5th goal being allowed to stand, only a few minutes before the end of the game. The score was 5-3 to the Assyrians. Youra played a number of times for the team in Iraq and abroad during 1956 and 1957 playing in the return game against Taj Club in Tehran, where the Assyrians lost to the Iranians and in Beirut against Racing Club. Al-Maslaha goalkeeper Mohammad Thamir, a close friend of Sargis, William Shimson, Youel Gorgis and other Assyrian players at Al-Maslaha, was the only Arab to have made a guest appearance for the side during their games against foreign teams.After only a few months back in Iraq, Youra was voted one of Iraq’s best 11 players by sports paper Al-Bilad, with his club contributing with 4 of the 11 players, the most from any other team. He became a regular in the national team replacing the fan’s former idol Nassir Chiko and in 1957 Iraq participated in their first international competition at the 2nd Pan-Arab Games in Beirut. They were placed in a difficult group containing Morocco, Tunisia and Libya. With an inexperianced but ambitious side, coached by Ismail Mohammed, Iraq were not expected to win the tournament however the amazed many with performances. In the first game against Morocco, regarded as one of the favourites, they were 1-0 down by half-time but three minutes into the second half, a cross from Youra was volleyed into the goal by Ammo Baba for the equaliser, a minute later Youra turned from provider to goalscorer to put Iraq 2-1 ahead. A third was added minutes later to give them a 3-1 lead and a certain win but the Moroccan’s coached by the famous Larbi Ben Barek fought back to bring the teams level. The following game against Tunisa, Iraq were again 1-0 down going into the second half, but Youra was again the inspiration as his run was impeded by a Moroccan defender in the box. Iraqi captain Jamoli stepped up to level at 1-1, a few minutes later Edison gave Iraq the lead but then they just fell apart were the Tunisians putting 3 goals past keeper Mohammed Thamir to hand them the win and the points. With only a point from two games, Iraq had little chance to make the next round but they ended the competition on a high note beating the Libyans 3-1 with goals from Ammo Baba, Youra and Fakri Mohammed Salman.A year later, the July 14 Revolution deposed of the monarchy of Iraq and brought many changes in the new Republic of Iraq. Before the Revolution, Iraq had been heavily influenced by Great Britain and was seen as very pro-Western but with new leader Abdul-Karim Qasim, who favoured relations with other sovereign nations whether communist or capitalists things changed. After the revolution Britain and the US nearly invaded Iraq but retreated from their threats as the regime had great support from the people of Iraq and was recognised by the Soviet Union, China and the United Arab Republic (Egypt & Syria). The Republic of Iraq established normal diplomatic relations with a number of socialist and liberated countries and at the end of the 1958-1959 season, the Iraqi FA selected 2 teams, a Iraqi military team and an Iraqi XI, to tour ‘the friends and brother nations’. The military team, composed mainly of national players went to play a few matches in Far East Asia while the Iraq XI went to play in Europe in Austria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Romania, Austria, Bulgaria and Hungary. Youra was selected to play for the military team along with Jamoli, Ammo Baba and his brother Benul. They traveled first to China to play in Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin before jetting off to Pyongyang to play North Korea. There they won 4-2 before being trashed 6-2 by a local side!. Two 4-2 wins in Vietnam followed before the side rounded off the tour with two games in the Soviet Union, losing both to Dinamo Kirov (1-4) and Zhytomir (1-2). Both teams arrived back in Baghdad in time to prepare for Iraq’s first Olympic qualifying campaign against Lebanon. They beat their Arab rivals 3-0 in Beirut before trashing them 8-0 back in Baghdad. Then came the big test, Turkey in Adana, but with the team missing their elegant captain Jamil ‘Jamoli’ Abbas through injury, they were pulled apart by the Turks eventually losing 7-1, with the only goal coming from stand in captain Ammo Baba. In the return game, though giving the Turks more of a fight, Iraq lost 3-2 and were out.Youra continued to play for the Iraqi military and national team until the mid-60s, coming up against a number of top sides including the Algerian FLN national team, Iran, Spartak Trnava, Spartak Yereven, CCA Bucharest (now Steaua) Egyptian clubs Al-Ahly and Zamalek and a host of other top teams from Europe and Arabia. The magical Youra made the Iraqi No.10 jersey his own playing in nearly 80 international matches for Iraq in North Africa, Europe and the Middle East, beside Jamil “Jamoli” Abbas, Jalil Shihab, Hamid Fawzi, Jabar Reshak, Abbas Hamadi, Husham Atta Ajaj, Qasim ”Zawiya” Mahmoud, Edison Eshay and Ammo Baba. Due to political problems involving the Zionist entity Israel, which restricted the development of Iraq’s international and domestic football, many players like Youra and others such as Ammo Baba and Husham Atta Ajaj were all prevented from making a name for themselves in World Cups, Asian Games and many other competitions due to the Iraqi FA’s refusal in playing in international or club competitions involving Israeli teams, this isolation which involved all the Arab countries and also the Muslim countries in East Asia, began in the 1950s and lasted until the mid-70s, when Israel left the Asian Football Association. As a result great players like Youra never got the chance to grace the fields of Asian or World football, which a player with his class would have relished. While failing to gain international recognition like many of Iraq’s top players in the 50s and 60s, Youra craved his name into the history of Iraqi football, having played for the first official Iraqi national team in 1957, setting up Iraq’s first official ‘FIFA’ international goal scored by Ammo Baba against Morocco, while scoring one himself a minute later. He was also part of the first Iraqi Olympic team, making appearances in the 1960 and 1964 qualifying campaigns. Aside from playing for Iraq, Youra donned the blue of the Falcons for nearly fifteen years and was one of the most talked about players in Iraq because of his unique abilities, which he displayed week in and week out for Al Jawiya. He was more of a creative player than a natural out and out goalscorer, who helped a successful Al Quwa Al Jawiya side to obtain a cabinet full of Iraqi Cups and League Championships during the mid-Fifties and through the 60s. The biggest accomplishment came in 1963-64 when the team won the Iraqi league, Iraqi Cup and Army Cup Championship all in one season, a year later he help beat the great Egypian club Al-Ahly 2-0. He is considered one of club’s most successful players alongside the likes of Nassir Chiko, Jalil Shihab, Edison Eshaya, Hamid Fawzi, Husham Atta Ajaj, Qasim ‘Zawiya’ Mahmoud and many others. Youra was a strong, skilful playmaker, with magnificent stamina and the undoubted leader and star whether playing for Iraq or for “Jawiya”. On the field, he was a complete footballer, one moment he would be defending in his own penalty area, organising his midfield, the next scoring from the edge of the opponents' six-yard box. He maintained such extraordinary stamina through his cross-country running, which he had started from an early age. He was once asked him if he ever got tired running around so much, his reply was a swift "No!" and added "I tire more when I am waiting for the ball than when I am playing with it."Nearing his forties, Youra married a Swedish woman in 1971, but was immediately suspended from the Force, preventing him from playing. The reason was that the Ba’ath Government, who had come to power after the 1968 Revolution had enacted a rule forbidding Iraqi military men from marrying foreign women from non-Arab nations. His suspension did not last long and was later transferred to the Habbaniya Air Base to work as a sports officer to coach and oversee the training of training of military sportsmen. The interference from the Ba’ath regime into the nation’s favourite sport would become constant during the following decades, sensing this and with his playing days all but over, he retired after 15 years of service. A year later and seven years before Saddam Hussein took power in 1979, Youra emigrated to Sweden with his wife Elizabeth, settling down in Gothenburg. He continued to coach the game he loved while raising three children, two daughters Magdalena, now a well-known actress in Sweden, Maria, and a son, Younis. On July 21, 1992 at the age of 59, Youra tragically passed away after suffering a heart attack while running on a football field coaching a group of youngsters. To no ones surprise especially to his fans, he died wearing his football boots.. The little ball juggler from Habbaniya in the middle of the Iraqi desert was a unique talent and will never be forgotten by the many fans that saw him play. Youra was truly an exemplary footballer.

