Category: Youth Football

Expat, interview, Youth Football

Interview With Amir Aldaraji – Introducing The U23 Iraqi National Team Expat Based In The USA

One of the rising talents in the world of Iraqi football, Amir has been training with the U23 Iraq football team and has impressed coaches with his talents. Currently based in the USA, he is now assessing his next move in order to further his career. We sat down with Amir Aldaraji for this exclusive interview with IraqFootball.me: Being an Iraqi has always been a … Continue reading Interview With Amir Aldaraji – Introducing The U23 Iraqi National Team Expat Based In The USA

Hassanane BalalLeave a comment
Abdulla Al-Kalisy, ahmed yasin, Corruption, Expat, Features, Hassanane Balal, Iraq, Youth Football

5 Reasons Why Iraqi Expats Are Suffering Under The Current FA & National Team

Ahmed Yasin was the first Iraqi player to feature regularly in the national team despite playing in a foreign country his entire career. Thanks to the excellent work of Iraqi Professional Players, an organisations that scouts the world for Iraqi expat footballers, Yasin was able to make his first team debut for Iraq and has continued to feature for his country since. There have been … Continue reading 5 Reasons Why Iraqi Expats Are Suffering Under The Current FA & National Team

Hassanane Balal3 Comments
Corruption, Features, Guest Writer, Iraq, Youth Football

Feature: The Lack Of Planning In Iraq’s Youth Team Is Ruining The National Team’s Future

There has been a noticeable level of success achieved by the Iraqi national team at the youth level over the previous two decades. Iraq has previously finish 4th in Athens 2004 Olympics, 4th in the U23 World Cup 2013, amongst other successes with the U20 and U17 sides, both on a continental and international level. Contrastingly, the results of Iraq’s senior national team have failed … Continue reading Feature: The Lack Of Planning In Iraq’s Youth Team Is Ruining The National Team’s Future

Hassanane BalalLeave a comment
Hassanane Balal, Iraq, Iraq Olympics Football, Match Review, Youth Football

U23 Asian Cup Quarterfinal Match Review: Iraq 3-3 Vietnam

Iraq crashed out of the U23 in excruciating circumstances after a thrilling 120 minutes. Vietnam started the better of the two sides. They took an early lead after only 11 minutes following a defensive error inside the Iraqi box. The Lions of Mesopotamia failed to clear the ball from an incoming set piece and the ball fell to Nguyen Cong Phuong, who slotted passed a hapless Ahmed … Continue reading U23 Asian Cup Quarterfinal Match Review: Iraq 3-3 Vietnam

Hassanane BalalLeave a comment
Hassanane Balal, Iraq, Iraq Olympics Football, Match Review, Youth Football

U23 Asian Cup Match Review: Iraq 1-0 Jordan

Iraq sealed their place in the next round of the Asian Cup U23 with a narrow victory over Jordan. It was a tense affair but Iraq dominated for the majority of the game. They came close on many occasions but the lack of killer instinct in front of goal failed to make it a comfortable win. The first half was an open affair, where Iraq … Continue reading U23 Asian Cup Match Review: Iraq 1-0 Jordan

Hassanane BalalLeave a comment
Hassanane Balal, Iraq, Iraq Olympics Football, Match Review, Youth Football

U23 Asian Cup Match Review: Iraq 0-0 Saudi Arabia

The Titan clash between fierce rivals Saudi Arabia and Iraq proved to be a tense affair with neither team able to dominate the opposition. Iraq started the game off strongly, holding the majority of possession and playing in the opposition half. However, they were unable to capitalise on this as they struggled to create any real chances. Both Hussain Ali and Bashar Resan had quiet … Continue reading U23 Asian Cup Match Review: Iraq 0-0 Saudi Arabia

Hassanane Balal1 Comment
Hassanane Balal, Iraq, Match Review, Youth Football

U23 Asian Cup Match Review: Iraq 4-1 Malaysia

Iraq started their U23 Asian Cup campaign at walking pace with an easy victory over Malaysia. The Lions looked completely dominant right from kickoff, with Safaa Hadi and Amjed Atwan running the show. Bashar set up the first with a sensational cross using the outside of his boot, which was headed in by Mohammed Jaffal. Amjed Atwan extended the lead with a low driven shot … Continue reading U23 Asian Cup Match Review: Iraq 4-1 Malaysia

Hassanane Balal1 Comment
Hassanane Balal, Iraq, Iraq Olympics Football, Youth Football

5 Players To Watch Out For In The U23 Asian Cup 2018

  The U23 Asian Cup is quickly approaching and Iraq is one of the favourites going into the competition. The squad features some experienced players and some fresh exciting talent to boot. The competition sees Iraq drawn with Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Malaysia in a tasty Group C. The competition will be held in China from the 9th January to the 27th of January 2018. … Continue reading 5 Players To Watch Out For In The U23 Asian Cup 2018

Hassanane Balal1 Comment
Abdulla Al-Kalisy, Expat, Hassanane Balal, interview, Youth Football

Interview With Abdulla Al-Kalisy – Iraq’s Exciting New Zealand Based Winger

Having recently been called up for Iraq’s U23 side, IraqFootball.me was fortunate enough to interview Abdulla Al-Kalisy. Only 21 years of age, this was the first time the youngster has been involved with the Iraqi national team at any level. We sat down and discussed his career to date, including his time with Iraq and playing first team football in New Zealand. Abdulla’s energy and love … Continue reading Interview With Abdulla Al-Kalisy – Iraq’s Exciting New Zealand Based Winger

Hassanane Balal1 Comment
Expat, Features, Guest Writer, Hassanane Balal, Iraq, World Cup u17, Youth Football

5 Reasons Why Iraq Struggles To Produce Quality Young Football Players

Only a real sceptic would argue that there were no positives to be taken from the 2017 World Cup U-17 campaign that saw Iraq defeated by Mali in the last 16 round. However, it is important to acknowledge that the team that is supposedly the best in Asia ended up crashing in the final stages of the tournament. The last two fixtures against England and … Continue reading 5 Reasons Why Iraq Struggles To Produce Quality Young Football Players

Hassanane Balal1 Comment