Ahdaaf » Players Abroad

Middle Easterners Abroad: Al-Muwallad, Dahoud, Khalife

Hamoudi — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 15:24:42 +0000

This week’s edition of Middle Eastern footballers abroad looks at the Saudi full back Saeed Al-Muwallad to begin with. Al-Muwallad left Al-Ittihad Jeddah under certain circumstances but it is important to note that he is happy at Farense after receiving his pass to play. Furthermore, we will look at AEK Larnaca’s new 16 year old signing Joseph Khalife, the brother of Peter Khalife. Finally, we have German-Syrian central midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud…

Saeed Al-Muwallad Interview with Al-Kass Channel

“You know, this really is an amazing experience for me. Playing abroad for an Arab player is a dream, and with thanks to God I achieved it. The atmosphere is good here at Farense Club; the administration is dealing with me in a very professional way. Alongside the managers and the players who treat you extremely well in an ideal environment that helps the player develop.”

Bla Bla Bla Bla !!!! Who wants to know and who cares about what you say? Thanks for the people who believe in me and support me! Bless you all #2 Good Night Everyone

A photo posted by @saeedalmuwallad on Oct 22, 2015 at 3:26pm PDT

“Well, thanks to God. We have a good group of players, you know every the game the players and the team are improving. I hope we have good luck coming in the next games. Here there is a lot of pressure and there are many games to play in the league alongside the cup.” “First of all with the permission of God, then the players coming together in the team, with the manager and the technical staff. I hope we return to the team to their ordinary habitat.” However, did he forget his previous club and Jeddah-based side Al-Ahli, the team that set off his career? “Al-Ahli Club (Saudi Arabia) have a big name, and despite not being an academy player with Al-Ahli I was there with the U-19s and Olympic teams before coming into the first team. What I produced during my time there, I learnt a lot from it whether it was from board members or coaches. I prioritise this club a lot, without a shadow of a doubt.” There has been a lot of talk surrounding the situation of players leaving Portugal after little benefit as a player abroad, returning to their previous clubs just to win a bigger contract in the end by their ‘propaganda’ moves and complaints. “Unfortunately there is talk with bad intentions of this situation. Whether this person is talking about Saeed Al-Muwallad or not talking about Saeed Al-Muwallad, they have a certain goal that they want to achieve. However, to be completely honest with you, I am not really honoured to answer such claims. I mean, these rumours or claims have absolutely no credibility or basis. And as long as my God knows my intentions [to play abroad and give a good image to Arabic footballers] then that is the most important thing. Hopefully with God’s will, I will be able to personally succeed and whoever is with me, is with me no matter the nationality. It doesn’t matter if a Qatari, Saudi or “Khaleeji” (Gulf) is supporting me as long as there are people supporting my cause which is the main point.”

Joseph Khalife

How did your brother help you see the results of consistent and flexible training?

Marina Nasr Photography.

He trained me twice per day every single day, running in the morning before going to school and after school with the school team and after that with the club as well. When we arrived home he made flexibility and mobility training and told me to watch positioning videos on the Internet whenever I could. He has always been beside me and even now, advice continues to come from him.

What do you see different in Lebanon to the way you were introduced in Cyprus? In Cyprus that school I am in consists of a swimming pool with several football fields and a gym. UEFA coaches train me 2 hours in the morning during the school day and after that I go home and study. In the afternoon I have team training with the club. So basically the team takes care of me wherever I go and try to develop me properly in order to push myself beyond the limits.

What are your ambitions at the club?

Marina Nasr Photography.

Of course my ambitions are as any 16 year old boy and what we dream of, and this is to play in the first team and compete at the highest level. This year I will train and develop very well and get into the atmosphere of the team and work on the chemistry hopefully. Next year I will strive and push myself for the first team. How do you feel abroad experience is key for Arab players to develop? Since in my country we have lots of talented players but due to many of them not getting developed properly we are losing them which is a significant blow to our footballing development in Lebanon. It’s good for any of us who get to develop in Europe on the big stage and represent our country and try to help succeeding. The experience we learn and get here will help other players in Lebanon to learn and watch carefully how it’s done.

Marina Nasr Photography.

Mahmoud Dahoud excels week in week out for the Foals

After winning the Borussia Monchengladbach Player of the Month for the month of September, Mahmoud Dahoud has not stopped his run of form. Besides the loss against Manchester City, Schubert’s Gladbach have been on a fine run of form. In that period, Dahoud has cemented is place as a starter in central midfield for the Foals. At his age, he’s already played at home to like of Premier League leaders Manchester City and Champions League finalists Juventus. In the process of facing both, he has come up against the challenge of Yaya Toure and Paul Pogba; no mean feat. Here is a video of his goal against Augsburg: http://www.tubechop.com/watch/7054836 His apparent choice of Germany as his national team may just be the end of our coverage on him as a true Middle Easterner Abroad, but that won’t be until he makes a competitive appearance for them. Yet even if he doesn’t play for Germany it doesn’t look like he will play for Syria considering the stances Firas Al-Khatib, Omar Al-Somah and others took to show their solidarity against the Syrian national team’s political beliefs.

Congratulations to Mahmoud #Dahoud, who has been voted #Borussia‘s player of the month for September! #Fohlenelf pic.twitter.com/sQHG03N4f1 — Borussia (@borussia_en) October 19, 2015

FRIDAY WITH… OSAMA RASHID

Hassanane Balal — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 09:35:30 +0000

Nine games and two goals into the season and Osama Rashid, 23, is already making waves across the Portuguese Segunda Liga. The midfielder has settled in well at Sporting Clube Farense following his departure from Dutch side Alphense Boys last summer. As is the case with many Iraqi expat players, his story is a long and arduous one. Born in Kirkuk and raised in Holland before his move to Portugal, Osama offered a rare insight into his journey as we spoke. His humility and laidback demeanour were noticeably contrasting with his explosiveness on the pitch. Although shy and polite, the Iraqi international held nothing back in this exclusive interview.

You’ve made a very promising start to your SC Farense career. How happy have you been with your form?

“My form is getting better. At the start, it was obviously difficult due to the intensity of the league being a lot higher than Holland. It’s very physical here but I feel better now and I’m learning to adapt my game. I’ve been working hard at the gym too. More importantly, I’m actually playing matches. The more you play, the fitter and sharper you become, which is helping me get used to the standard of football here. The first four matches were a little bit difficult but it’s getting better. I have a good feeling about the way things are going so far.

We have a good team and are targeting a top five finish in the league – we want to push for promotion. We’ve signed a quality striker and this will be important for us, as the teams in the league are fairly similar in quality. The teams who score the most will be the ones who secure promotion”

How are you finding life in Portugal?

“I’m currently living with my Saudi teammate (Saeed Al Muwallad). The club have provided us with a really good apartment here in Faro. It’s going pretty well. I’m learning to cook for myself. Recently it was international break and we never had a club match, so I was able to go back to Holland and visit my family. I was so happy to eat Iraqi food again. I miss everything – all the foods! Fassoolia, bamya and dolma especially.

Rashid settles in Portugal.

Life here is very good – the weather is good. It’s going well. Most of the players here speak English so that’s helped me settle in a lot. Luckily, I speak a little bit of Spanish too, which is not too dissimilar to Portuguese.

I play on my PlayStation 4. I’m a big FIFA fan. FIFA over PES, for sure.”

Did you receive any other offers in the summer, and what attracted you to SC Farense?