Jassim Swadi

2004-09-02T00:47:00.000-07:00

Jassim Swadi signs for Macclesfield Town

England Third Division side Macclesfield Town have announced the signing of Iraqi midfielder Jassim Swadi, exactly fifty years to the day that Iraqi player Youra Eshaya came to England to play for Bristol Rovers.Jassim netted at the Moss Rose Stadium this summer in Iraq's 5-1 win over the England Game XI at the home of Macclesfield Town., with the match announcer naming Jassim as the team's keeper and later 'christening' him Jassim Sawadi ‘Arexis’ after heading the opening goal.The 29 year-old joined the club this summer, and has been training and present at all the team's games so far. His team-mate Basim Abbas was also offered a trial at the club, but was on Olympic duty and could not come to England.Macclesfield Town’s major shareholders are the Iraqi brothers Bashar and Ammar Al-Kadhi.The team, coached by former Manchester City manager Brian Horton are currently 3rd place in the league with three wins and a draw in their first four games

Argentina 1-0 Paraguay

2004-08-28T15:55:00.000-07:00

Argentina Wins First Olympic Gold in 52 Years

As the Olympic Games headed into the home stretch, Argentina won its first Olympic gold medal in more than half a century when its soccer team beat Paraguay Saturday. But for German rower Birgit Fischer, it was a day of Olympic disappointment when she failed to win a record-equaling ninth gold medal and had to settle for silver. The Argentineans, who had not won an Olympic gold in any sport since a rowing title at the 1952 Helsinki Games, erupted with joy in the Olympic Stadium when the team won 1-0 in an ill-tempered South American clash that reduced the Paraguayans to nine men. Fischer had been bidding to join ex-Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina and athletes Paavo Nurmi and Carl Lewis and swimmer Mark Spitz at the top of the record books for the most summer Olympic gold medals won. Greek anti-war protesters hailed Secretary of State Colin Powell's decision to cancel his trip to Athens for Sunday's closing ceremony. "Of course, the cancellation was linked to our protests," Yiannis Sifakakis told Reuters. "This is a huge victory for the anti-war movement which protested by the thousands in the streets of Athens last night." But the State Department said Powell's decision was unrelated to anti-U.S. protests by about 1,000 people in Athens Friday that were broken up when police hurled tear gas at demonstrators headed toward the U.S. embassy. Doping scandals rumbled on. The International Olympic Committee said it was still trying to locate Hungarian Olympic hammer champion Adrian Annus, who is suspected of having tampered with his Athens Games doping sample. Annus, who won gold Sunday, did provide a negative test after the competition, but the IOC has warned that unless he does a second test he will be stripped of his medal. "We have reasons to look for him, we have suspicions," IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said. She did not say what had gone wrong during the first testing. Saturday night at the athletics offers a race to savor. FAVORED DISTANCES Hicham El Guerrouj and Kenenisa Bekele move up and down respectively from their favored distances for what could be an epic Olympic 5,000 meters clash. El Guerrouj, 29, has finally claimed the Olympic 1,500 title which escaped him at the 1996 Atlanta Games and again in Sydney four years later. Bekele, seven years his junior, won the 10,000 meters gold and is now attempting to become the first Ethiopian since Miruts Yifter in 1980 to complete the long-distance double. Friday, the United States suffered its worst day of the Games while China, hosts to the next Olympics in Beijing in 2008, proudly took center stage. The Chinese national anthem exhorts the masses to "Arise! Arise! Arise!" and their athletes did just that with two stunning track golds. Liu Xiang, who won the men's 110 meters hurdles in a world record-equaling time of 12.91 seconds, said: "My victory has proved that athletes with yellow skin can run as fast as those with black and white skin." One of the biggest shocks was provided by China's unheralded Xing Huina who pounced to land the women's 10,000 meters final. She may run awkwardly with her arms beside her but she put the pride of Ethiopia firmly in their place. Ethiopia's Ejegayehu Dibaba was left stunned in second place because she had thought Xing was a lapped runner and that Ethiopia had swept the medals. Chinese canoeists Meng Guanliang and Yang Wenjun kept up the good work by clinching gold in the men's C2 500 meters on Saturday. But for America's star of Sydney, Marion Jones, this has been the worst season of her life and it just kept getting even worse Friday evening. First she finished fifth in the women's long jump final and then a fumbled handover spelt an exit for the U.S. in the 4x100 relay.

Iraq against Italy

2004-08-27T07:53:00.000-07:00

Iraq play for bronze

Iraqi and Italian soccer players planned to wear black armbands on their uniforms during their Olympic bronze medal game Friday in honor of an Italian journalist killed in Iraq.
The International Olympic Committee approved Iraq's request and Italy's delegation was proposing that all its athletes be allowed to wear the armbands Friday.
``We hope the pain will unite us,'' said Italian Olympic Committee spokesman Massimo Fabricini. Italian athletes were also competing Friday in water polo, volleyball and basketball.
In addition to the armbands, the bronze medal game in the northern city of Thessaloniki will be preceded by a minute of silence, according to a spokesman for soccer's governing body, FIFA.
Iraq's coach, Adnan Hamad, had appealed for the journalist's release after his team's semifinal loss to Paraguay on Tuesday.
``I want to tell them to let him go back to his family and to his country to be free,'' he said.

