Iraq national under-23 football team facts for kids
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| Nickname(s) | Usood al-Rafidayn (Lions of Mesopotamia) |
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| Association | IFA | ||
| Confederation | AFC (Asia) | ||
| Sub-confederation | WAFF (West Asia) | ||
| Head coach | Emad Mohammed | ||
| FIFA code | IRQ | ||
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| First international | |||
Qatar  0–0  Iraq(Doha, Qatar; 22 September 1995) |
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| Biggest win | |||
Iraq  13–0  Macau(Kuwait City, Kuwait; 6 September 2023) |
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| Biggest defeat | |||
Jordan  5–0 Iraq(Amman, Jordan; 10 July 1999) |
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| Summer Olympics | |||
| Appearances | 6 (first in 1980) | ||
| Best result | Fourth place (2004) | ||
| Asian Games | |||
| Appearances | 2 (first in 2006) | ||
| Best result | Silver medalists (2006) | ||
| AFC U-23 Asian Cup | |||
| Appearances | 6 (first in 2013) | ||
| Best result | Champions (2013) | ||
| Website | Website | ||
The Iraq national under-23 football team, also known as the Iraq Olympic football team, represents Iraq in international football matches for players under 23 years old. This team also plays in big events like the Summer Olympics and the Asian Games. The Iraq Football Association (IFA) is in charge of the team.
Iraq achieved fourth place at the 2004 Olympic Games. They also won the 2013 AFC U-22 Championship and the 2023 WAFF U-23 Championship. Other great results include a silver medal at the 2006 Asian Games. They also earned bronze medals at the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup and the 2014 Asian Games.
Contents
Team History and Achievements
Olympic Games Journeys
2004 Athens Olympics: A Strong Performance
After not playing in the Olympics for 16 years, Iraq's team made it to the 2004 Summer Olympics. They qualified by winning the Asian Qualifiers under coach Adnan Hamad. In the group stage, Iraq surprised everyone with a 4–2 win against Portugal. They then beat Costa Rica 2–0 but lost 2–1 to Morocco.
In the quarter-finals, Iraq defeated Australia 1–0. They reached the semi-finals but lost 3–1 to Paraguay. For the bronze medal, Iraq played Italy and lost 1–0, finishing in an impressive fourth place.
2016 Rio Olympics: Group Stage Exit
Iraq qualified for the 2016 Olympics by finishing third in the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship. Their first game was a 0–0 draw against Denmark. The second match was also a 0–0 draw against the host country, Brazil, which was a great result for Iraq.
In their third game, Iraq tied 1–1 with South Africa. This result, combined with Denmark's loss to Brazil, meant Iraq was out of the tournament in the group stage. Brazil went on to win the gold medal that year.
2024 Paris Olympics: A New Challenge
Iraq's team earned a spot in the 2024 Olympics by finishing third in the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup. In the group stage, they won their first match against Ukraine with a 2-1 score. However, they faced tough competition, losing 3-1 to Argentina and 3-0 to Morocco. These results meant Iraq did not advance past the group stage.
AFC U-23 Asian Cup Successes
2013 AFC U-22 Championship: Champions!
Iraq won its first major title at the U-23 level in the 2013 AFC U-22 Championship. They started strong with a 3–1 win against Saudi Arabia. They continued with a 2–1 win over Uzbekistan and a 1–0 win against China.
In the quarter-finals, they beat Japan 1–0. The semi-final saw them win 1–0 against the strong Korea Republic team. The final was against their rivals, Saudi Arabia. Mohannad Abdul-Raheem scored the only goal, securing Iraq's first U-23 Asian Cup title. Amjad Kalaf was named the tournament's most valuable player.
2016 AFC U-23 Championship: Third Place
Iraq qualified for the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship by winning their qualification group. In the main tournament, they advanced from their group by beating Yemen 2–0 and Uzbekistan 3–2. They also had a 1–1 draw with South Korea.
In the quarter-finals, Iraq defeated UAE 3–1 in extra time. They lost 2–1 to Japan in the semi-finals. In the third-place match, Iraq came from behind to beat Qatar 2–1, which also qualified them for the 2016 Olympics.
2018 AFC U-23 Championship: Unexpected Exit
Iraq qualified for the 2018 tournament by topping their group in Saudi Arabia. Many thought Iraq had a good chance to win again. In the group stage, they finished first after beating Malaysia 4–1 and Jordan 1–0, with a 0–0 draw against Saudi Arabia.