“I received some offers but I chose SC Farence because the opportunities here are great. It’s important that I get to play a lot of matches and we have 46 league games this season. By playing these matches, I’ll grow as a player and improve myself. There were other offers from elsewhere but I wanted to base my decision on development rather than money. I also preferred staying in Europe instead of moving to the Gulf.”

What did you make of Iraq’s chances for World Cup qualification after their performances against Chinese Taipei and Thailand?

“I think we can make it. The performance against Chinese Taipei was good but the game against Thailand was less so. We threw it away in the last ten minutes. When I turned up to training, everyone was asking me how we managed to throw away the game after leading 2-0. I only managed to see the goals and not the full match because I had training.

We have a young talented group though. Ali Adnan has gone to Udinese, Dhurgham moved to Rizespor and Ahmed Yasin has moved too. Yaser Kasim and Justin Meram are doing well for their clubs. We have a good bunch of players. It’s important that we keep this group together.”

There were some complications in your recent call up to the Iraq squad. What happened?

“There was a slight muddle up unfortunately. Basil Gorgis called me explaining that Yahya Alwan wanted to take me as part of his squad. An invitation was sent to my club asking for my official release. I sent my passport to London to arrange a visa but was later told to withdraw my passport as the papers will be arranged via the Iranian Federation. I went to Lisbon by train to sort it out. On my way there I received a message asking me to book a flight to join the national team once the visa was sorted. It was a long three-hour journey to Lisbon but I sorted all out and contacted the FA asking them to book my ticket for the 31st of August as I had a match on the 30th. Everything seemed to be okay until a few days before I was supposed to leave, where I received my ticket and it was booked for the 30th August. I called the FA to book it on a more convenient time but was told I could only do this once the manager confirms he wants me in the squad. This was odd as all the paperwork had been sorted and SC Farense already received papers asking for my official release.”

The national team did exceptionally well under Radhi Shenaishil at the last Asian Cup. What did he excel at?

“Honestly, previously I always felt some tension between expats and the local players but when Radhi came in, it was different. From the first day, he sat us down and explained to everybody that there was no differences between us and that we were one. He made it clear that nobody was allowed to use the words ‘mughtarifeen’ anymore either – we were all the same.

He was very respectful to everybody there and everyone respected him too. The way he worked, but also as a person. For example, in the Asian Cup, the players had received bonuses after reaching the semis. He made sure all the other staff received their fair share too, such as those in charge of equipment, etc.

He was the main reason why we had so much success in the Asian Cup. Zico and him were the best coaches I played under for the national team.”

Gonzalo Rodriguez seems to have a very positive relationship with a lot of the players. How did you find working with him?

“He’s brilliant at what he does. He knows his stuff and has worked for enormous clubs like Liverpool and Valladolid. Fitness coaches … Very few footballers like them! But with him, it was really good. He makes it fun. He always tries being creative with his exercises so you’re never thinking: “I don’t want to do this again”. He’s very experienced, and polite.

Rodriguez formerly worked with Rafa Benitez at Liverpool.

Rodriguez (right) poses for a selfie with Dhurgham Ismail (left) and Younis Mahmoud (centre).

His best quality was that he knew exactly what to do differently for each player. Before the semis in the Asian Cup, he gave me a special nutritional regime to follow and explained to me how it’ll help due to my lack of match fitness. He knew what was needed to get the best out of all the players.”

How important are expat players to the future of Iraqi football?

“They’re the future of Iraq. I say this with respect to all the local players, who are of course fantastic too. It’s a sensitive topic to discuss sadly, as I don’t want this to come across as an attack on local players. Regardless, the expat players hold an important position in the future of Iraqi football. I hope the local players also make moves towards Europe and follow in the footsteps of Ali Adnan and Dhurgham Ismail.

It’s a tough challenge for local players to move to Europe for various reasons. The difference in cultures and lifestyle make it difficult. Aspects like dietary changes and discipline, intensity of training and leaving families behind all have a massive impact. The Iraqi league finishing so late into the European transfer window causes problems too as players are expected to jump straight into their new sides without resting. I can see more players moving to Turkey before taking a step elsewhere.

My advice to young expat footballers would be to stay in Europe and find a team where they will play matches. You need to be playing on a weekly basis to grab the attention of the national team. If you receive an opportunity to go on loan to a team that can guarantee you minutes on the pitch, then you should go ahead with it. You need the game time to progress and develop as a young footballer. “

Before you became a familiar face in Iraqi football, did it come as a shock to you just how big football is to Iraqis?

“The first time it really hit me was when we arrived in Sweden for our friendly match against Brazil. I must’ve been 19 or something. We arrived in the airport and it was completely full. The police were trying to control the fans but there were just too many Iraqis who had turned up to greet the players. The fans eventually forced their way into the baggage handling area. This one man, he must’ve been around fifty, he started hugging and kissing me. I was shocked and didn’t know what to do, or what was happening. I had goosebumps. It was the first time where I really appreciated just how big football was to Iraqi fans.

Iraqi fans are always messaging me on social media too. They’re very nice – at least I think they are. They always write to me in Arabic and I don’t read Arabic that well. Sometimes its better to just pretend they’re all saying nice stuff!

The pressure on you to win when playing for Iraq is immense. 35 million people who all expect you to win and perform well. For me though, playing for your country is the best feeling. It’s completely different to club football. International football is far more tactical too.”

Away from the football pitch, what’s been your best experience so far with the Iraqi national team?

“That match against Brazil was an amazing experience and is up there with some of my best footballing memories. My number one memory however is training with Zico. This one time, he joined in with us in the training session and made around one hundred crosses. Every single cross landed perfectly on my chest. I’ve never seen someone do anything like this before. It was amazing.”

Do you have any memories of Iraq’s Asian Cup win in 2007?

“Yeah, of course. I remember the final – the goal – Younis Mahmoud. I went with my brother to celebrate with the other Iraqis in Holland. I remember it well. It was amazing seeing them win, and then a few years later I was playing with the same players. It was an honour playing alongside the likes of Basim Abbas, Nashat Akram and Younis. Just training with them everyday – I was very proud. Nashat is the best player I’ve played with. He was a great personality but the level of control he had on the pitch was amazing. Everything about him.”

What was it like featuring in arguably the greatest Asian Cup match ever against Iran in 2015?

“I think I almost had a heart attack! It was unbelievable. I didn’t play in that match so I was watching from the bench. It was very hard to watch – we were losing initially 1-0, then 1-1, then 2-1 for us, and it was in the last second they equalised for 3-3. After they scored, I couldn’t believe it. I remember thinking “this can’t be happening”.

Afterwards, it went to penalties, which is different. Our player advantage didn’t matter and it was 50:50 again. After we won it on penalties, I remember the entire stadium exploding – loads of fans bursting into tears. It was amazing. We had a small party with the fans afterwards too. It’s the craziest match I’ve ever been part of.

The Asian Cup in Australia was a great experience. I couldn’t believe how many Iraqis were living there and how far people had travelled to see us. The fans were great and followed us everywhere, even outside the stadium. The atmosphere was good. It was my first big tournament too. This was different to anything I’ve done.”

On the pitch, where does the Iraq team need to improve?

“We need to hold onto the ball better and shift away from launching the ball from defence when under pressure. Instead, we have to have more control on the ball and transition the ball better from defence to midfield. Play through the middle more.

Do you have any childhood memories of living in Iraq?

