Ahmed Radhi facts for kids
 |
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ahmed Radhi Humaiesh Al-Salehi | ||
| Date of birth | 21 April 1964 | ||
| Place of birth | Baghdad, Iraq | ||
| Date of death | 21 June 2020 (aged 56) | ||
| Place of death | Baghdad, Iraq | ||
| Height | 1.86 m | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1979–1980 | Al-Shorta | ||
| 1980–1981 | Al-Zawraa | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1981–1985 | Al-Zawraa | (11) | |
| 1985–1989 | Al-Rasheed | (43) | |
| 1989–1993 | Al-Zawraa | (78) | |
| 1993–1997 | Al-Wakrah | (11+) | |
| 1997–1998 | Al-Zawraa | (7) | |
| 1998 | Al-Arabi | 1 | (1) |
| 1998 | Dibba Al-Hisn | ||
| 1998–1999 | Al-Zawraa | (7) | |
| National team | |||
| 1982–1997 | Iraq | 121 | (62) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1999–2001 | Al-Shorta | ||
| 2001 | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | ||
| 2001–2002 | Iraq U20 | ||
| 2002–2003 | Al-Zawraa | ||
|
|||
Ahmed Radhi Humaiesh Al-Salehi (born 21 April 1964 – died 21 June 2020) was a famous Iraqi footballer. He played as a forward, which means he was a player who mainly tried to score goals.
Many people think Ahmed Radhi was one of the best players ever from Iraq and even from all of Asia. He made history by scoring the only goal for the Iraqi team in the FIFA World Cup. This happened during the 1986 FIFA World Cup against Belgium. In 1988, he was named the Asian Footballer of the Year, which is a huge award for a player in Asia!
Contents
Who Was Ahmed Radhi?
Ahmed Radhi was a legendary Iraqi football player. He was known for his amazing goal-scoring skills and his leadership on the field. He played for many top clubs and was a key player for the Iraqi national team for many years.
Playing for Clubs
Ahmed Radhi started his club career and became well-known when he moved from his childhood club, Al-Zawraa, to a strong new team called Al-Rasheed. At Al-Rasheed, he played alongside another famous player, Adnan Dirjal. Together, they helped Al-Rasheed reach the final of the 1988–89 Asian Club Championship. They lost to a team from Qatar called Al Sadd in a very close game.
After his time at Al-Rasheed, Ahmed Radhi played for four years at Al-Wakrah in Qatar. He then returned to his first club, Al-Zawraa, to finish his amazing playing career.
Playing for His Country
Ahmed Radhi first played for the Iraqi national team on 21 February 1982. The coach, Ammo Baba, saw his great talent and helped him a lot in his early years.
Ahmed Radhi scored 8 goals during the World Cup qualification games. These goals helped Iraq reach the 1986 FIFA World Cup finals in Mexico for the very first time! He scored Iraq's only goal in that tournament against Belgium.
With the Iraqi national team, he won several important tournaments:
- Two Arab Cups
- One Pan-Arab Games
- One Gulf Cup
He also played for Iraq in the 1988 Summer Olympics. In that tournament, he scored a goal in games against both Zambia and Guatemala. In 1988, he was voted the Asian Footballer of the Year, showing he was the best player in Asia that year. Later, in 1999, he was even ranked as the 9th best Asian player of the entire century!
Life Off the Field
Ahmed Radhi had a family with three daughters and one son.
After his football career, he became involved in politics in Iraq. In 2007, he was chosen to be a member of the Council of Representatives of Iraq, which is like their parliament. He tried to get elected in 2014 and 2018 but was not successful.
His Legacy and Passing
Ahmed Radhi passed away on 21 June 2020, at the age of 56. He had become sick with COVID-19. He is remembered as a true legend of Iraqi and Asian football. His goal in the 1986 World Cup and his Asian Player of the Year award show how important he was to the sport. His resting place is the Karkh Cemetery in Abu Ghraib.
Achievements
Ahmed Radhi won many awards and championships during his football career.
Player
- Al-Rasheed
- Iraqi Premier League: 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89
- Iraq FA Cup: 1986–87, 1987–88
- Arab Club Champions Cup: 1985, 1986, 1987
- Al-Zawraa
- Iraqi Premier League: 1990–91, 1998–99
- Iraq FA Cup: 1990–91, 1992–93, 1997–98, 1998–99
- Iraqi Elite Cup: 1991
- Iraq National Team
- Asian Games: 1982 (Gold Medal)
- Arabian Gulf Cup: 1984, 1988
- Pan Arab Games: 1985
- Arab Cup: 1988
- Individual Awards
- Asian Footballer of the Year: 1988
- Arabian Gulf Cup top scorer: 1988
- Arab Cup top scorer: 1988
- Iraqi Premier League top scorer: 1985–86, 1991–92
- Chosen as one of Asia's Top 10 Players of the Century by IFFHS.
Manager
- Al-Shorta
- Iraqi Elite Cup: 2000
See Also
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
- List of men's footballers with 50 or more international goals