Iraq falls to Paraguay 3-1

2004-08-25T01:15:00.000-07:00

Iraq will settle for chance at bronze

The Iraqi soccer team's improbable run at an Olympic gold medal ended Tuesday night with a 3-1 semifinal loss to Paraguay. The Iraqis still have a chance for a bronze, which would be their war-weary nation's first medal in 44 years.
Paraguay made history of its own, getting two goals from Jose Cardozo and one from Fredy Bareiro to advance to Saturday's gold-medal game against Argentina, a 3-0 winner over Italy. Gold or silver, it will be the first Olympic medal of any sort for Paraguay.
Iraq and Italy will play for the bronze Friday night.
"It was the will of God," said Iraq's coach, Adnan Hamad. "We had lots of chances, but it did not happen for us."
Just qualifying for the Olympics was a feat for the Iraqis, who have been unable to play home games since war began in March 2003. They clinched a berth in May, just three months after their country was reinstated by the International Olympic Committee.
The team's first-round victories over Portugal and Costa Rica and quarterfinal win over Australia enchanted fans worldwide and gave beleaguered Iraqi citizens a rare cause for unified jubilation. Players said they were inspired by the support from home, but also sobered by knowledge of their compatriots' hardships.
The Iraqis played with pluck, forcing Paraguay goalkeeper Diego Barreto to make several acrobatic saves. But they could not contain Cardozo, at 34 one of the oldest players in the tournament.
Cardozo, a forward for Toluca in the Mexican League, opened the scoring at the 17th minute, taking a pass off his chest and, as an Iraqi defender tugged him down by his jersey, angling a low shot into the corner past Iraqi goalkeeper Nour Sabri.
"That had a big influence" Hamad said. "My players wanted very much to win, but that first goal let them down."
Cardozo scored again 34 minutes into the half, ricocheting a shot off Sabri's leg into the net after the Iraqi defense relaxed, believing Cardozo would be called offsides.
Hamad insisted Cardozo was indeed offsides. "We saw it on the video," he said.
Iraq had its best chance of the game shortly before Cardozo's second goal, when midfielder Qusai Munir forced Paraguay goalie Diego Barreto to make a diving fingertip save.
Iraq applied intense pressure early in the second half, but Paraguay put the game out of reach on a counterattack. Sabri made a diving save, but the ball rebounded off the post into play, and Bareiro hammered home the close-range shot over the goalie's head in the 68th minute.
Even down 3-0, the Iraqis persisted, and finally broke through in the 83rd minute. Emad Mohammed slid a pass through the mostly effective Paraguay defense, and Razzaq Farhan beat Baretto with the shot.
The Paraguay fans on hand to celebrate were far outnumbered by hundreds of Iraqis, many of them expatriates living in Greece and elsewhere in Europe. They began their chants, songs and drum beats more than an hour before the game, and thrust their arms into the air in salute when their national anthem -- "My Country" -- played before the kickoff.
A bronze medal won by an Iraqi weightlifter in 1960 is the only medal in the country's history.
In remarks to reporters over the past week, Hamad criticized the U.S. occupation of Iraq and blamed the devastation in his country on President Bush -- who is taking credit for Iraq's return to the Olympics in his re-election advertising.
Officials running Tuesday's post-match news conference sought to limit non-soccer questions, but Hamad did manage to appeal for the release of an Italian journalist held by kidnappers in Iraq. Unprompted, the coach then elaborated on his feelings toward Americans.
"We have nothing against the American people, even though our country is destroyed," he said. "We are sad, for sure, that some of our women and children were killed."
In Iraq, Tuesday was another day of violence as well as soccer mania. As fans prepared to watch the late-night game, U.S. and Iraqi troops were battling militants in the holy city of Najaf, and bombers attacked the convoys of two Cabinet ministers.

Iraqi team

2004-08-23T03:22:00.000-07:00

Different motives for Iraq, Argentina

Iraq and Argentina will have different motives but ultimately the same goal in the semi-finals of the men's Olympic soccer tournament on Tuesday.
For brave Iraq, the Athens Games have become a heroic quest and they have overcome extreme odds to reach the last four, bringing a ray of hope to their war-ravaged country.
They will face another stern examination of their resolve when they take on Paraguay in Thessaloniki, northern Greece.
Iraq's 1-0 victory over Australia in the quarter-finals sparked delirious scenes in Baghdad, with people firing guns into the air, honking car horns and waving Iraqi flags.
"We hope we are able to soften the pain for the people of Iraq, who have suffered war and made so many sacrifices," said team coach Adnan Hamd.
"Our families are very sad. At this difficult moment, the least we can do is try to bring them some happiness.
"People are cheering for us in the streets. If we could win the gold medal, it would be a source of enormous happiness for our people."
A weightlifting bronze at the 1960 Rome Games was the only time Iraq have previously troubled the Olympic engravers but they are now one win away from a historic second medal.
Paraguay survived a late fightback but still looked impressive in their 3-2 victory over South Korea at the weekend.
Argentina are the team to beat, having scored 13 goals and conceded none in four matches at the Athens Olympics, and will be favourites to beat Italy.
The South Americans thrashed Costa Rica 4-0 in the quarter-finals, Boca Juniors playmaker Carlos Tevez netting a brilliant hat-trick to take his tally to six.

Bush & the Iraqi team

2004-08-23T02:35:00.000-07:00

بوش يستعد سراً لحضور نهائي كرة القدم العراقي بأثينا

مصادر مطلعة في واشنطن تصرح بأن الرئيس جورج بوش يخطط لزيارة أثينا لحضور نهائي بطولة الاولمبياد لكرة القدم في حال بلوغ منتخب العراق للمبارة النهائية , كما شكت اللجنة الاولمبية الامريكية من ان حملة بوش للانتخابات الرئاسية تستغل الدورة الاولمبية و ذلك من خلال دعاية انتخابية عنوانها ان الرئيس الامريكي حرر رياضيي العراق

Iraq defeat Australia

2004-08-21T22:57:00.000-07:00

Iraq reached the half final spot

The Iraqi soccer team is one victory away from an improbable trip to the podium.Emad Mohammed's 12-yard bicycle kick in the 64th minute gave Iraq a 1-0 victory over Australia in the quarterfinals Saturday, putting the invaded, war-torn country in position to compete for only its second Olympic medal in the nation's history.Iraq will play either Paraguay or South Korea in the semifinals in Thessaloniki on Tuesday. Even a loss in the semis would put the Iraqis in the bronze medal game, where they could become the first athletes from their country to win a medal since Abdul Wahid Aziz's weightlifting bronze in Rome in 1960.
Two more victories would mean a gold medal and a promised $25,000 reward for each player from the recently reinstated Iraqi Olympic Committee. The committee had conceded it may need sponsors to come through with the cash, considering there are 18 players on the roster.The goal came on a corner kick. Mahdi Karim sacrificed his body to head the ball to Mohammed, who flipped himself upside down to put his shot inside the right post. Karim was injured on the play and lay on the field for a couple of minutes, but he returned to the game.The goal set off jubilant celebrations among more than 1,000 Iraqi supporters, hundreds of whom had been chanting and waving flags since an hour before kickoff.The fact that Iraq even qualified for the Athens Games was a remarkable achievement. They clinched a berth in May, just three months after the country was reinstated by the International Olympic Committee following a nine-month absence. The national Olympic committee was previously run by Saddam Hussein's son, Odai, who tortured players when they fell out of favor.Two months after qualifying, the team's German coach, Bernd Stange, resigned because of safety reasons and was replaced by his assistant and former Iraqi player, Adnan Hamad. The team could not play any home games because of the war and had virtually no funding.The Australians were the hard-luck victims of the Iraqis' exuberant play. The Socceroos had the better scoring chances throughout the match, even though they played without three regular starters. Defender Craig Moore and midfielders Ahmad Elrich and Tim Cahill were suspended after receiving two yellow cards in the first round. Elrich and Cahill had accounted for three of Australia's six first-round goals.Australia actually put the ball in the net in the 48th minute when Anthony Danze knocked in a rebound after two excellent saves by goalkeeper Nour Sabri, but the play was ruled offsides. Sabri then made a leaping save on John Aloisi's header in the 59th, and Australia's Luke Wilkshire hit the crossbar in the 66th.Iraq's Razzaq Farhan had a chance to make it 2-0 after a nifty move around Adrian Madaschi in the penalty area, but Farhan pushed his shot wide.Iraq advanced out of the first round with upsets over Portugal and Costa Rica before losing to Morocco. The soccer team last qualified for the Olympics at the 1988 Seoul Games and hadn't been in the quarterfinals since Moscow in 1980.