“When I was three years old, there was an ice-cream truck driving around our area. I wanted to buy some and I asked my dad for money. I started running after the truck but I ran out barefoot, without my ni3al (sandles). There was some glass all over the floor, which I didn’t see. I ran over it and my feet were bleeding badly. I’m okay now though!

Osama Rashid 8.

More recently, I remember going back three years after the war to visit my family and cousins. It was nice to see that they were happy. Looking back, I have only good memories.”

Growing up, did you have any footballing role models, or players that you tried to base your game on?

“When I was younger, from about seven years old, it was Juninho Pernambucano. I didn’t try basing my game on him but I loved watching him play. His position on the pitch, the way he played the game without any worries, obviously his freekicks and just how calm he was. You never see him fighting or panicking on the ball.”

Who is the best player you’ve played against and which famous players have you swapped shirts with?

“The Ramires shirt is my favourite, maybe. No! It’s my Mario Götze shirt from the European Champion U17 (representing Holland as a youth player). I also have a Jack Wilshire shirt. The Götze shirt is my favourite though.

Osama Rashid turns away from David Luiz.

The best player I’ve played against is Neymar.”

If you can change anything in your career, what would it be?

“After my contract ended with Feyenoord, I moved to Den Bosch. I panicked with my decision and decided too quickly. I probably should have gone to another club instead. It was a tough period for me psychologically and I’d pretty much lost all my passion for football.”

Real Madrid or Barcelona?

“I like Real Madrid more than Barcelona. My dream move would be to Real Madrid.”

Do you have any pre-game rituals or superstitions?

“When I walk onto the pitch, I have to walk on with my right foot first. Of course, before the game I pray too.”

On the pitch, how are your skills best utilised?

“Quick, offensive football in a 4-3-3 formation.”

What do you think the next step in your career will be?

“I don’t know right now. My ambition is to do well in Portugal first and foremost. I’d love to eventually move to England. I’d love to play for Manchester United.”

If you weren’t a footballer, what would you be doing for a living now?

“I’ve finished my bachelor degree in Sports Marketing last year. I’d imagine it would be something related to this”

I love football because…

“I love football because it’s the greatest thing ever. Football brings peace – as Iraqis, we know that better than anybody. We saw it when we won the Asian Cup in 2007.”

Younis Mahmoud holds the AFC Asian Cup on a historic night in ’07.

Finally, is there anything you’d like to tell the Iraqi jumhoor?

“I’d just like to thank all the fans for the support they always show me. They’re always messaging me on social media. I also hope that the Iraqi fans help Yaser Kasim after the recent events and not blame him. I think he’ll come back to the national team, so we should be patient. For sure, he’ll be back. I’m a good friend with Yaser (Kasim) but I only see him at games with the national team. Hopefully I’ll come to London soon and pay him a visit.”

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Osama Rashid for taking time out to discuss all these topics so thoroughly and honestly with me. You can find him on Twitter @OsamaRashid92 and on Instagram @OsamaRashid8. Find me on Twitter too @Nashat_Hassan. Thanks for reading.

Middle Easterners Abroad: Episode #3

Hamoudi — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 12:55:32 +0000

Dhurgham Ismail (Caykur Rizespor (TUR), Iraq)

Dhurgham Ismail made his full start against none other than Samuel Eto’o’s Antalyaspor, also where enigmatic former Liverpool striker Milan Baros played. A big win for Rizespor, a win that Dhurgham was part of, is no doubt a fine benchmark to start of his career. It’s now time for Dhurgham to keep his head up and always look at what’s next.

Stationed on the left wing for Rizespor – where Ali Adnan played in games for Iraq – unlike his usual left back position, Dhurgham injected speed, tenacity and nimble running into the attack. Unfortunate not to get on the scoresheet (or at least provide a goal), it doesn’t mean that he didn’t affect the game.

3 of Rizespor’s goals came from set-pieces while the other 2 were completely out of Dhurgham’s reach, but he did well to influence proceedings by troubling the opposition defenders with high pressing and running in behind. His pace was a huge factor and that led him to almost win a penalty, a dubious call should it have been given.

A proper start off to his career abroad.

Ali Adnan (Udinese (ITA), Iraq)

The man who partners Dhurgham on the left flank in the Iraqi national team, ironically was the left back who played at Rizespor before Dhurgham signed. Basically replacing the departing Iraqi left back with another, possibly equally talented one.

Udinese were defeated by the resilient Empoli 2-1 at their home stadium, a poor return after defeating Juventus to start their season off. Moving onto Ali Adnan it was relatively easier in terms of direct opponents when playing against a 4-3-1-2 as he is a single wing back on his flank. Yet this still limited his ability to push on and become a winger-like menace in attack, as he looked like more of a supporting wide midfielder.

That is unlike Ali Adnan who was dubbed the “Asian Gareth Bale” but it will undoubtedly take time for him to fully adapt to his usual role at Udinese. One thing to note is that Udinese’s 2nd goal was due to their attacker finding space in between Adnan and his partnering left centre back to score.

Adnan is facing tough tasks defensively, where he started off his season defending the marauding Stephan Lichsteiner and now still faces the challenges of the central wingers and fullbacks of the Serie A.

Mahmoud Dahoud (Borussia Monchengladbach (GER), Syria)

Time will tell if Mahmoud Dahoud will be lucky or not this season. Lucien Favre has left his job after the loss to Koln, and he was the man to bring him into the first team on a permanent basis. Andre Schubert – Gladbach U15 coach – has taken over at interim manager and if he has had any history coaching Dahoud it will no doubt be a good turning point for the Syrian-born midfielder.

He may see more games alongside Granit Xhaka and replace Nordveidt or Stindl, who haven’t looked exactly superb this season. Dahoud will now experience tough times at the club, which will no doubt enhance his mental ability as a footballer.

Ironically it was in his first start for Gladbach that saw the departure of Favre post-match, but Dahoud has made history in this appearance that sees him as the only Syrian player currently in the league. The first, if I am not mistaken. Dahoud is a calm player in midfield as you’ll read in our scout report, as he had a 96% pass accuracy with the capability of keeping the ball under pressure and in tight spaces; no mean feat.
The only area he lacks in is the physical sense where he is not fast nor strong enough to overpower opponents but his understanding of the game, technique and ability will definitely help Gladbach’s surprisingly lacklustre midfield. Understandable in some sense as a very tough season for Gladbach last year saw them grab a Champions League place yet now they suffer with a bitter taste after the departure of Favre. Time for Dahoud to grasp his chance and become hero of the team?

MIDDLE EASTERNERS ABROAD #2

Hamoudi — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 09:32:28 +0000

Welcome to our 2nd edition of #MiddleEasternersAbroad, where we look at all of the players with Middle Eastern origins and their ongoings at their clubs outside of the region. Read Part One.

Austria

Another Qatari duo played this week in Almoez Ali and Assim Madibo for LASK Linz in the Austrian First Division. This is another instance in where Qatari players are being sent out to play in Europe, in what we believe is a brilliant strategy for developing players in substantial conditions that can help them become mentally prepared for their future. This will help Qatar create players who want to move abroad and experience the best coaches, various players and challenges across the surface of Europe.

Almoez Ali came on after 59 minutes while Assim Madibo entered the fray a quarter of an hour later in a match that LASK Linz was on the end of a 2-1 loss – their first this season. Both players were part of the U-20 World Cup and have been tested well enough as of yet. Ones to look out for.

