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Soccer Iraq
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Soccer Iraq is an English-language Iraqi news and social media agency providing a variety of news, statistics and services for Iraqi football, ranging from coverage on the Iraq national football team and its players to news on the Iraq Stars League.
Key Information
On 17 May 2021, Soccer Iraq partnered with Al-Shorta Sports Club to manage the club's official English-language social media profiles. On 17 May 2023, Soccer Iraq reached an agreement with the Iraq Football Association (IFA) to launch and administer new social media channels for the Iraq national football team.
History
[edit]Soccer Iraq launched on 11 March 2015 with the aim of creating an English-based website covering Iraq's national football team, the Lions of Mesopotamia,[1] as well as the domestic club competitions and the nation's foreign-based players.[2] In 2017, Soccer Iraq assisted the Iraq Football Association (IFA) in the process of verifying the IFA's official social media profiles.[3] In 2020, Soccer Iraq helped facilitate Safaa Hadi's move to the Russian Premier League by streamlining the communication of the Russian Football Union and PFC Krylia Sovetov with Al-Shorta SC regarding the completion of administrative procedures.[4]
Soccer Iraq has also been involved in research into the earliest league and cup tournaments played in Iraq.[5] Several current and former international players have regularly interacted with the website's posts on social media.[6][7][8][9][10] The website published several interviews since its launch – most recently with Gonzalo Rodríguez García, Osama Rashid, Mohannad Abdul-Raheem, Rebin Sulaka, Lorival Santos, Marin Ion, Justin Meram and Ali Adnan.[11]
Providing Information
[edit]Throughout the years, Soccer Iraq has provided information regarding the Iraqi game to many major news networks and has been relied on by news organisations around the world, such as International Business Times,[12] La Gazzetta dello Sport,[13] Marca,[14] L'Equipe,[15] Goal,[16][17] Al Jazeera,[18] ESPN FC,[19] Asian Football Confederation,[20][21] Diario AS,[22] Daily Mail, Daily Express,[23] Sport.ro,[24] Major League Soccer,[25] Panorama,[26] Mundo Deportivo,[27] The Washington Post,[28] The National,[29] Fox Sports,[30][31] Transfermarkt,[32] RT, Emarat Al Youm,[33] 90min.com,[34] SPORTbible,[35] Vancouver Whitecaps FC,[36] Tuttosport,[37] Sportskeeda,[38] Football Manager,[39] Telemundo Deportes,[40] Het Nieuwsblad,[41] Corriere dello Sport,[42] Le Matin,[43] Index.hr,[44] Bola,[45] Sport1,[46] L'essentiel,[47] Vanity Fair,[48] NOS,[49] Algemeen Dagblad,[50] Thanh Niên,[51] Siol,[52] La Nación,[53] NRC Handelsblad,[54] Cumhuriyet,[55] Al Akhbar,[56] Radiotelevizija Slovenija,[57] Kurir,[58] El Comercio,[59] La República,[60] El Liberal,[61] La Prensa,[62] Koran Sindo,[63] Žurnal24,[64] DV,[65] The New Arab,[66] TyC Sports,[67] Nova Sport 1,[68] HobbyConsolas[69] and Kurdistan 24.[70]
Partnerships
[edit]On 17 May 2021, Iraqi club Al-Shorta SC announced on its official website that it had partnered with Soccer Iraq to manage its English-language social media profiles and streamline its digital content across all accounts. The move came after Al-Shorta's participation in Asia's top club competition, the AFC Champions League, with the club appointing Soccer Iraq due to its "six years of experience in social media and digital marketing".[71] On 29 June 2021, Al-Shorta became the first Iraqi club to receive Twitter verification, through its English-language account.[72]