However, in the quarter-finals, Iraq faced Vietnam. The game ended in a surprising 3–3 draw after extra time. Vietnam won the penalty shootout 5–3, which eliminated Iraq from the tournament.
2020 AFC U-23 Championship: Group Stage Challenge
Iraq qualified for the 2020 tournament by winning their qualification group in Iran. In the main tournament held in Thailand, Iraq was in a group with host Thailand, Australia, and Bahrain. For the first time, Iraq did not make it out of the group stage, drawing all three of their games.
2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup: Quarter-final Battle
In the 2022 tournament, Iraq was in a group with Jordan, Australia, and Kuwait. They drew 1–1 with Jordan and then 1–1 with Australia. Needing a win to move on, Iraq came back from being down to beat Kuwait 3–1.
Iraq finished second in their group and played against hosts Uzbekistan in the quarter-finals. The game went to extra time and then to penalties. Uzbekistan won the shootout 3–2, ending Iraq's run.
2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup: Bronze Medal and Olympic Spot
Iraq was in a group with Thailand, Tajikistan, and Saudi Arabia. They lost their first match 2–0 to Thailand. However, Iraq then defeated Tajikistan and Saudi Arabia to win their group.
In the quarter-finals, Iraq beat Vietnam 1–0 in a tough match. This win sent them to the semi-finals. They lost 2–0 to Japan in the semi-finals. In the playoff for third place, Iraq faced Indonesia and won 2–1 in extra time, securing the bronze medal. This victory also earned them a spot in the 2024 Olympics. Ali Jasim was the top scorer of the tournament with four goals and two assists.
Recent Matches
The Iraq U-23 team has played several matches recently. Here's a quick look at some of their games from the past year:
- July 2024: Played a friendly match against Egypt, losing 1–2.
- July 2024: In the 2024 Summer Olympics, they won their first group stage match against Ukraine 2–1.
- July 2024: They then faced Argentina in the Olympics, losing 3–1.
- July 2024: Their final Olympic group stage match was against Morocco, where they lost 3–0.
- Upcoming Matches (September 2025): The team is scheduled to play qualification matches for the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup against Pakistan, Oman, and Cambodia.
Team Leadership
The coaching staff helps guide the team. Currently, the Head Coach position is vacant.
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Vacant |
| Assistant coach | Vacant |
| Goalkeeping coach | Vacant |
| Fitness coach | Vacant |
| Team analyst | Vacant |
| Team manager | Vacant |
| Media coordinator | Vacant |
Players on the Team
Current Squad
Here are the 22 players who were part of the team for the 2024 Olympics. Caps (games played) and goals are correct as of July 30, 2024, after the match against Morocco.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Hussein Hassan | 15 November 2002 | 10 | 0 | Al-Karkh |
| 12 | GK | Kumel Al-Rekabe | 19 August 2004 | 10 | 0 |  Leganés B |
| 22 | GK | Hassan Abbas | 6 January 2001 | 3 | 0 | Diyala |
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| 2 | DF | Josef Al-Imam | 27 July 2004 | 19 | 0 |  Olympic |
| 3 | DF | Hussein Ali | 1 March 2002 | 3 | 0 |  Heerenveen |
| 4 | DF | Saad Natiq* | 19 March 1994 | 9 | 0 | Al-Talaba |
| 5 | DF | Ahmed Maknzi | 24 September 2001 | 20 | 1 | Al-Najaf |
| 6 | DF | Zaid Tahseen | 29 January 2001 | 25 | 2 | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya |
| 13 | DF | Karrar Saad | 22 March 2001 | 23 | 1 | Al-Talaba |
| 17 | DF | Mustafa Saadoon | 25 May 2001 | 20 | 2 | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya |
| 20 | DF | Hussein Amer | 28 April 2002 | 15 | 0 | Al-Minaa |
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| 7 | MF | Ali Jasim | 20 January 2004 | 16 | 10 |  Como |
| 8 | MF | Ibrahim Bayesh* | 1 May 2000 | 7 | 0 |  Al-Riyadh |
| 10 | MF | Youssef Amyn | 21 August 2003 | 3 | 0 | Al-Wehda |
| 11 | MF | Muntadher Mohammed | 5 June 2001 | 29 | 3 |  Esteghlal |
| 14 | MF | Karrar Mohammed | 6 January 2001 | 25 | 0 | Al-Talaba |
| 15 | MF | Nihad Mohammed | 14 January 2001 | 20 | 0 | Al-Talaba |
| 16 | MF | Montader Abdel Amir | 6 October 2001 | 25 | 1 | Al-Zawraa |
| 19 | MF | Blnd Hassan | 12 August 2003 | 13 | 4 | De Graafschap |
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| 9 | FW | Hussein Abdullah | 1 January 2001 | 17 | 12 | Al-Talaba |
| 18 | FW | Aymen Hussein* | 22 March 1996 | 17 | 13 | Al-Khor |
| 21 | FW | Ridha Fadhil | 1 April 2001 | 16 | 6 | Amanat Baghdad |
* Overage player.