Germany

News in Syrian football has been booming this week with Al-Jaish grabbing the title with a late winner while Al-Wahda clinched the Syrian Cup just a couple of days ago. Not only that, but Syria U-16 star and refugee Mohammad Jaddoua is on the verge of a move to Borussia Dortmund according to Syria U-16 goalkeeper William Ghannam, which brought cheers from Syrians across Facebook and various news outlets.

And despite being on the verge of a 4-0 drubbing, Mahmoud Dahoud came on for Borussia Monchengladbach in what was his second outing for the Champions League side. Is it time that we see Syrian players resurface onto the map? Well, with the influx of Syrian players to the Jordanian, Iraqi and Saudi league alongside the likes of youngsters coming through the German ranks, it is a sign for Syria’s footballing future.

Mahmoud Dahoud.

England

Our four representatives in England look set to be Shwan Jalal (Macclesfield), Yaser Kasim (Swindon Town), Reza Ghoochannejhad (Charlton) and Ali Al-Habsi (Reading) for the 2015/16 season.
Shwan Jalal was present in a 2-1 win over Welling Utd while Reza Ghoochannejhad could only make the bench despite scoring for Charlton mid-week in the Capital One Cup. As Sina Saemian mentions in our podcast, Reza may leave Charlton mid-season permanently. His goal.

Ali Al-Habsi returned to the bench as league action returned, despite his performance in the Capital One Cup mid-week. Finally, Yaser Kasim created a goal for Swindon Town this week, in a 2-2 draw against Bury:

(3rd goal of the game comes after Yaser’s assist).

Portugal

Saeed Al-Muwallad, who is involved in one of the most controversial moves this summer, is still waiting for documentation to play for Farense. After leaving Al-Ittihad without permission to become a “professional” in Portugal, he is yet to make his first team appearance despite being pictured in Farense clothing.

Saeed Al-Muwallad and Osama Rashid.

Nevertheless, Osama Rashid was part of the game in where Farense grabbed their first 3 points of the season with a 2-0 win. Rashid, who partners Al-Muwallad as #MiddleEasternersAbroad has been involved in the first few games for Farense.
Anibal Capela of Palestinian origin was involved in a 3-3 draw between Belenenses and Rio Ave. Capela started at centre back for Rio Ave, who are currently in the Portuguese Primeira.

Anibal Capela.

Belgium

Mohammad Ghadir, an Arab-Israeli player, started for Lokeren in the Belgian Pro League while another Arab-Israeli player in Hatem Abdulhamed could only make the bench for KAA Gent. Lokeren defeated Mechelen 2-0, in a game that Ghadir will definitely be proud to be a part of as he starts his rise.

Mohammad Ghadir.

Denmark
How could we miss out on Ahmed Yasin? He scored his first goal for AGF Aarhus despite losing 3-2, but what a fine goal it was. We are hoping that we get to see more of the same from the Iraqi international.

(once again, video thanks to the great page @IraqiProPlayers)

China
Lebanon’s famous captain Roda Antar is currently being eased out of the Hangzhou Greentown team as they aim to avoid relegation (currently 2 points safe from the red zone), while Morteza Pouraliganji is getting games for Tianjin, making his 20th appearance for the team this past week. Tianjin are on 22 points, on par with the relegation battlers Guangzhou R&F.

The Best of the Rest

Ali Adnan started for Udinese in a 3-1 win over Novara, as they progress through the Italian Cup. (video by @IraqiProPlayers)

Moreover, Philippe Paoli came on as a late substitute for Lommel United as they drew 1-1 with Geel.

Sardar Azmoun enjoyed minutes for Rostov in 1-1 draw.

Steven Beitashour grabbed an assist for Vancouver Whitecaps, despite losing 4-3 to Sporting Kansas City in what was a very harsh defeat that saw SKC turn the score around in the final 10 minutes of the game; the winner coming in the 94th minute. (Beitashour assists the second goal, a beautiful cross).

What else is news? Dhurgham Ismail signs for Rizespor to replace Ali Adnan, on a 5-year deal. He leaves Iraq-based club Al-Shurta, in a very promising move endorsed by millions of Iraqi people. After a brilliant Asian Cup tournament where we saw him take the first team spot at left back, we are very optimistic about his rise and adventure into Europe.

photo by @IraqiProPlayers

MIDDLE EASTERNERS ABROAD #1

Hamoudi — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 09:34:01 +0000

Hello and welcome to our newest series here on AhdaafME. We are looking at all the Middle Easterners plying their trade OUTSIDE of the Middle East. So for example, the transfer Mo’ayyad Khalid (Iraq) to Al-Nahda (Oman) would result in the media calling him a “professional” and #IraqiAbroad. The exact situation occurred when Younis Mahmoud was at Al-Wakrah or Ali Karimi at Al-Ahli, however we will have a new version of this “professional player” series.

Anyone who is currently playing for a club outside of the Middle East – of course because our page looks at football in the region itself – will be involved in our series. So for the first week of our season, let’s crack on to who, where and when these players played.

So without further ado, let us begin with the 1st Edition!

ENGLAND

Iraq are renowned to have dual nationality (and Iraqi international) players plying their careers outside their local league, where the same cannot be said about the wealthy Gulf nations in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar. With the commencement of the 2015/16 English Football season, Yaser Kasim started at Swindon Town where they defeated Bradford City 4-1. A devastating loss to Preston North End in the fight for the final play-off spot last season sparked rumours that Kasim would leave, however here we see him starting once again for the The Robins in great form.

Kasim was not the only Iraqi featuring in the opening day for England with lower league goalkeeper Shwan Jalal signing for Macclesfield just a day before his debut against Torquay. An unfortunate 1-0 loss for Shwan Jalal, who is hopefully expecting a Iraq National team call-up. His experience in England is key.

SWEDEN

Allan Mohideen and Peiman Eliassi – both eligible for Iraq – of Ljungskile enjoyed a back to back encounter with Sirius Club in the Superettan (Swedish Second Division). A 3-3 draw that saw Mohideen go off at ‘60 for Eliassi (the irony) saw the latter score a late equaliser for Ljungskile to keep them at bay in 8th place after Eliassi himself returned from injury. Ljungskile are now 7 points off the promotion spots yet they are the exact distance away from the relegation spots, mind.

VIDEO OF GOAL

181 fans saw Angelholms win their 3rd in a row against Ustikten BK, where Iraqi duo Zein Al-Abideen Latif and Rebin Assad started for the former in their bid to avoid relegation. Also based in the Superettan, Angelholms are mired in the relegation battle.

IFK Norkopping only finished with 36 points after 30 games last season, narrowly avoiding relegation from the Allsvenskan (Swedish 1st tier). This year saw them wake up and take the league by storm, currently in 2nd place with 38 points after 19 games. Rawiz Lawan (Iraq) featured in the last 12 minutes for them, making that his 14th (13th substitute) appearance of the season. Will he feature if Norkopping qualify for the Europa League?

Moving away from Iraq but still in Sweden, Mohammad Ali Khan of Lebanese descent played the full game for Halmstads – a team fighting to avoid relegation – not unusual as it is his 19th start of the season. The aspiring Lebanese international looks to avoid relegation, thus keeping his team in the top tier of Sweden.

Assyrian striker Andreas Haddad started for Assyriska in a 2-0 loss to Jonkoping, moving them away from the promotion spots of the Swedish First Division.