On 17 May 2023, Soccer Iraq reached an agreement with the Iraq Football Association (IFA) to launch and manage official English-language social media channels for the Iraq national football team, with the IFA commending the distinctive style of Soccer Iraq's body of work in digital media and its pioneering of English-language coverage of football in the country.[73] These were later transformed to become the official channels for the national team in both English and Arabic.[74]
Player of the Year
[edit]Soccer Iraq launched an Iraq Player of the Year award for the first time in 2021. Mohammed Qasim Majid won the inaugural award and was congratulated by his club.[75][76]
| Year | Rank | Player | Position | Points (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021[77] | 1st | Mohammed Qasim | Midfielder | 59.4 |
| 2nd | Fahad Talib | Goalkeeper | 19.6 | |
| 3rd | Ahmed Ibrahim | Defender | 10.6 | |
| 2022[78] | 1st | Jalal Hassan | Goalkeeper | 52.2 |
| 2nd | Aymen Hussein | Forward | 30.2 | |
| 3rd | Manaf Younis | Defender | 9.0 | |
| 2023[79] | 1st | Ibrahim Bayesh | Midfielder | 42.9 |
| 2nd | Ali Al-Hamadi | Forward | 38.2 | |
| 3rd | Merchas Doski | Defender | 5.0 | |
| 2024[80] | 1st | Aymen Hussein | Forward | 34.5 |
| 2nd | Zidane Iqbal | Midfielder | 27.2 | |
| 3rd | Ali Jasim | Forward | 14.0 | |
Goal of the Season
[edit]Soccer Iraq launched the first ever Goal of the Season competition for the Iraqi Premier League starting from the 2016–17 season.[81] Al-Zawraa midfielder Ali Raheem won the award in both of its first two seasons.[82] The award lasted for six seasons until it was succeeded by the "Iraq Stars League Goal of the Season" award from the 2023–24 season.[83][84]
| Season | Scorer | Nationality | For | Against | Stadium | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | Ali Raheem |  Iraq
|
Al-Zawraa | Al-Shorta | Al-Shaab Stadium | 10 May 2017 |
| 2017–18 | Ali Raheem | Iraq
|
Al-Zawraa | Al-Hussein | Al-Shaab Stadium | 30 May 2018 |
| 2018–19 | Mohanad Ali | Iraq
|
Al-Shorta | Al-Naft | Al-Shaab Stadium | 4 March 2019 |
| 2019–20 | Saad Abdul-Amir | Iraq
|
Al-Shorta | Al-Minaa | Al-Shaab Stadium | 7 March 2020 |
| 2020–21 | Joseph Nathaniel |  Nigeria
|
Al-Hudood | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | Al-Shaab Stadium | 13 February 2021 |
| 2021–22 | Alaa Abbas | Iraq
|
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | Al-Karkh | Al-Shaab Stadium | 20 October 2021 |
Team of the Decade
[edit]In late 2019, Soccer Iraq commemorated the end of the 2010s with the Soccer Iraq Team of the Decade which was voted for by fans over a two-month period via a series of Twitter polls. After several thousands of votes, 28 players were narrowed down to the final eleven and the team was revealed on 31 December 2019.[85] The selection of Mohanad Ali in the Team of the Decade was discussed by the official Asian Football Confederation broadcast during Iraq's match with Iran in 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.[86]
- 2010–2019[87]
| Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards |
|---|---|---|---|
References
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- ^ "Al-Zawraa v Al-Shorta: My experience of a Baghdad Derby". 24 September 2018.
- ^ "Iraq FA receives verification". 16 February 2017.
- ^ "More Than A Game: Football In Iraq". Sideline Scouted. 29 October 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
- ^ "لاول مرة .. تفاصيل أول بطولات الدوري وبطولة الكأس موسم 1948/1949". 31 July 2020.
- ^ "Al-Zawraa 2–1 Al-Samawa". 3 July 2018.
- ^ "Iraq will play Bahrain in the Gulf Cup semi-final on Thursday". 2 December 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26.
- ^ "Osama Rashid is off the mark in this season's Liga Portugal". 1 November 2019.
- ^ "Noor Sabri never lost a penalty shootout in his career". 18 July 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26.