Iraq against Australia

2004-08-21T05:36:00.000-07:00

Iraq and Australia: kindred spirits worlds apart

Two unfancied sides are about to face each other in the quarter-finals of the Olympic Football Tournament, and apart from their outsider status, the similarities between Iraq and Australia are hard to pinpoint. One is a large, developed country from Oceania, the other a Middle Eastern state ravaged by war. Yet while their languages and mentalities may be poles apart, the sporting aims of these two surprise teams in this second round are indistinguishable: to win an Olympic medal. Australia made a total hash of "their" Olympic Football Tournament at Sydney 2000, failing to register a single point. The Olyroos' last good showing was way back in 1992, when they reached the semi-finals in Barcelona. Iraq have not even taken part in the Olympic Games since 1988. Their best-ever performance dates back to Moscow in 1980 when they reached the quarter-finals, so in the light of all the domestic turmoil, their strong showing in Greece is akin to a phoenix rising from the ashes."We're not stressed out, we're hyped up. We can't wait for the match because we have been working long and hard for this. We're in a situation where we have a real chance," declares Luke Wilkshire, Australia's midfield dynamo. Just happy to be here, no worries whatsoever, the Aussies are taking a quintessentially Australian approach. "The atmosphere is excellent and it's all systems go. There is no stress, but we're all ready for this make-or-break match. We know we're in with a shout of a medal but we're totally chilled," chips in dreadlocked defender Jade North.If anything, the feel-good factor in the Iraqi camp is even more pervasive, as team captain Abdul Wahab Abu Al Hail explains: "This quarter-final is very important for our country. We want to forget our problems and bring a smile back to the faces of the Iraqi people by putting in good performances. It is our most heartfelt wish to spread a little happiness among our people."
With his hushed tones and anxious expression, he gives the impression of a shy young lad bewildered by the events unfolding around him, but appearances can be deceptive, for beneath his timid exterior lurks a steely resolve. "We have worked hard, because this match is crucial. It transcends the purely sporting context." he repeats mantra-like.The Australians are equally bullish. "We've already done better than several previous teams by getting through the first round. That was our target, but now we want to go further. We're not here just to make up the numbers," insists Wilkshire. "I really believe we can get amongst the medals. If I didn't despite being in the last eight, I'd be a real idiot. But we're trying not to think too far ahead yet as we need to focus on the match with Iraq," North adds. Confidence with a healthy dose of cautionConfident, yes, but also cautious, for while neither Iraq or Australia can really be regarded as giants of world football, their displays so far have drawn plaudits aplenty. "We saw Australia's game against Tunisia and they're a really strong team. Their narrow defeat by Argentina is further proof of their quality. Quite a few of their side play in Europe, which is also significant. What's more, they finished second in a tricky Group C, which speaks volumes," the Iraqi midfielder underlines.The Aussies make similar noises on the subject of their opponents. "We don't know a tremendous amount about the Iraqis, but we saw the video of their game with Portugal and they look dangerous. What's more, they came top of their group, so they must be doing something right!", North quite correctly points out.The major problem afflicting the antipodean line-up will be the absence through suspension of three key men: Tim Cahill and Craig Moore, two of the overage players, plus Ahmad Elrich. But North refuses to make a drama out of a crisis. "Positive thinking, that's my motto. Okay, so we're without three important players, but we can't do anything about that and if you look at it another way, the three new lads are fresh as daisies and will be out to prove their worth to the coach."
Clearly determined to relish every moment on the pitch at these Olympic Games, Wahab Abu Al Hail sees no areas of concern for his team. "Our coach is excellent. He's a fine tactician and a vital advantage for our team. Our side is also young and talented, which I believe has been another major factor in our good results so far," is his positive assessment.For the Australians, among whom the patriotic spirit is very much in evidence, it's winning medals that matters. To a man, they vow to follow every event at the Games in which an Aussie has any chance of a medal. "We want a medal too and we aim to get one," declares Wilkshire.A medal to make a nation smileIn the Iraqi camp, it is fair to say they harbour a somewhat loftier goal than just getting a medal. When Wahab Abu Al Hail and Co. run out onto the pitch, they will be dreaming of inspiring an entire nation. "The people back home are following our performances. Life is very tough there and we represent a great ray of sunlight for them. We want to show the world that there's more to Iraq than Saddam, that Iraq is first and foremost for peace and we are friends of all countries. For me personally, I have this feeling inside me all the time at these Olympic Games."And so two outsiders come face to face, both quite content with their long odds at the bookmaker's. "We're always the outsiders in football. We're used to this situation and thrive on the lack of pressure. It's the big teams who have to prove that they are really as good as they're cracked up to be. We're just happy to play and make progress," North asserts."We're the tournament's surprise team and we like it that way, having no pressure on our shoulders. We've been working together as a squad for six months now and we feel free as birds. This is the key to our performances in the Asian Cup and here in Greece. Now, the only thing on our minds when we go out onto the pitch is to win. Inshallah !", adds the midfielder from Iranian club Esteghlal Ahvaz. In the end then, it seems Australians and Iraqis have more in common that first impressions suggest.

Iraqi team

2004-08-20T03:00:00.000-07:00

Inspired Iraqis need to seize golden chance

After sensational wins over European finalists Portugal and arguably CONCAF's most exciting side, Costa Rica, Adnan Hamad's young heroes will be battling with Australia for a place in the Olympics semi-finals on Saturday. The Iraqi fairytale does not seem to be ending, and after booking themselves a place among the world's best eight, when only a year ago many Iraqis were wondering if any of the players is still alive and well after a devastating war, the team from Iraq are already winners. But having reached this far, and with a medal only two games away, there is little doubt that the will, heart and determination that marked Iraq's performances in the group stage will be present again on Saturday. Hamad is expected to revert back to his 4-3-2-1 formation, with Haidar Jabbar and Bassim Abbas returning to the side after being Iraq's last game against Morocco. Nash'at Akram will be running the midfield again alongside A.A.Hail and the rejuvenated Qusai Monir, while Hawwar M.Mohammad and Emad Mohammad will be playing just behind star striker Younis Mahmood. Right side dilemma Adnan Hamad has neither suspensions nor injury worries in his side, but he may be facing a dilemma on how to line up his back four on Saturday. Iraq's defence has looked reasonably more organized and disciplined in its first two games against Portugal and Costa Rica than they did in the Asian Cup finals in China a couple of weeks ago. Haidar Jabbar has been superb in his new role as a sweeper in a four-man defense, and Haidar A.Razzaq looked solid in the center back role. Basim Abbas had a few nervous moments on the left side, but he always rises up to the occasion and his quality and experience are indispensable to the team. It is the right back position that is giving Hamad a few headaches. Haidar A.Amir looked shaky in all three games. At times, he defended too deep and committed too early, giving opponents acres of space to run into, something Iraq cannot afford to do against a side in Australia's quality, which was clearly present in their 5-1 demolishing of Serbia. What makes Hamad's task even tougher is the fact that he has no real replacement. Sa'ad Attiyya is Iraq's only defender among the seven substitutes allowed to sit on the bench. He did well against Morocco as a centre back, which may prompt Hamad to give Attiyya a start against Australia. Hamad may choose to play Haidar A.Razzaq on the right, allowing Sa'ad Attiyya to play in the center. Alternatively, Sa'ad could be given the unfamiliar role of the right back in Haidar A.Amir's place. But Sa'ad is only 17 and such a move could fire back on Hamad if the highly rated youngster is overawed by the occasion. Whatever team selection Hamad makes, the Iraqis will be hoping that it will ensure their team’s passage to the last four.