Norway

In his first game for his new team, he came on for 16 minutes to thwart his former team’s (Fredrikstad)’s chances of winning against Kristiansund. Rozhat Sheswari (you guessed it, eligible for Iraq) made his debut against his former club as they were defeated 1-0. What a way for Sheswari to start at his new club! This pushed Fredrikstad further into the danger zone as Kristiansund moved up the table into 7th (Norwegian 2nd tier), a smart transfer move by Sheswari?

USA

Well-known Justin Meram featured in the last quarter of an hour in Columbus Crew’s win over Colorado Rapids, moving 2 points behind NY Red Bulls in the MLS Conference Semi-Final spot (2nd place in the Eastern Conference). This was his 22nd appearance for Crew in 2015.

COLUMBUS AND IRAQ FANS CHEERING ON JUSTIN

Steven Beitashour, a veteran in American football at right back played the full 90 for Vancouver Whitecaps. Beitashour, who played for Iran more than 5 times, helped the Whitecaps to a 4-0 win keeping them 2nd in the overall MLS League table.

Belgium

Mohammad Ghadir at Lokeren, saw 44 valuable minutes as a substitute come by in a 0-0 draw with Kortrijk coming in the 3rd week of the Belgian Pro League. The Palestinian / Isreali player made his debut as a new signing for the Belgian outfit.

An unused sub against Belgian Champions RSC Anderlecht, Hatem Abdulhamid was also a new Palestinian / Israeli signing in the Belgian Pro League for KAA Gent. He previously got to play against Genk, albeit as a late substitute.

Qatari duo Akram Afif and Ahmad Moein were called up to the Qatar Senior national team for the first time, deservedly. Their time at AS Eupen has seen them develop in the Belgian 2nd tier in attacking midfield and central midfield respectively. Fahad Ali Al-Abdulrahman played 86 minutes for Eupen in 1-0 win despite not getting called up to the squad. Moein didn’t feature in the opening week, however Eupen gained 3 points as a result of Akram Afif’s magic:

AKRAM AFIF SCREAMER

Lebanon’s representative in Belgium, former Lyon and Koln II striker Philippe Paoli made his full debut in a 3-1 win against KSK Heist for his new club: Lommel United. United, who very nearly made the Belgian Pro League, will definitely look to challenge for promotion once again.

Rest of Europe

Lebanese International Joan Oumari and second tier side FSV Frankfurt made it through into the next round of the German Cup as they eased past Berlin Dynamo away from home.

“The Asian Gareth Bale” Ali Adnan made his (unofficial) start for Udinese in a 2-0 loss against Granada – in what was dubbed the ‘Pozzo Family Derby’.

A man written into Palestine’s history books – Jaka Ihbeisheh – played for his new club Rudar in an unfortunate 2-2 draw.

Palestinian Anas Sharbini came off the back of a poor game in Croatia for Rijeka, meanwhile Iraqi player Osama Rashid made his league debut for Farense in a 1-0 defeat to Viseu.

Unused Substitutes this week

Govend Haidar – Iraq – Degerfors

Sherko Kareem – Iraq – Grasshoppers

Rebin Sulaka – Iraq – Syrianska

‘the first Iraqi in Italy’s Calcio’: Udinese’s new terzino sinistro Ali Adnan makes his bow in Lienz

Hassanin Mubarak — Sun, 19 Jul 2015 08:30:22 +0000

The 21-year-old from the Baghdad district of Adhammiya is a long way from home (2,933 km from the Iraqi capital to be exact) and in the serene surroundings of the open air Dolomiten Stadion at a pre-season friendly with German side FC Ingolstadt 04 in the Austrian town of Lienz, Ali Adnan made his entrance as ‘the first Iraqi in Italy’s Calcio’.

No die-hard Iraqi fan wanted to miss his long awaited debut with thousands tuned into the Italian club’s own channel for a glimpse of the Iraqi defender in his new club colours. The player even had a small band of Iraqi fans – flying the national flag – who found themselves in the Austrian mountains in the town of Lienz cheering him on, in his first game since his move to Italy, constantly heard shouting words of support such as “Come on Abu Hussein,” as he made his way down the left flank throughout his opening first half appearance.

Ali Adnan appeared in the unaccustomed yellow of Udinese for the first time – in the No.4 that he made his name in his first steps in the Iraqi league with Nadi Baghdad – but he certainly didn’t look out of place, in a starting line-up which featured club captain Antonio “Totò” Di Natale and Brazilians Danilo and Edenilson and the Iraqi had a few moments in his 45 minutes that will give encouragement to both his new coach and the Udinese ultras for the coming season.

As widely circulated even before to his arrival in Udine, Ali Adnan will play on the left of the new coach’s 3-5-2 formation, a position that the Iraqi is familiar with and one that will get the best out of him, with his praised attacking qualities, often robust and enthusiastic in his marauding runs down the left, far outstretching his somewhat weaker defensive abilities. This position gets the best out of Ali Adnan.

Udinese had a decent first half, creating three chances, with Ali Adnan a key protagonist in those opportunities on the goal of the Bundesliga’s newcomers FC Ingolstadt.

In the 21st minute the Udinese crowd got their first sight of one of the Iraqi’s main traits, his crossing, when his left wing ball found its target but Udinese attacker Cyril Théréau headed high and over the bar. Then thirteen minutes later from almost the exact position out on the left – with a slight suspicion of handball after controlling the ball – Ali laced his cultured left foot around the ball which once again found its target in the penalty box but the same forward was unable to take advantage of the knocked down ball from the head of “Totò” Di Natale.

In the 44th minute Ali Adnan received the biggest cheer of the game when his captain Di Natale back heeled the ball to the player positioned on the left of the goal but his effort, without any real power or venom behind it, was easily collected by FC Ingolstadt’s Norwegian goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland. Moments later the referee blew the whistle to end the first half – some 25 seconds early – and it sounded the end of Ali Adnan’s first appearance for Udinese.

It appears that the Udinese allenatore Stefano Colantuono will use Ali Adnan as a left wing back in a 3-5-2 – which were the early reports that were coming out from both the Italian media and Udinese’s sports director Cristiano Giarretta. Ali Adnan will play as a terzino d’ala or terzino fluidificante, a wing back or overlapping full back.

Ali playing his first pre-season game, after missing the Italian’s opening friendly with Schalke 04 after he suffered a slight muscle strain in training before the match in Klagenfurt, seemed fairly comfortable out on the left. Though the Iraqi did look a slight flat footed (when in defensive positions) and a tad slow, a concern with the player weighing 83 kilograms (something he claims is normal for him) but is obviously carrying a little extra weight, however it is still early days in the Friuli outfit’s pre-season training and Ali Adnan will certainly be in better shape once the new Serie A season kicks off in late August.

From the first observations of his first game in Lienz of the position Ali Adnan has been asked to play, it looks like the people at Udinese and the new coach see that they can get the best out of Ali Adnan by playing him in the same place he thrived in at the 2013 World Youth Cup for the Iraqi shabab but that overlapping left wing back position is one that will need a fit Ali Adnan. There is still a question mark on whether he can handle the vastly tactical and defensive game of the Italian Serie A, compared to the type of football, he was playing in the Iraqi league or last season with Rizespor in Turkey. It is only his first game, a first forty-five minutes but the Iraqi left back is making gradual progress with Udinese

In the second half, for the people who had their vision of the game obscured by the large white and black Udinese flags, Ali Adnan didn’t come out for the second forty-five as Colantuono changed the complete starting eleven but the Bianconeri fans and the player would be happy with his first display in the unfamiliar yellow of Udinese.

