Iraq national football team

Infobox National football team| Name = Iraq
Badge =Iraq_football_association.gif
FIFA Trigramme = IRQ
FIFA Rank = 77
1st ranking date = August 1993
FIFA max = 39
FIFA max date = October 2004
FIFA min = 139
FIFA min date = July 1996
Elo Rank = 57
Elo max = 24
Elo max date = December 1982
Elo min = 86
Elo min date = February 2006
Nickname = Lions of Mesopotamia
Asood Al Rafidain (اسود الرافدين)
Association = Iraq Football Association
Confederation = AFC (Asia)
Coach = Flagicon|Brazil Jorvan Vieira | Asst Manager = Flagicon|Iraq Rahim Hamid | Captain = Younis Mahmoud | Most caps = Hussein Saeed (126)
Top scorer = Hussein Saeed (63)| Home Stadium = Al Shaab Stadium (Baghdad)
Capacity = 45,000
Official website = www.iraqfootball.org
pattern_la1=_blackshoulders|pattern_b1=_whiteshoulders|pattern_ra1=_blackshoulders
leftarm1=FFFFFF|body1=FFFFFF|rightarm1=FFFFFF|shorts1=FFFFFF|socks1=FFFFFF| pattern_la2=_whiteshoulders|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=_whiteshoulders
leftarm2=008000|body2=008000|rightarm2=008000|shorts2=008000|socks2=177245

First game = Flagicon|Morocco Morocco 3 - 3 Iraq Flagicon|Iraq|1924 (Lebanon; October 19, 1957)
Largest win = Flagicon|Iraq|1963| Iraq 10 - 1 Bahrain Flagicon|Bahrain (Baghdad, Iraq; April 5, 1966)
| Largest loss = Flagicon|Turkey Turkey 7 - 1 Iraq Flagicon|Iraq|1959 (Turkey; December 6, 1959)
World cup apps = 1
World cup first = 1986
World cup best = Round 1, 1986
Confederations cup apps =
Confederations cup first =
Confederations cup best =
Regional name = AFC Asian Cup
Regional cup apps = 6
Regional cup first = 1972
Regional cup best = Champions, 2007

The Iraqi national football team ( _ar. منتخب العراق لكرة القدم) is the national team of Iraq and is controlled by the Iraq Football Association. They are the reigning champions of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

History

The Golden Generation

Iraqi football reached a peak in the 1970s and 1980s - Iraq qualified for the 1986 World Cup and the Olympic Games 3 times in Moscow, Los Angeles and Seoul. Iraq also won the 1982 Asian Games, the Arab Nations Cup 4 times, the Gulf Cup of Nations 3 times, and the 1985 Pan Arab Games fielding a B team. Iraq finished in 4th place in the 1976 AFC Asian Cup - the last Asian Cup Iraq would participate in until (1996).

The Dark Generation

During the rule of the government of Saddam Hussein, Saddam's son, Uday Hussein, was in charge of the Iraqi Olympic Committee and, by extension, the national football team. Under Uday's leadership, motivational lectures to the team included threats to cut off players' legs, while missed practices resulted in prison time and losses resulted in flogging with electric cable or baths in raw sewage, if penalites or an open goal was missed or own goals were scored then that person would have their feet whipped with thorns. [ [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/04/19/1050172797737.html Theage.com.au - The torturing] ] After the Gulf War, Iraq was banned from participating in the Asian Games and in most Arab competitions. In 1996 Iraq was ranked 139th in the world, the worst FIFA ranking in Iraqi football history.

Post war and successes

Despite the war in Iraq, the football team continued playing international tournaments with good results. In 2004, Iraq reached the quarterfinals of the 2004 AFC Asian Cup, as they had done in 1996 and 2000, and they then qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics. Iraq defeated Portugal, Costa Rica, and Australia, finally coming 4^th, winning the fair play award, and by the end of the year the 2004 AFC team of the year award. In 2005, Iraq won the Gold medal of the West Asian Games. In 2006, Iraq Olympic team won the Silver medal at the 2006 Asian Games. In 2007, Iraq won the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, and became the 2007 AFC team of the year, Al-Ahram's 2007 Arab team of the year, World Soccer Magazine's 2007 World team of the year [ [http://www.worldsoccer.com/Awards/index.php Worldsoccer.com - 2007 World team of the year] ] and were nominated for the Prince of Asturias Award. [ [http://www.kooora.com/default.aspx?showarticle=25138&obj=1000305 Kooora.com - Iraq nominated for the 2007 prince of Asturias award] ] . As a result of winning the 2007 Asian Cup, Iraq qualified for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Temporary Suspension

