Al-Karkh SC
Full nameAl-Karkh Sports Club
Nickname(s)Canary or Al-Ghawassa Al-Safraa
Founded1963 (1963)
GroundAl-Saher Ahmed Radhi Stadium
Capacity5,150
PresidentSharar Haidar
ManagerAhmad Abdul-Jabar
LeagueIraq Stars League
2022–23Iraqi Premier League, 12th of 20

Al-Karkh Sports Club (Arabic: نادي الكرخ الرياضي) is an Iraqi sports club based in Karkh, Baghdad. Its professional football team plays in the Iraq Stars League, the top tier of the Iraqi football. The club's home stadium is Al-Saher Ahmed Radhi Stadium.

Founded in 1963, Al-Karkh was not successful in reaching the top-flight of Iraqi football until Al-Rasheed SC's properties and place in the top division were transferred to Al-Karkh when Al-Rasheed were dissolved in 1990. In 2022, Al-Karkh achieved its first Iraq FA Cup title with a 2–1 victory over Al-Kahrabaa in the final.

History

In the late-1940s, a basketball club was established under the name of Al-Mansour Club, where a lot of national basketball players started. The team won the 1958 Adhamiya Tournament with thousands of people either celebrating in the court or crowding outside of it.[1] In 1974, the club was merged with Al-Karkh Sports Club.[2]

Since it was founded in 1963, Al-Karkh were unsuccessful to get promoted to the Iraq Central FA Premier League or later the Iraqi Premier League. For 27 years, they had been languishing in the lower divisions.

Taking the Al Karkh Stadium as his club's, on 23 November 1983, Uday Hussein founded a new sports club named Al-Rasheed. Al-Rasheed soon won the lower division in their first season followed by three top division league titles, two FA Cups, three Arab Club Champions Cup trophies and a runners-up spot at the AFC Champions League, all between 1983 and 1990.

On 18 August 1990, the Iraqi Olympic Committee decided to dissolve Al-Rasheed Sports Club and transfer all of its properties to Al-Karkh Sports Club and replacing Al-Rasheed with Al-Karkh in the Iraqi Premier League.[3]

When Al-Karkh replaced Al-Rasheed's place in the Iraqi Premier League, the team for the first time in their history played in the top tier of Iraqi football. Most of the Iraq national team players left, retiring, like Adnan Dirjal, Haris Mohammed, and Samir Shaker, or transferring to other teams, like Ahmed Radhi, Laith Hussein, and Habib Jafar. In their first season in the senior division, 1990–91, they finished in 4th place at 38 points.[4]

Being coached by Adnan Dirjal, Al-Karkh, on Dirjal's first season as a coach, finished in the furthest place they have ever been in the league, which is 3rd place in the 1991–92 season, three points away from the leaders. Dirjal received the best Iraqi coach award for the team's performance through the season, while Saad Qais Noaman received the best player award. Al-Karkh also finished in 4th place in the 1st Umm al-Ma'arik Championship.[5]

In the seasons of 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95 and 1995–96, Al-Karkh managed to keep an average of 9th place in the league, where Ammo Baba, in the 1994–95 season, made the team reach the lowest he had ever reached with an Iraqi team through his entire managing career, which was 7th place.[6] The Iraq FA Cup editions from 1992 to 1996 didn't witness Al-Karkh succeeding in passing the round of 16, while in the Umm al-Ma'arik Championship, Al-Karkh reached 4th place in the 1993–94 season.

In 1996, they participated in the 102nd edition of the IFA Shield, a competition in India. They finished as runners-up, losing 1–0 after extra time to JCT Mills. In the 1996–97 season, Al-Karkh finished in the relegation zone's 14th place at 27 points from 30 matches. The team was relegated to the Iraq Division One for the first time since they have replaced Al-Rasheed in 1990.[7] They were promoted back to the Iraqi Premier League in the 1997–98 season.[8] They maintained an average of 7th place throughout the five seasons after promotion. In the 1999–00 Iraq FA Cup, Al-Karkh reached the semifinals after beating Al-Talaba and Samarra FC, but they lost to Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 1–0 in both the first and second legs. The team also reached the semifinals in the 9th Umm al-Ma'arik Championship, where they were beaten by Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya. They won the third place match.[9] A season after, Al-Karkh achieved the Umm al-Ma'arik Championship 3rd place again.[10]