Overage Players: The "Wild Cards"
In tournaments like the Summer Olympics and Asian Games, most players must be under 23 years old. However, teams are allowed to include three older players, known as "wild cards." These experienced players can bring a lot to the team.
Overage Players in Summer Olympics
| Tournament | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 |
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Haidar Abdul-Jabar (DF) | Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail (MF) | Razzaq Farhan (FW) |
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Ahmed Ibrahim (DF) | Saad Abdul-Amir (MF) | Hammadi Ahmed (FW) |
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Saad Natiq (DF) | Ibrahim Bayesh (MF) | Aymen Hussein (FW) |
Overage Players in Asian Games
| Tournament | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
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Salam Shaker (DF) | Mahdi Karim (MF) | Younis Mahmoud (FW) |
Manager History
Many coaches have led the Iraq U-23 team over the years. Here's a look at some of them and their achievements.
Caretaker manager
| No. | Manager | Year | P | W | D | L | Win % | Competition(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  William Asprey |
1989–1990 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 83.33 | Stafford Challenge Cup  champion |
| 2 | Anwar Jassam |
1995–1996 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 45.45 | |
| 3 | Nazar Ashraf |
1999 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 50.00 | |
| — | Najeh Humoud |
2001 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.00 | — |
| 4 |  Bernd Stange |
2002–2003 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 60.00 | |
| 5 | Adnan Hamad |
2003–2004 | 25 | 13 | 4 | 8 | 52.00 | 2004 Summer Olympics fourth place 2003 Abha Championship champion |
| 6 | Yahya Alwan |
2006–2007 | 45 | 26 | 13 | 6 | 57.78 | 2006 Asian Games  silver medal |
| — | Nadhim Shaker |
2011 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50.00 | — |
| 7 | Radhi Shenaishil |
2011–2012 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 33.33 | |
| 8 | Hakeem Shaker |
2012 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 60.00 | |
| — | Hadi Mutanash |
2013 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 14.29 | 2013 Islamic Solidarity Games group stage |
| 9 | Hakeem Shaker |
2014 | 19 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 78.95 | 2013 AFC U-22 Championship champion 2014 Asian Games  bronze medal |
| 10 | Yahya Alwan |
2015 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 85.71 | |
| 11 | Abdul-Ghani Shahad |
2015–2020 | 41 | 25 | 12 | 4 | 60.98 | 2016 AFC U-23 Championship third place 2016 Summer Olympics group stage 2018 AFC U-23 Championship quarter-finals 2020 AFC U-23 Championship group stage |
| 12 |  Miroslav Soukup |
2021–2022 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 46.67 | 2021 WAFF U-23 Championship semi-finals 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup quarter-finals |
| 13 | Radhi Shenaishil |
2022–2024 | 31 | 18 | 5 | 8 | 58.06 | 2023 WAFF U-23 Championship champion 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup third place |
| — | Ehsan Turki |
2024 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.00 | 2024 WAFF U-23 Championship sixth place |
| Total | 254 | 140 | 64 | 50 | 55.12 | — | ||
Team Honors and Awards
The Iraq U-23 team has won several important titles and medals.
Intercontinental Awards
- Fourth place: 2004
Continental Awards
Winners: 2013
Third place: 2016, 2024
Runners-up: 2006- Third place: 2014
Regional Awards
- WAFF U-23 Championship
- Winners: 2023
Exhibition Tournament Awards
- Stafford Challenge Cup
- Winners: 1990
- International Friendship Tournament (Abha)
- Winners: 2003
Related Teams
- Iraq national football team
- Iraq national under-20 football team
- Iraq national under-17 football team
See also
In Spanish: Selección de fútbol sub-23 de Irak para niños