Go Iraq

2004-08-19T04:23:00.000-07:00

Najah Ali realizes dream

Najah Ali was one of the fortunate few, sort of. He was so good as a boxer, winning medals in national and regional tournaments, that Saddam Hussein's sadistic son, Uday, who headed Iraq's Olympic effort, didn't find need to torture him.Unfortunately, and ironically, the violence of pugilism also didn't much interest vicious Uday. So accomplished Iraqi boxers like Ali rarely were promoted for Summer Games' play. Only three ever got so far, the last in 1992. Ali's father, Salah, an Arab Games' champion in the early '80s, never made it to the Olympics.So a vision Ali dreamed of climbing into an Olympic ring was truly impossible."There was no chance," Ali said.That was, at least, until the night he had to hustle his mother and father, two brothers, three sisters, an aunt and three young cousins into a back room of their Baghdad house and barricade the door with a mattress.Explosions were shaking their house and shattering its windows. The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq was under way.The merits of the war Washington waged against Saddam Hussein's brutal regime will be debated for many years. Was it worth the human cost? Was it for the reasons that were stated? How much did it markedly improve the lives of most Iraqis and provide them heretofore-unattainable opportunities?But in the microcosm of Iraqi life that is Najah Ali, the destruction of Hussein's dictatorship was an indisputable blessing. Ali not only made his Olympic debut Wednesday at Peristeri Olympic Boxing Hall, he outpointed Hyok Ju Kwak of North Korea to advance to the second round, pumping his fist in the air when it was over."Oh my God," cried Emad Hussain, the press officer for the Iraq Olympic committee, after Ali climbed from the ring victorious."What can I say? I am very glad. We have returned back to the family of sport in the world."Ali's victory followed two surprise wins by the Iraq men's soccer team. But Ali is his delegation's rock star. His story is so improbable there are, supposedly, movie scripts in the work.Like all of Iraq's Olympic athletes, Ali is a product of a $10 million grant from the Coalition Provisional Authority to rebuild Iraq's athletic program.But boxing got special attention.The story goes that the CPA coordinator, Michael Gfoeller, heard of a contract worker in Iraq, Maurice "Termite" Watkins, who was once a pro fighter. Watkins, who got his nickname from growing up in a family in the pest control business, was already helping the athletic rebuilding effort when Gfoeller asked him personally if he could find an Olympic boxer.Watkins told Gfoeller the odds were one in a million.Watkins forged on, however, assembling a stable of 22 of the country's boxers at a camp in Hillah. That was when a fellow, only slightly bigger than the things Watkins once exterminated, walked up to Watkins, calling him "Mr. Termite," and told Watkins he was that one-in-a-million find. He was 4-11, 106-pound Ali."As soon as I see Termite," Ali told me several days ago on a porch at the Athletes' Village, "I realized that dream."At the time, Ali hadn't trained in months, unless you consider carrying two huge jugs of water half a mile a day, four times a day, to a house his family escaped to outside of Baghdad. "It was too dangerous," he said of their Baghdad house near the airport."All 'boom, boom, boom.' " He'd all but forgotten about boxing, concentrating instead on computer science studies at the university, when he heard about "Mr. Termite."Watkins said he saw something special in Ali, not to mention more talent than the others. He worked him. Hollered at him. Earlier this year, Watkins took Ali out of the Middle East for the first time to a tournament in the Philippines. Then to China. Pakistan. And finally Houston to train.Ali didn't fare well enough to win his way to Athens, managing just a 2-3 record, Watkins said. But the Olympic organizers extended him a special wild card to compete."I must win," Ali told me the other day, "because it's considered a special win."Ali could barely contain his energy after he climbed through the ropes, jumping up and down and kicking his legs. But he had lots left for Kwak. He jumped to a 9-3 lead in the first round, leaping in on the taller boxer and connecting on a variety of shots and escaping to safety before Kwak could counter with his reach advantage. The storyline didn't change. Ali won 21-7."I was so nervous," Ali said afterward, still jumpy. "I put pressure on myself. I represent Iraqi people. There's a wonderful thing for Iraq."

نجاح علي

2004-08-19T04:00:00.002-07:00

نجاح علي يتأهل الى الدور الثاني

تاهل العراقي نجاح علي الى الدور الثاني في منافسات وزن خفيف الذبابة بمسابقة الملاكمة في دورة اثينا الاولمبية بعد تغلبه على الكوري الشمالي كواك هيوك في لقائهما بالدور الاول , حيث فاز بالنقاط بنتيجة 21-7 لكن الملاكم المغربي رضوان بوشتوك خرج من الدور الاول اثر هزيمته بالنقاط امام الكولمبي كارلوس خوسيه باترينا بنتيجة 25-48 . وفي منافسات الوزن الثقيل تأهل المصري محمد السيد الى الدور الثالث بعد فوزه على الاوزبكستاني ايجور البوروف بقرار الحكام بعد تعادلهما 18-18 . كما تأهل السوري ناصر الشامي الى الدور الثالث بعد فوزه على النيجيري ايمانويل ايزونريتي بالنقاط بنتيجة 30-17

Iraq 1-2 Morocco

2004-08-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

Iraq & Costa Rica reached the quarter final spot

1-2 Full . TimeSalih Sadir' 63; Bouabid Bouden pen 70, Salaheddine Aqqal' 78
Iraq: Nour Sabri, Saad Attiya, Haidar Abdul-Amir, Haidar Abdul-Razzaq, Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail (Capt.), Mahdi Karim, Salih Sadir, Qusai Munir, Ahmed Salah (Hawar Mulla Mohammed' 65), Razzaq Farhan, Ahmed Manajid (Emad Mohammed' 60).Morocco: Nadir Lamyaghiri, Jamal Alioui (Capt.), Badr El-Kaddouri, Oussama Souaidy, Tajeddine Sami, Elamine Erbate, Yazid Kaissi, Azzeddine Ourahou, Bouabid Bouden, Mehdi Taouil, Bouchaib El-Moubarki.