On May 26, 2008, FIFA provisionally suspended the Iraq Football Association from competition for one year, following a decision by the Iraqi government to disband the country's national sports federations. [ [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5itwDXGzhxKd9ukIANfo4S8vZkaaQD90T8JS80 FIFA provisionally suspends Iraq] , Associated Press, May 26, 2008.] However the decision was overturned by FIFA on May 29, 2008, since the Iraqi government reversed its earlier decision in dissolving the Iraq Football Association. [ [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/05/29/1211654201135.html Socceroos qualifier against Iraq to proceed] , The Age, May 29, 2008.]

Home and Difficulties

Iraq played their home games on neutral territory in the 80s due to the Iraq-Iran war, but still qualified to the 1986 World Cup and the Olympic Games 3 times in Moscow, Los Angeles and Seoul. In qualification for the 2002 World Cup, Iraq played at home against Iran, Bahrain, and Thailand in the Al Shaab Stadium in Baghdad. Saudi Arabia refused to play against the nation, protesting the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. Since 2003, the war in Iraq has forced Iraq to play their home matches in Jordan, Syria, Qatar or the UAE for security reasons, leading to significant transportation difficulties.

Kits

The home kit is white with black trim and the away kit is green with white trim. The trim runs from the collar down the shoulders and arms. The Iraq national football team is currently sponsored by Peak.

=World Cup record=

=2009 Confederations Cup=

Iraqis were the winners of the 2007 Asian Cup, defeating Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the final in Jakarta courtesy of a second half goal headed by Younis Mahmoud. As a result, Iraq will compete in the Confederations Cup in 2009 in South Africa, with the high possibility of a match against the United States, as both countries have qualified (seven of the past eight Confederations Cup tournaments had the North American champions and the Asian champions face each other in the first round).

=Olympic Games record=

col-2

Asian Games record

West Asian Games record

Afro-Asian Cup of Nations record

* The 2007 Asian Cup penalty shoot out against South Korea is considered a draw on this record.

Current Squad

Iraqi Football Association has dissolved the national soccer team and dismissed the coach on June 26, 2008. The Iraqi Football Association are to appoint a new coach, who will choose a new brand of Iraqi players. However it is stated that current members could make the new roster. [ [http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iTnCuTPKHE6kAL4kVqhqYzc9qqqQD91HQCLO0 Iraqi association dissolves soccer team] ]

quad Info

col-2

=FIFA Youth World Cup record=

Famous Players

* Abbas Obeid - "retired"
* Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail
* Adnan Derjal - "retired"
* Ahmed Radhi - "retired"
* Akram Emmanuel "retired"
* Ammo Baba - "retired"
* Basil Gorgis - "retired"
* Bassim Abbas
* Douglas Aziz - "retired"
* Emad Mohammed
* Falah Hassan - "retired"
* Habib Jaafar - "retired"
* Haidar Mahmoud
* Hawar Mulla Mohammed
* Husham Mohammed
* Hussein Saeed - "retired"
* Karim Saddam - "retired"
* Karim Mohammed Allawi - "retired"
* Khalil Mohammed Allawi - "retired"
* Laith Hussein - "retired"
* Mejbel Fartoos - "retired"
* Nashat Akram
* Noor Sabri
* Raad Hammoudi - "retired"
* Razzaq Farhan
* Thamer Yousif - "retired"
* Younis Mahmoud
* Youra Eshaya - "retired"

Trivia

* Iraq hold the Asian record for having scored in 27 consecutive matches between 1989 and 2001. [ fifa.com: [http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/asia/standings/group=250437/analysis.html Aussies face tough test] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.football-iraq.net football-iraq.net/ ]
* [http://www.iraq-football.net iraq-football.net/ ]
* [http://www.freewebs.com/iraqfc freewebs.com/Iraqfc]
* [http://www.iraqfc.webs.com iraqfc.webs.com]
* [http://www.niiis.com National & International Iraqi Information of Soccer]
* [http://www.fifa.com/associations/association=irq/index.html Iraqi national team on FIFA.com]