Ahmed Yasin: Right time to move on for the ÖSK Talent

Hassanin Mubarak — Sun, 05 Jul 2015 11:46:57 +0000

The summer of 2015 looks to be a cross-roads in the football careers of Iraq’s top young talents, Ali Adnan is looking forward to his new adventure in Italy’s Serie A in Udine, Osama Rashid will be getting out his Portuguese phrasebook as he attempts to tackle a new language and a league with Segunda Liga side Sporting Clube Farense, English-based Yaser Kasim has made it clear that he’s looking for new pastures away from the City Ground, and then there is Ahmed Yasin in the Swedish Allsvenskan, who agreed on a move to the Danish Superliga with newly promoted AGF Aarhus.

At 24, this opportunity has come at the perfect moment for the Iraqi winger. Tight-lipped on his next move for the past few weeks while holidaying in London, with six months running on his contract and linked to a host of clubs in Sweden, Holland and the Middle East. His new home AGF Aarhus and Ceres Park could be the right setting for the exciting footballer to launch him to another level.

However while his footballing brothers have experienced playing football in leagues all over the world, from Greece, Iceland, Syria to the Iraqi league, this will be the player’s first venture abroad.

The Örebro SK Talent

The Iraqi international has always shown the natural ability from an early age. He made his debut for Iraq in 2011 but I had known of him long before then. I first heard of the name Ahmed Yasin eleven years ago when his brother asked me to contact former Iraq international defender Sharar Haidar when he was living in London to try and find his 13-year-old brother Ahmed a club in England, believing that it would benefit him in his career. It was during Iraq’s tour of England and at the time an article circulating in the Iraqi sports press revealed that Sharar was a coach at Fulham FC. However after a brief conversation outside The Hawthorns, I came to discover that he was actually just a community coach, but I insisted he take the phone number to contact the player’s family and see if he can get him a trial. History tells you that nothing came of it.

But the player nicknamed ÖSK-talang or ‘the Örebro SK Talent’ found his own way to play at the top level, grafting it at BK Forward before he returning to his true home at the Eyravallen, where he was a youth player and where his three elder brothers had begun their careers.

Ahmed Yasin Ghani Mousa is the youngest of four footballing brothers. He had been playing football from the age of five looking up to his brothers, Salar, Araz and Zeid who, like their younger sibling, had all played for Örebro SK, where Ahmed started playing his youth football.

His family had lived on the famous Palestine Street in the Iraqi capital, but had first left Baghdad for Sweden in 1987 at the near end of the Iraq-Iran War. A year after the war ended, the Yasin family returned to their home on Palestine Street believing that their future lay in Iraq but less than 18 months later Iraq was dragged into another war with the US and its allies after Saddam ordered the invasion of Kuwait and the following year, the Yasin family left Iraq for the final time.

Back home

Ahmed Yasin was born in Baghdad on April 22, 1991 and was only one, when he and his family moved to Sweden. He joined BK Forward in 2007 at the age of sixteen, where his eldest brother Salar was a coach for one of their youth teams. He broke into the first team in 2009 and made a total of 42 appearances scoring seven goals for the club and even captained the club’s futsal team to the 2010 Mariedal Cup, where he netted two goals in the final.

Soon he returned to hometown club Örebro SK in 2010 and his career has gone from strength to strength, setting a target each year and reaching it by the end of the season. When he first joined Örebro SK , it took the talented winger a while to settle in the first team and in his first season he made only four brief substitute appearances, a total of 54 minutes of football! He broke into the first team half-way through the 2011-12 season in the Allsvenskan starting eleven matches. However the club were relegated into the second tier of Swedish football, Superettan but rather than obstructing his career, the stint in the second division was the making of the player. Ahmed was a key factor in the team’s promotion back to the top flight, appearing 29 times, scoring 6 goals and assisting for seven goals as he became a regular on the right wing under the now departed Per-Ola Ljung, the man who gave him his start at the club.

Since then Ahmed Yasin has become one of the Swedish club’s best players. Last season he played 29 games out of 30 in the Allsvenskan, scoring 2 goals and assisting for 5 goals, and so far this season he has started each of Örebro’s 13 league games, a major reason why the Swedish club were keen to keep hold of him for next season.

Move to Denmark

But with only six months left on his contract, the ambitious player and his agent think it’s time to move on, Ahmed and Örebro SK have taken each other as far as they can. The Swedish club, who finished sixth last season, are not considered one of Sweden’s top sides, a selling club who lost a host of their best players to bigger clubs in Sweden and Europe prior to their last relegation to the Superettan and if Ahmed wants to become a better footballer and play at a top level, the attacking winger has to be challenging himself at a better standard of football than what ÖSK are currently offering. It’s become too easy for him at Örebro SK where he’s one of the first names on the team sheet, his career could stagnate, if it hasn’t already, if he stays, with ÖSK, a club teetering on the brink of either playing in the second tier next season or facing any season struggling in the Allsvenskan. As I see it, signing another contract with Örebro SK wouldn’t have benefited the player in the slightest, he’s reached the end of his development with the club and if he wants to improve his overall game, this is the right time to make that move.

Ahmed Yasin with AGF´s sport director, Jens Andersson after signing a deal on June 29. The contract agreement begins from January 1st 2016 but the player may join in the summer if AGF are able to agree a compensation fee with Örebro SK.

The player’s agent Patrick Mörk described the Danish Superliga as “the strongest league in Scandinavia” and the offer as the most interesting for his client. AGF Aarhus and the Danish league is a new challenge, a higher level of football, and it brings a whole range of possibilities, and perhaps see Ahmed move to one of Europe’s major leagues in the next few years, which is the player’s ultimate goal.

How time has changed from that sunny day in West Bromwich in 2004, today Sharar Haidar is vice president of the Iraq Football Association while Ahmed Yasin is a regular in the Iraqi national team, participated at the Gulf Cup and the Asian Cup and set to play in the Danish Superliga. Expect to hear more from the ÖSK Talent in the future, with AGF and the Iraqi Lions.

ALI ADNAN: First Iraqi in Italy’s Serie A

Hassanin Mubarak — Fri, 03 Jul 2015 14:08:23 +0000

Ali Adnan became the first Iraqi footballer to sign for a club in Italy’s Serie A when Udinese Calcio bought the Iraqi left back from Turkish side Çaykur Rizespor for a reported €2.2 million Euros. The Bianconeri’s new signing was presented to the media at a press conference at the Friuli Stadium today. Here is the player’s full statement to the Italian media.

Why did you chose to come to Italy and Udinese?

Firstly I like to thank them (the Udinese fans) for all their love. The Italian league is a great league. Udinese is a good team at a world level. I’m very happy to be at the big club like Udinese and at the same time I’m proud that I will be the first Iraqi to play in Italy.

There is particular interest from the media as your the first Iraqi in Italy, do you feel the pressure?

Of course, I’m the first Iraqi to play in Italy and for this reason, I have to give a level that is worthy of the name of my country. I hope that I will succeed and give something great to this club.

What do you know about Italian football?

Italian football is rich in history and is a football giant. I’m sure that everyone in the world watches the Italian league. The league has great players and clubs, so it’s on me to give a great level to reach that standard.

You were close to coming to the Italian league after an offer from AS Roma?