- ^ "MUFC youngster Zidane Iqbal has obtained an Iraqi passport". 20 May 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26.
- ^ "Soccer Iraq – Interviews".
- ^ "Isis: Iraqi anti-Islamic State hero footballer Ali Adnan 'makes it to European football'". International Business Times. 24 June 2015.
- ^ "Ali Adnan, dal passaggio alla Roma alla guerra in Iraq". La Gazzetta dello Sport. 2014.
- ^ "Real Madrid supporters club in Iraq attacked by terrorists – 16 dead". Marca. 13 May 2016.
- ^ "Irak : le gardien Alaa Ahmed a joué le lendemain de la mort de son fils". L'Equipe.
- ^ "Long-range stunner beats 'keeper from 40-yards". Goal.
- ^ "สะเทือนเอเชียนเกมส์! อิรัก U16 ถูกจับได้โกงอายุ". Goal.
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- ^ "Car bomb explosion in Iraq kills youth national soccer team player". The Washington Post.
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- ^ "Iraq 'ready and able' to host international matches again". Fox Sports Asia. Archived from the original on June 6, 2017.
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- ^ "Iraker Ali vor Absage an Benfica, ManUnited & Juve: "Versuchen, ihn zu überzeugen"". Transfermarkt.
- ^ "بالفيديو: هدف عالمي في الدوري العراقي والمعلق: "هذا لا يحدث كل يوم"". Emarat Al Youm. 14 February 2021.
- ^ "World's Biggest Football Stadium Set to Be Built 'For Free' in Iraq With Reported 135,000 Capacity". 90min.com. 10 March 2018.
- ^ "Iraq's Bashar Resan Played Against Argentina On The Same Day His Mother Passed Away". SPORTbible. 12 October 2018.
- ^ "Adnan scores winner for Iraq in 2-1 win over Uzbekistan". Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
- ^ "Dall'Iraq: "Respinta l'offerta della Juventus per Mohanad Ali"". Tuttosport. 30 January 2019.
- ^ "Hong Kong vs Iraq prediction, preview, team news and more | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers". Sportskeeda. 9 June 2021.
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- ^ "Voetballers Irak offeren schaap en maken einde aan slechte reeks dankzij vier goals van één speler". Het Nieuwsblad. 11 October 2016.
- ^ "Vice-presidente Al-Shorta: "La Juventus segue il più grande talento dell'Iraq"". Corriere dello Sport. 11 April 2019.
- ^ "Il tait le décès de son bébé pour disputer un match". Le Matin.
- ^ "Tragedija iračkog golmana dirnula svijet: Dan nakon smrti sina igrao cijelu utakmicu, a onda se slomio". Index.hr.
- ^ "Anaknya Meninggal, Tangis Kiper Klub Irak Pecah di Akhir Laga". Bola.
- ^ "Keeper verschweigt Tod seines Babys". Sport1 (Germany).
- ^ "Il tait le décès de son bébé pour disputer un match". L'essentiel. 17 February 2018.
- ^ "La favola dei calciatori dell'Ostersund, che vincono grazie a letture, mostre e balletti". Vanity Fair. 27 October 2017.
- ^ "Barcelona en Benfica scoren niet • knotsgekke slotfase bij Young Boys-Atalanta". Nederlandse Omroep Stichting. 23 November 2021.
- ^ "Drie dagen in het spoor van Dick Advocaat bij Irak: 'Ik weet ook wel dat er vreselijke dingen zijn gebeurd'". Algemeen Dagblad.
- ^ "Các đối thủ cùng bảng tuyển Việt Nam chạy đà cho Asian Cup 2019". Thanh Niên. 25 December 2018.
- ^ "Srečko Katanec Iračanom: Nimam čarobne palice". Siol.
- ^ "La oferta irrisoria que hizo la Juventus por Mohanad Ali, la joven promesa del fútbol iraquí". La Nación. 31 January 2019.