Morocco leave after facing Iraq

Morocco couldn’t gain from Iraq’s decision to play with the reserve team in the final Group D match at the Pampeloponnisiako Stadium. The Moroccans earned three points, but failed to qualify for the quarterfinals. Their position in the next stage of competition will be taken by the surprise team of Group D, Cost Rica. The first half of the game at Patras was a quick flowing match with neither teams making any serious attempts on goal. The best chance came in the 11th minute for our team but Razzaq Farhan failed to finish again. With no pressure on our team as they have already topped the group by crashing Portugal 4-2 and Costa Rica 2-0, Morocco came close to scoring in the 56th minute, but the shot hit the crossbar. The score-line opened in the 64th minute when Emad Mohammed came off the bench and crossed a ball inside the penalty area to Salih Sadir scoring the first goal of the match. Morocco equalised in the 69th minute from a penalty kick awarded by the Argentinean referee. The counter attack continued by the Moroccans and in the 70th minute Badr El-Kaddouri crossed to Salaheddine Aqqal whose shot ended the final score 2-1. Our team missed many chances to equalise one of which came in the 90th minute when Ahmed Manajid’s shot hit the cross bar. Coach Adnan Hamad’s comments from the Press Conference; On playing in the tournament: "It was a great opportunity for us to gain knowledge. We had too many difficulties to face in our country and we are trying to build a new team." On the starting side tonight: "We were first on the points and we protected some players, particularly three we need most in the next game against Australia." On the quarter final: "Our job is not easy against Australia. It is going to be a very difficult match, but we have a good opportunity to qualify to the semi finals

المغرب لم يستغل مساعدة العراق

خرج المنتخب المغربي من مسابقة كرة القدم بأولمبياد أثينا و لم يستفيد من مساعدة العراق له بعد ان لعب العراق بتشكيلة الاحتياط فاتحا الباب امام المغرب لنيل بطاقةالترشح الثانية للمجموعة الرابعة اذ كان العراق اول المتاهلين بعد اكتساحه البرتغال 4-2 و كوستاريكا 2-0. وعلى عكس كل التوقعات جاء التأهل من نصيب منتخب كوستاريكا الذي حقق فوزا كبيرا على منتخب البرتغال بأربعة أهداف مقابل هدفين ليرفع رصيده إلى 4 نقاط متساويا مع المنتخب المغربي لكن فارق الأهداف صب في مصلحة كوستاريكا ليتأهل كثاني المجموعة ليلعب أمام متصدر المجموعة الثانية منتخب الارجنتين، فيما يلعب المنتخب العراقي مع منتخب استراليا

دعوة إيطالية لمنتخب العراق

2004-08-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

دعوة إيطالية لمنتخب العراق

أعلن نائب رئيس الاتحاد العراقي لكرة القدم ناجح حمود ان الاتحاد الايطالي وجه دعوة لمنتخب العراق للشباب للمشاركة في بطولة يان ماركو الودية مطلع عام 2005 و يستعد منتخب العراق للشباب لخوض منافسات نهائيات آسيا التي تفتتح في ماليزيا في الرابع و العشرين من سبتمبر المقبل، ويلعب فريقنا في النهائي في المجموعة الرابعة التي تضم منتخبات كوريا الجنوبية و اليمن و تايلند و سيعسكر قبلها لمدة اسبوعين في قطر حيث سيخوض مباراتين مع نظيره القطري قبل توجهه الي كوالالمبور منتصف الشهر المقبل

عروض مغرية للاعبين العراقيين

2004-08-17T23:00:00.000-07:00

الاندية المصرية تطارد لاعبي الشرطة

افادت الاخبار الواردة من مصر ان ثلاثة من لاعبي الشرطة قد تلقوا عروضاً من الاندية المصرية، اذ ابدى نادي الاهلي رغبته بضم المهاجم هاشم رضا فيما وصل للمدافع ماهر حبيب عرض من نادي الترسانة اما ادارة نادي انبي فقد فاتحت لاعب خط الوسط تيسير عبدالحسين، و تأتي هذه العروض اثناء تواجد نادي الشرطة في مصر اذ يخوض غمار منافسات بطولة الاسكندرية، و تجدر الاشارة الى ان الموسم الماضي شهد اول حالة احتراف لاعب عراقي في الدوري المصري عندما مثل المداتفع حمزة هادي فريق حرس الحدود و من المؤمل ان يمثل لاعباً منتخبنا الوطني احمد صلاح وصالح سدير فريق الزمالك في الموسم المقبل. و من جانباً اخر تقدم نادي الحسين اربد الأردني بطلب لضم اللاعبين هيثم كاظم طاهر لاعب نادي الزوراء والمنتخب الرديف و علي حسين رحيمة لاعب نادي الجوية و منتخب الشباب ويسعى فريق الحسين اربد لتعزيز صفوفه بعدد من اللاعبين المتميزين خصوصاً و انه سيخوض منافسات دوري ابطال العرب للموسم الحالي

عماد محمد يثير اعجاب بورتو

2004-08-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

Emad Mohammed

تشير الانباء بان ادارة نادي بورتو البرتغالي ابدت رغبتها في التعاقد مع اللاعب الدولي عماد محمد مهاجم منتخبنا لتمثيل فريق النادي في الدوري البرتغالي و بطولة اندية اوربا و ذلك اثر المستوى الرفيع الذي قدمه اللاعب عماد محمد في مباراة منتخبنا الاولمبي مع منتخب البرتغال و مساهمته بدرجة فعالة في تحقيق الفوز الباهر

الشرطة العراقي يتعادل مع الشارقة الاماراتي

2004-08-17T08:15:00.000-07:00

الشرطة 2- 2 الشارقة

تعادل فريقا الشرطة العراقى و الشارقة الإماراتى بهدفين لكل منهما فى إطار الجولة الأخيرة من مباريات المجموعة الأولى لبطولة الجمهورية الدولية الودية للأندية العربية المقامة بالإسكندرية . جائت المباراة سريعة جيدة المستوى و كانت نتيجة الشوط الأول 1-0 للشارقة و فى الشوط الثانى تعادل فريق الشرطة و لكنه لم يهنأ بالتعادل إذ سرعان ما تقدم الشارقة مرة أخرى قبل أن يتعادل الشرطة فى الدقيقة الأخيرة من المباراة . بهذه النتيجة تساوت فرق الزمالك و الشرطة و الشارقة فى رصيد النقاط بخمسة نقاط لكل فريق و إن تقدم الزمالك كأول مجموعته برصيد الأهداف تلاه الشرطة الذى جاء ثانياً ثم الشارقة الإماراتى فى المركز الثالث . و بهذا الترتيب يلعب نادى الزمالك المباراة النهائية للبطولة يوم الخميس المقبل مع أول المجموعة الثانية فيما يتقابل الشرطة العراقى مع ثانى المجموعة الثانية على المركزين الثالث و الرابع . و يلتقى غداً فى نهاية مباريات المجموعة الثانية الإتحاد السكندرى مع الأخضر الليبى فيما يلتقى الأوليمبى السكندرى مع الأنصار السعودى و يتصدر المجموعة الإتحاد و الأوليمبى برصيد أربعة نقاط لكل منهما و يتفوق الإتحاد بهدف و يأتى الأنصار ثالثاً برصيد ثلاثة نقاط بينما يقبع الأخضر الليبى بلا رصيد، و تبدو فرصة الإتحاد السكندرى فى بلوغ المباراة النهائية هى الأفضل بين فرق المجموعة