There was an offer that came from Roma but it didn’t transpire that I move to Roma because I was contracted with Rizespor. Roma is a great club and I respected this offer a lot.

How to you reconcile your commitment as a soldier for your country while playing football?

First thing is that I’m not serving in the Iraqi Army, I only did a TV advert, myself and the Iraqi national coach. I did an advert that took up only one or two hours of my time. After that the matter ended. I’m very proud that I can help my country.

Did you train with the Iraqi Army?

No, I only took part (in an advert), there was a big television channel, and we only did an advert to say that we all should support the Iraqi Army, not for money, just to stand with it. In the advert we say that someone has to support the Iraqi Army.

Are you better in a back four or a back five in defence or in midfield?

First thing I say is that the coach has to decide (where I play). I have the ability to play in any position and I’m ready to serve this team in any position I play. I play at left back.

Are you aware of the pressures that there will be on you, as other foreigners find it difficult to adjust to the game in Italy?

I have an idea about the Italian league, at first level, my job is as a defender. So of course, I will defend and then think about attacking.

What are your expectations?

I hope to give a good level so to reach a better standard because this is a great team, the team of Udinese.

Are you aware of how much passion is pouring out on social networks?

Firstly, I thank all the supporters that support me, if they were in Iraq or in Italy or the Arab world, I thank them a lot. What happened was when the news broke in Iraq (of the transfer), when they entered Udinese’s page on Facebook, they wrote a lot of nice words but in the Arabic language. (Speaking to his translator) Tell them when I learn Italian I will comment in Italian.

You want to give a new view to the concept of Iraq that is not related to war and what does your family think about you coming to Italy?

Firstly I’m a footballer so regarding politics, I don’t get involved in politics. I hope to honour my country well and in honour. I came to Italy to change the view of the Iraqi youth in Italy and I’m very proud that I’m from a sports family and I wish to aide my family firstly and then my country.

On your personal Facebook page you have a photo of (Udinese’s captain and record goalscorer) Antonio Di Natale a striker. Is there any striker you would like to come up against?

Di Natale is a great player and I wish him all the best in his life, I’m personally a big fan. For sure I have the ability to play against any forward in the world because at the moment as a player I’ve been able to reach an advanced level. I think at this club I think I will give a very good standard and I don’t have any problem coming up against any forward.

Is there a defender who inspires you and mould your game on?

Roberto Carlos is a player that is world class, one of the best and for this reason I chose to base myself on a player like him.

Do you think you can open the door for other players Iraqis to play in Italy?

For sure being the first player (from Iraq) will change the view of the Iraqi player (in Italy) and Iraq possesses very good players and I think in the future there will be players at a world level, in Italy or the world.

What difficulties do you think you’ll face in the Italian league?

I think this question is too premature for me to answer. The league hasn’t started yet but I think during the games I’ll play, that you will see, I will try and give a very good level and I don’t think I’ll face any problems (in playing in Italy).

What about your private life and family?

I’m not married. My family is well known in Iraq, there are nine or ten people in my family, it is a big family. I have three sisters and four brothers and my mother and father, and my sisters are married and two of my brothers are married and it’s me left (to marry).

Is there anyone of your brothers who is a footballer?

My older brother use to play football but had a problem and had an operation on his leg and my younger brother also plays football but he’s still a little bit young. He’s 18 years old.

The player ended with five words in Italian, a message to the Udinese fans “Ciao Tutti di tifosi Udinese mandi.” He pronounced tutti as Totti!

After an ineffective season in Turkey, what next for Ali Adnan?

Hassanin Mubarak — Sun, 31 May 2015 14:20:15 +0000

Scarcely milliseconds before the black ink is dry on a preliminary deal between Rizespor and Udinese, Iraqi football fans from the player’s home district of Adhammiya in Baghdad to neighbouring Kadhimiya, to Arbil, Samarra, Najaf and Basra to Edgware Road in London and Dearborn, Michigan are envisaging the Iraqi left back trotting onto the pitch at the Stadio Friuli in the black and white jersey of Udinese.

This is what the Iraqi football community have long been waiting for, an Iraqi international playing in one of the world’s top leagues. Whether he’ll be wearing the black and white jersey of the Bianconeri in Serie A or in La Liga for the Nazaríes of Granada Club de Fútbol next season, this will be a major step up for the boy from Adhammiya and a chance for him to put his troubled 2014-2015 campaign in the Black Sea Region of Turkey behind him and turn a new page in his career.

A season to forget at Rizespor

The 2014-15 season isn’t one Ali Adnan will back with any fondness. He was a shadow of the dominating left footed juggernaut of a footballer the world observed at the 2013 World Youth Cup which persuaded the owners of newly promoted Çaykur Rizespor to tie him down to a five year-contract worth $650,000 US. The player claimed in an Iraqi television interview that he had been recommended to the club by the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a semi-professional footballer himself whose family originated from Rize.

Ali Adnan (right) playing for Rizespor against Besiktas.

The player’s agent Najim Mohammed along with his family decided that the north-east Turkish cirty of Rize was the best place for him, even though there were other more lucrative offers reportedly from Seville, Livorno, Galatasaray, and Nice on the table. But what may have tipped the scale in Rizespor’s favour was its good relationship with the Iraqi FA and more importantly that the club allowed for his close family to reside with him during his stay in Rize.

In his first season in Turkey, Ali was a first team regular at Rizespor making 31 appearances in the Turkish league as the club finished 13th and avoided relegation. The Iraqi was in 32 of the club’s 34 league squads, missing one game through suspension while only once being excluded from the match day squad. Ali managed to score 3 goals and assisted 9 goals, an impressive tally for a left back in his first season.

But while people at the club saw development in the defender in his debut year, that growth spurt seemed to have stunted this season especially after he felt his national duty and allegiance to national coach Hakim Shaker, his former youth coach, was more important than his professional responsibilities with Rizespor. It had all begun so well for him after starting two of the club’s opening league games at home to Genclerbirligi and away to Besiktas, both matches Rizespor drew 1-1.

However his decision to fly to Incheon to play for the Iraqi Under 23s at the Asian Games implied to his club manager that his heart was not fully with the Rize team, but despite missing crucial league games to Mersin Idmanyurdu, Bursapor and Eskisehirspor, two of which the club lost. Ali returned to the starting line-up after leading Iraq’s Under 23s to bronze in South Korea. He started against Balikesirspor, Sivasspor and then came that fateful game at home to Kayseri Erciyesspor, that was ultimately the start of his spiral down the pecking order at the club. In the 27th minute of that match, Ali Adnan was red-carded and missed the next game away to Fenerbahçe allowing him to fly off early for the Gulf Cup in Riyadh.

He returned after his suspension at home to Basaksehir but limped off after only 28 minutes and wasn’t in the match day squad for the following defeat with Kasımpaşa and lasted 82 minutes in the 3-1 defeat to Karabükspor before he was hauled off. That defeat, the club’s fifth successive loss in the league, resulted in the sacking of manager Mehmet Özdilek – the man that had given Ali his debut and that decision all but called time on his career at Rizespor.

The new manager Hikmet Karaman benched the Iraqi in his first game in charge away to Trabzonspor and handed the left back spot to Eren Albayrak and Ali struggled to have a look in from then on, with his excursion at the Asian Cup in Australia, clearly having not helped his situation. In 22 league matches under Karaman, Ali has made a mere three substitute appearances (amounting to just 65 minutes), named on the bench on 8 occasions and hasn’t been named in the last ten match day squads. Compared to last season where he was a first team starter, Ali only played 10 times in the Turkish league.