- ^ Dupuy, Lisa (31 July 2021). "Dick Advocaat wordt bondscoach van Irak - NRC". NRC. NRC Handelsblad.
- ^ "Dick Advocaat, Irak Milli Takımı'nın başına geçti". Cumhuriyet. 31 July 2021.
- ^ "شاهد... هدف غريب في الدوري العراقي". Al Akhbar.
- ^ "Na derbiju Irak – Iran brez zadetkov". Radiotelevizija Slovenija.
- ^ "PENAL SERIJA O KOJOJ BRUJI SVET: Golman dobio crveni karton, igrač odbranio šut vredan Svetskog prvenstva". Kurir. 19 June 2023.
- ^ "Argentina goleó 4-0 a Iraq en la previa del partido ante Brasil en Arabia". El Comercio. 11 October 2018.
- ^ "Bolivia, en su último partido del 2018, igualó sin goles ante Irak". La República. 19 November 2018.
- ^ "Argentina – Irak: el doble caño iraquí, lo caída del línea y los "tronos" de los jugadores". El Liberal.
- ^ "Argentina golea 4-0 a Irak". La Prensa. 11 October 2018.
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- ^ "Mark ársins komið? – Þrumufleygur af löngu færi". DV. 14 February 2021.
- ^ "رسمياً.. هاكن السويدي يستعيد نجمه العراقي أحمد ياسين". The New Arab.
- ^ "Ahmed Radhi, la leyenda del fútbol iraquí, murió por coronavirus". TyC Sports. 21 June 2020.
- ^ "Nejlepší fotbalista v historii Iráku zemřel. Skolil ho koronavirus". Nova Sport 1.
- ^ "¡El incentivo definitivo! Promete una PS5 a cada jugador por ganar al máximo rival". HobbyConsolas. 7 January 2021.
- ^ "Players of Iraqi club abandon match after opposition fans' pro-Saddam chants". Kurdistan 24.
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- ^ "Al-Shorta SC account verified". Al-Shorta SC. 29 June 2021.
- ^ "Soccer Iraq launches official Iraq National Team account in English". Soccer Iraq. 17 May 2023.
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- ^ "Mohammed Qasim is named Player of the Year by @SoccerIraq". Al-Shorta SC. 1 January 2022.
- ^ "محمد قاسم يفوز بجوائز أفضل لاعب لعام ٢٠٢١". Al-Shorta. 1 January 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-08-05.
- ^ "Mohammed Qasim is the Soccer Iraq Player of the Year for 2021". Soccer Iraq. 31 December 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
- ^ "Jalal Hassan is the Soccer Iraq Player of the Year for 2022". Soccer Iraq. 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
- ^ "Vote for Iraq's Player of the Year for 2023". Soccer Iraq. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
- ^ "Vote for Iraq's Player of the Year for 2024". Soccer Iraq. 31 December 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
- ^ "Soccer Iraq – Domestic Seasons". Archived from the original on 2022-07-30. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
- ^ "Alaa Abbas wins the #SoccerIraq Goal of the Season". Soccer Iraq. 13 July 2022.
- ^ "أجملُ عشرة أهدافٍ على لائحةِ التَصويتِ الجماهيريّ.. اختر واحداً ليكون the best الموسم الماضي" (in Arabic). Iraq Stars League. 31 August 2024.
- ^ "أجملُ عشرة أهدافٍ على لائحةِ التَصويتِ الجماهيريّ.. اختر واحداً ليكون the best الموسم الماضي" (in Arabic). Iraq Stars League. 31 August 2024.
- ^ "Soccer Iraq Team of the Decade Revealed". Soccer Iraq. 31 December 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "#AsianQualifiers - Full Match - Group A - Iraq vs Islamic Republic of Iran". AFC Asian Cup. 7 September 2021.
- ^ "Soccer Iraq Team of the Decade 2010–2019". Soccer Iraq. 1 January 2020. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26. Retrieved 21 March 2020.