العراق و كوستريكا

2004-08-17T01:00:00.000-07:00

العراق يتأهل للدور الثاني في أولمبياد أثينا

أكد المنتخب العراقي صدارته للمجموعة الرابعة ضمن منافسات كرة القدم في دورة الألعاب الاولمبية المقامة في اثينا حاليا بعد فوزه على منتخب كوستاريكا بهدفين مقابل لا شيء
انتهى الشوط الأول بالتعادل السلبي بين الفريقين
وفي الدقيقة 67 سجل هوار ملا محمد الهدف الأول للعراق في الدقيقة 67 من المباراة وأضاف مهدي كريم الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 72
بهذه النتيجة يرتفع رصيد العراق إلى 6 نقاط يحتل بها المركز الأول في ترتيب المجموعة بعد فوزه على البرتغال في المباراة الأولى بأربعة أهداف مقابل هدفين
وسيلعب العراق في مباراته القادمة مع المغرب
أما المغرب فخسرت من البرتغال بهدفين لهدف في المباراة التي جرت بينهما في نفس المجموعة
سجل كريستيانو رونالدو الهدف الأول للبرتغال في الدقيقة 40 من المباراة وأضاف ريكاردو كوستا الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 73 قبل أن يسجل بوعبيد بودن هدف المغرب الوحيد قبل نهاية المباراة بخمس دقائق
بهذه النتيجة تحتل البرتغال المركز الثاني برصيد ثلاث نقاط فيما تحتل المغرب المركز الثالث في ترتيب المجموعة برصيد نقطة واحدة بفارق الأهداف عن كوستاريكا التي تتذيل المجموعة
وستلعب البرتغال مباراتها القادمة مع كوستاريكا

Iraq Defeat Costa Rica

2004-08-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

Iraq secured a quarter-final spot

Surprise packets Iraq secured a quarter-final spot in the Olympic football tournament with a free-flowing 2-0 victory over Costa Rica. The Iraqis, back in Olympic football after a 16-year absence, remained unbeaten with second-half goals to Hawar Mulla Mohammed and substitute Mahdi Karim to lead Group D on six points. Iraq, who opened their campaign with a thrilling 4-2 win over 10-man Portugal last Thursday, were again full value for their win and dominated the second half against the central Americans after a scoreless first half. Portugal opened their account in Group D with their Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo scoring in a 2-1 win over Morocco in Heraklion.

Adnan Hamad

2004-08-16T02:23:00.000-07:00

Adnan Hamad said after the match against Costa Rica:
"I am pleased that we reached the next stage. This victory will lift the team and all Iraqis. Iraq has started to connect with the rest of the world and we are like ambassadors for our country. Our success makes our compatriots happy, but most of all we unite them."

Mahdi Kareem

2004-08-16T01:32:00.000-07:00

Mahdi Kareem After he scored the second goal against Costa Rica

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2004-08-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

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العراق و البرتغال

2004-08-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

زلزال عراقي يهز أثينا

اسقط منتخبنا الاولمبي ورقة التوت عن عقدة تفوق الفرق الكبيرة واجبرها على الانحناء تحية للاعبينا الذين قدموا ملحمة كروية اذهلت المراقبين وقبل مباراتنا مع البرتغال كان غرور مدربهم لا يقر له قرار وهو يؤكد بان منتخبنا هو اضعف فرق المجموعة وسيكون صيدا سهلا لهم.فرد لاعبونا الجواب الشافي ولكل المتابعين يتقدمهم رئيس الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم بلاتر الذي حضر المباراة بان الكرة الاسيوية قادمة بقوة لتنافس الكبار وتسحب البساط منهم.لم نشاهد اداء كرويا كهذا لمنتخبنا منذ سنوات طوال بل نعدها افضل مباراة في تاريخ الكرة العراقية في الميدان الدولي التي تفخر بانجازات رائعة في مسيرتها ..لقد ضاع نجوم البرتغال الذين تصل اسعارهم في بورصة الاحتراف العالمي الى ملايين الدولارات وغابت فعاليتهم ليبحثوا عن وسائل غير قانونية لكبح جماح لاعبينا الذين شقوا طريق الابداع وارغموا منافسهم على رفع القبعات تحية لهم..لقد كسب فريقنا جمهور اثينا من المباراة الاولى لعبا ونتيجة ونامل ان يواصل رحلة الابداع بهذه الغيرة التي قهرت خطط الكبار في المباريات المقبلة لينال عن جدارة لقب مفأجاة البطولة وحصانها الاسود .حقق منتخبنا الاولمبي فوزا كبيرا وقدم عرضا رائعا توجه باربعة اهداف جميلة وملعوبة في مرمى المنتخب البرتغالي مقابل هدفين في الجولة الاولى من منافسات المجموعة الرابعة لمسابقة كرة القدم في دورة الالعاب الاولمبية المقامة في اثينا.وسجل اهداف الفوز عماد محمد” 15 “ وهوار ملا محمد” 29 “ ويونس محمود” 59 “ وصالح سدير” 90+2 “ فيما سجل البرتغاليون اهدافهم بواسطة حيدر جبار” 12 “ خطأ في مرماه وبوسيننوا” 44 “.المباراة كانت جميلة ومثيرة وكان فيها منتخبنا الوطني متجانسا ولم يتمكن البرتغال من مجاراة منتخبنا وتعمد الخشونة مع لاعبينا للحد من خطورتهم. ومع ذلك قدم منتخبنا واحدة من اجمل المباريات من خلال اعتماده على الهجوم وسد الثغرات، ورغم ان البرتغال تقدمت بهدف نتيجة لارتباك المدافع حيدر جبار الا ان الوضع النفسي للمنتخب الاولمبي العراقي سرعان ما عاد الى وضعه الطبيعي وبالاخص يعد تسجيل عماد محمد هدف التعادل ومن ثم عودة نفس اللاعب ليصنع هدف العراق الثاني، وادرك البرتغاليون التعادل في الدقيقة الاخيرة من الشوط الاول. وانهوا هذا الشوط وهم يرقصون فرحا. المنتخب الاولمبي العراقي لعب بروحية عالية في الشوط الثاني وسجل الهدف الثالث بواسطة يونس محمود بعد ان قدم له عماد محمد كرة على طبق من ذهب. واجهز الرائع صالح سدير على كل امال البرتغال وحول رقصهم في نهاية الشوط الاول الى وجوم على وجوه لاعبي البرتغال بعد ان سجل الهدف القاتل في الدقائق الاخيرة من المباراة.ويلعب منتخبنا مباراته الثانية اما كوستاريكا يوم غد الاحد ليضمن الانتقال في حال الفوز الى الدور الثاني من البطولة