The Rizespor manager stressed Ali Adnan was “seen as a formidable player on television” but had only seen a few aspects of his game and on the defensive side there was need for what he called “self-development.”

It has been a difficult season for the left back with several articles of his alleged lack of professional attitude in training. A report on March 3 from Turkish website Ajans53.com claimed the Iraqi defender “haunted” by his weight gain, was reluctant to do any vigorous training and his private life was “extremely fast” and noted by his neighbours to be “passionate”.

Ali denied the rumours and claimed that he had attempted to begin libel proceedings against the website but people told him that there was no need to take any legal action because the website was a small one and “wasn’t professional” and that they didn’t know who was writing for them!

This wasn’t the only story in the Turkish press which circulated in March, Karadeniz Gazete claimed through a waiter at a secluded café which the Iraqi defender often frequented as saying that the player, quoting the waiter “ lately often comes with various female friends, leaving a nice tip!”

An olive branch from Udine

Earlier this month, his Turkish club announced that the Iraqi defender wasn’t in the club’s foreseeable plans for next season but it seems that despite a season warming the bench and his weight gain (discussed by the Iraqi coaching staff during their recent two friendly internationals with DR Congo), the talented former graduate from Ammo Baba’s Football School is still in high demand.

Ali has matured in these last two seasons in Rize, he’s no longer the shy and startled looking schoolboy presented to the Turkish media at his unveiling press conference on signing for Rizespor in the summer of 2013, nor is he alien to top flight European football, experiencing the scorching and vibrant welcome of home fans at top clubs in the Turkish league and shouldn’t be overawed to what either La Liga or Serie A has to offer in that regard.

But he has been out of shape for some time and even when he was performing so well for Rizespor, Ali did look around half a stone overweight. This has affected his overall game, looking a tad slower on the ball and while people will be reminded of his heroic, somewhat dogged match winning performance at the 2013 World Youth Cup, Ali hasn’t taken that aspect of his game that inch further.

The Italian club Udinese Calcio of businessman Giampaolo Pozzo, who also owns two other football clubs, Granada CF in Spain and Watford FC in England, have been known for a taking a chance on talented footballers, with the likes of Oliver Bierhoff, Márcio Amoroso, Stephen Appiah, Sulley Muntari, Samir Handanović and Alexis Sánchez, just a few names who were given first team football and the opportunity to thrill spectators at Udinese’s Stadio Friuli and make their name at the top flight in Serie A since Pozzo took over in 1986, before making multi-billion Lira or million Euro move to bigger clubs.

Ali Adnan must believe in his own abilities if he wants to succeed at either Granada or Udinese and follow in the footsteps of of the likes of Bierhoff, Muntari or Alexis Sánchez. This is a whole different stage for the Iraqi.

The manner in which Ali carries himself and speaking of himself in the third person, some would say with a tinge of arrogance, will hold him in good stead over the next few years because it’s now that he experiences a whole new level of professionalism, and after an unproductive season in the 1st Süper Lig, the left back has to grasp this chance with both hands.

This dream opportunity is one that some of Iraq’s greatest and most talented football players including his uncle Ali Kadhim never had, and Ali Adnan has to get back into shape and work on his game if he wishes to reach another footballing plateau, to match the ‘Iraqi Gareth Bale’ tag branded about, this move should be considered a stepping stone for him and not his retirement home or pension. The player may feel that he has arrived at the top but this is only the start of a long road, Ali Adnan is no where near to what an all-round professional footballer should be, but he has all the physical attributes to succeed in Europe. But he has to keep his mind focused mentally, on training, on developing his game and the rest will come.

FRIDAY WITH… MOHAMAD KDOUH

Hamoudi — Fri, 15 May 2015 14:00:21 +0000

Hello, Mohamad. It is great to hear you making a transfer once again to a European team, this time to Scandinavia. Tell us, how did your “professional journey” begin from the point where you were at Nejmeh?

Mohamad Kdouh (right) celebrating behind Nejmeh legend Moussa Hojeij.

Hello, yeah it s a good step for the future. I started with Nejmeh at the age of 13. I played with all age groups and i had the chance to be the captain of team in all of them. I helped my team to win the under 14, and then the under 19, championships; these were the only championships that Nejmeh’s youth teams have achieved during the last 9 years, which is something i will always be proud of. At 17 i was a first team players and i played 3 seasons, then at 19 i launched my career abroad with Suduva, who purchased me from Nejmeh. My first season in Lithuania went very well, and i was chosen as the best young striker in the league, after i scored 10 goals in 31 games that i participated in.

How was the transfer from FK Suduva to FC Ilves conducted? How different are the negotiations from the Middle East compared to Europe?

Now this is my first season in Finland with FC Ilves, and the transfer came immediately after they watched the videos of my performance with Suduva. I was a free agent, which made the transfer smoother.

In Europe, the player’s statistics are very important and even the tiny details matter. In Middle East, on the other hand, the focus is more on CV rather than statistics.

How did you adjust and adapt to the new countries you play in?

The beginning is always tough, the manager, the coaches, the players and public are watching closely. This is why it’s very important to prove your presence in the training and to show your talent to gain the respect of everyone. And then during the matches you should help the team win so you can win the love of the people of the city in which you play. After that, everything becomes easier.

Ilves have just been promoted to the top tier in Finland, what has your manager indicated as objectives to consolidate the team in the first division? What are your objectives in Europe?

Mohammad Kadouh signs for Ilves.

Ilves’s purpose is to stay in the first division, while my personal goal is to move up to a better league theway i moved from Lithuania to Finland. The Finnish league is ranked higher than the Lithuanian by 10 ranks, according to Fifa.

You only could make the bench for one of Suduva’s games in the Europa League last season. What makes European games so special, even when you’re watching from the bench?

The Europa league qualifications always have a special taste that allows you to be in touch with other leagues and other styles of playing, and this is very important.

How are tactics and formations like in the areas you played in? How do they differ from Lebanon?

The privileges offered to the manager here are larger, so this normally means better work. Plus, here every line in the team has its own coach, whose job is to focus on every player and improve the details of his performance, which allows the player to improve much faster

Let’s talk about the Lebanese National team. The “professional” players have not been called up yet [the players outside of Lebanon], do you aim to play with Lebanon in the upcoming qualifiers?

The national team is yet to contact me, but i am always ready to represent my country, it’s an honor for any player.

Who have been your main helpers towards your goals? Did you speak with Dodo Yousef Mohammad or Roda Antar about their time in Europe?

My two brothers are the ones who helped me be where i am now, they looked over my career from its very beginning.

No i haven’t contacted Lebanese players abroad concerning their experience, but they are normally the role model for any Lebanese player, and i am doing my best to follow in their footsteps. However, the national team maybe helped them reach this far, which is something i haven’t yet. The national team has not helped me in my career yet, although it has helped other young Lebanese players.

Which Lebanese players have you kept in touch with over the last few years?

I have been in touch with Ali Fahes, a player who shared me my best days in Nejmeh, as well Mohamad “Aiker” Markabawi who enjoys a great talent.

Do you have any final words for the Lebanese footballing fan base watching on?

For the Lebanese fans, i thank them very much for their care, and for their efforts to demand me on the national team. I hope i will always make them proud.