Athens 2004

2004-08-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

Iraq 4-2 Portugal

Iraq celebrated a stunning return to Olympic football duty after a 16-year absence with a thrilling but controversial 4-2 win over 10-man Portugal.Iraq, who made the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup last month, went into the match as underdogs against a Portuguese side boasting a wealth of top class talent inlcuding Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Boa Morte of Fulham.But the match turned early in the seocnd half when, with the sides locked at 2-2, Boa Morte was sent off.Iraq had fallen behind through a Haidar Jabar own goal before hitting back to lead thanks to Emad Mohammed and Hawar Mulla Mohammed.Portugal were level by the break thanks to Bosingwa before the match exploded in the second half when Boa Morte received a controversial red card which paved the way for Younis Mahmoud to score the third before substitute Salih Sadir wrapped up a famous win in injury time.The Portuguese, who qualified for the tournament by finishing runners-up to Italy at the European Under-21 championship in the summer, took an early grip on the match and opened the scoring in bizarre fashion after just 12 minutes.A leftwing cross from Hugo Almeida beat the Iraq goalkeeper Nour Sabri and defender Jabar, in a desperate attempt to clear, only succeeded in turning the ball into his own net.But Iraq were level just four minutes later when Emad Mohammed, clean through on goal, scored at the second attempt after Portuguese keeper Moreira had only half-saved his first shot.Moments later Ronaldo was lucky to have stayed on the pitch when he only received a yellow card from Cameroon referee Divine Evehe despite having poleaxed Younis Mahmoud with a violent thrust of his elbow into the eyes of the Iraqi.The incident spurred on the Iraqis and they went ahead after 29 minutes when Hawar Mulla Mohammed was first to react when Emad Mohammed's header came back off the crossbar.Ronaldo, now being widely booed by the crowd, then saw his curling free-kick come back off the post.But the Portuguese didn't have to wait long to get back on level terms when FC Porto's Bosingwa made it 2-2 with a right foot shot from outside the area which sliced through a crowd of players. Portugal striker Luis Boa Morte was controversially sent off in the 51st minute for kicking out at the heels of full-back Bassim Abbas leaving the Fulham star outraged at what he thought was a harsh decision.Boa Morte was pelted with water bottles as he headed for the tunnel before Iraq took advantage of the extra man by regaining the lead in the 56th minute as Younis Mahmoud finished off a one-two with Emad Mohammed.Almeida then flashed a header off the crossbar before their luck really ran out in time added on when Sadir tucked home a cross from Mahdi Karim for his team's fourth goal.

2004-08-14T08:53:00.000-07:00

Hawar & Ronaldo

Athens2004

2004-08-13T08:50:00.000-07:00

*Portugal defeated by determined Iraqis
A magnificent performance by the Iraqi Olympic team put Iraq on top of their group after winning Portugal 4-2 in their opening match of the Olympics. Iraq’s four goals of the match came from Emad Mohammed, Hawar Mohammed, Younis Mahmoud and Salid Sadear. The Portuguese team led by Christiano Ronaldo were the first to score after an own goal from Iraqi defender Haidar Jabar. The ball was crossed from the left side of the field by a Portuguese player, which was flicked unintentionally by Haidar Jabar in Iraq’s net. Iraq fought back with a marvellous performance from Emad Mohammed who equalised just ten minutes after Portugal’s first goal. Iraq then took the lead through Hawar Mohammed after Emad Mohammed’s shot was blocked by the Portuguese goalkeeper, Younis Mahmoud was first to the rebound but his shot found the post which then went into Hawar Mohammed’s path where the player headed the ball into the goal. Younis Mahmoud scored the third goal of the match after receiving a pass and ending up one on one with the Portuguese goalkeeper. Younis Mahmoud celebrated his goal by kissing the Iraqi flag on his Jersey and running to the Iraqi crowd and to Hussein Saeed head of the Iraqi FA. The forth and last goal came through substitute Salih Sdear who entered in the last 15 minutes of the match and who was very active in the center of the field. Younis Mahmoud played more than half the match with a bandage wrapped around his head after Christiano Ronaldo elbowed him in the first half of the match. Younis insisted on continuing the match despite the injury and had his head stitched in the half time. The player is now well and is confident the minor injury will not affect his performance. Younis Mahmoud had a few things to say to his fans around the world, “ We did it. We won and we showed the entire world the meaning of Iraqi football. The whole team played well today and we deserved it. We keep thinking of our families back home but we have a job to do in Athens and that is to make all our people proud. Many expected Portugal to win the match but we entered the match very confident of ourselves knowing that it is not impossible to beat a respected team and the hardest team in our group in my opinion. We aim in finishing first in the group and make it to the quarterfinals.” Younis Mahmoud along with the Iraqi Olympic team will be travelling in a 3-hour drive to Athens tomorrow. Iraq’s next match is with Costa Rica on the 15th of August 2004 in Greek capital Athens.

2004-08-13T07:18:00.000-07:00

Iraqis are happy

Ahmed Ali

2004-08-12T20:02:00.000-07:00

الاتحاد العراقي يفرض عقوبة على الحارس احمد علي

فرض الاتحاد العراقي لكرة القدم غرامة مالية على حارس مرمى المنتخبين الأولمبي والوطني العراقي بكرة القدم احمد علي ومنعه من المشاركة في مسابقة كرة القدم في دورة الالعاب الاولمبية في اثينا لسوء سلوكه خلال مباراة فريقه ضد الصين في نهائيات كأس امم اسيا الاخيرة وكان علي طرد في تلك المباراة عندما وجه لكمة إلى مهاجم صيني وتسبب في منح ركلة جزاء إلى الفريق المنافس أنهت أمال فريقه في بلوغ نصف النهائي وقال نائب رئيس الاتحاد العراقي لكرة القدم ناجح حمود لوكالة فرانس برس "ان غرامة مالية قدرها سبعة مئة دولار أميركي فرضها الاتحاد العراقي لكرة القدم على حارس مرمى المنتخب العراقي احمد علي وتم إيقافه عن تمثيل المنتخب الأولمبي العراقي المشارك في أولمبياد أثينا بسبب خروجه عن السلوك الرياضي خلال مباراة المنتخب العراقي ونظيره الصيني في نهائيات أمم أسيا في الصين وأدى ذلك إلى خسارة المنتخب العراقي بثلاثة أهداف نظيفة .وأضاف أن هذه العقوبة تأتي في ?سياق حرص إدارة الاتحاد العراقي على ترسيخ مفاهيم السلوك الحسن لدى اللاعبين أثناء المباريات وعدم تشجيعهم على تكرار مثل هذه المظاهر التي تسيء إلى سمعة الكرة العراقية في الملاعب الخارجية يشار إلى إن حارس مرمى المنتخب الأولمبي العراقي احمد علي21 عاما يعد من ابرز حراس المرمى في العراق ويتميز بشجاعة كبيرة دفعت بمدرب الفريق عدنان حمد للتمسك به في العديد من المشاركات العربية والقارية وساهم في بلوغ? ?منتخب بلاده إلى الأولمبياد

2004-08-12T09:06:00.000-07:00

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