In the 2003–04 season, after Sharar Haidar was appointed as the new president of the club, Al-Karkh didn't qualify for the second phase while in the season after, the team only qualified to the second phase.[11] They participated in the Arab Istiqlal Championship in 2005 but were knocked out at the group stage. In the 2005–06 season, Al-Karkh finished in the relegation zone with 12 points out of 12 matches, one point away from Diyala FC that had 13 points, being relegated for the second time to the Iraq Division One.[12] The team stayed in the Division One until the 2009–10 season, where they were among the six clubs that were elected to play the last two Iraqi Premier League places playoff. Under the management of Nasrat Nassir,[13] Al-Karkh won promotion and returned to the Premier League.[14] After two seasons, Al-Karkh was relegated again before returning once again to the Premier League after winning Division One in the 2012–13 season.[15]

In the 2021–22 season, Al-Karkh won their first Iraq FA Cup title with a 2–1 victory over Al-Kahrabaa in the final.[16]

Stadium

Al Karkh Stadium at night in 2014

At first, Al-Mansour club took an old building that oversees the Tigris in Al-Karkh and turned it into a basketball court and a place to manage the club. In the late-1960s, the building started to collapse which was the main reason for the club being banished. In 1963, a new club with the same administrative board was formed in Mansour neighbourhood, Mansour district, Karkh after Al Karkh Stadium was built.[1]

In 1984, Al-Rasheed took over the stadium and turned it into theirs after renovating it and allowing shops to be opened around it. In the dissolving of Al-Rasheed, the stadium returned to its old name as the stadium of Al-Karkh SC.[3]

Statistics

Recent seasons

The season-by-season performance of the club over the recent years:

Season League Rank P W D L F A GD Pts Cup
2000–01Iraqi Elite League730148848341450—
2001–02Iraqi Elite League8381591452421054QF
2002–03Iraqi First Division League(1)—2791082921837R32
2003–04Iraqi Premier League(1)—84131211113—
2004–05Iraqi Premier League3 – Group 2198472014628—
2005–06Iraqi Premier League6 – Group 312336914−512—
2006–07Iraqi First Division League—
2007–08Iraqi First Division League—
2008–09Iraqi First Division League1 – Promotion Round541072513—
2009–10Iraqi Premier League11 – Group B34914103135−441—
2010–11Iraqi Elite League5 – Group A26101153527841—
2011–12Iraqi Elite League1738810203249−1734—
2012–13Iraqi First Division League130207362243867R32
2013–14Iraqi Premier League122274112025−525—
2014–15Iraqi Premier League5 – Group 1187562018226—
2015–16Iraqi Premier League8 – Group 1172691120−912QF
2016–17Iraqi Premier League1936311222465−4120R32
2017–18Iraqi First Division League1—
2018–19Iraqi Premier League6381512114435+957R16
2019–20Iraqi Premier LeagueWithdrew311157−24R32
2020–21Iraqi Premier League10381112153540−545SF
2021–22Iraqi Premier League1438819113236−443Won
2022–23Iraqi Premier League12381312134036+451SF

As of 1 August 2023.[17] Rank = Rank in the league; P = Played; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points; Cup = Iraq FA Cup.
in = Still in competition; — = Not attended; 1R = 1st round; 2R = 2nd round; 3R = 3rd round; R16 = Round of sixteen; QF = Quarterfinals; SF = Semifinals.

1 The league was not completed and was cancelled.

Players

Current squad

As of 3 September 2022

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Iraq IRQ Abdul-Saleem Hammad
20 GK Iraq IRQ Ahmed Shaker
22 GK Iraq IRQ Hussein Hassan
— GK Iraq IRQ Laith Maan
— DF Iraq IRQ Taqi Falah
4 DF Iraq IRQ Omar Noori
13 DF Guatemala GUA Carlos Estrada
15 DF Iraq IRQ Hassan Mohammed
12 DF Iraq IRQ Rafed Taleb
— DF Iraq IRQ Ali Nabil
23 DF Iraq IRQ Karrar Saad
30 DF Iraq IRQ Mustafa Walid
— MF Iraq IRQ Yousef Ayad
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF Iraq IRQ Mukhalad Sabahan
16 MF Iraq IRQ Shihab Razzaq Farhan
5 MF Iraq IRQ Youssef Fawzy
— MF Iraq IRQ Ahmed Hassan
— MF Iraq IRQ Kadhem Hussein
29 MF Iraq IRQ Ahmed Salah
98 FW Brazil BRA Lucas Shalon
— FW Iraq IRQ Abdullah Abdulwahed
9 FW Iraq IRQ Jaafer Obeis
7 FW Iraq IRQ Sajjad Ahmed
— FW Iraq IRQ Murtadha Ahmed
— FW Iraq IRQ Omar Ayada
11 FW Iraq IRQ Suhaib Raad
17 FW Iraq IRQ Nihad Mohammed
— FW Iraq IRQ Omar Jerjes
10 FW Iraq IRQ Omar Abdul-Rahman
— FW Iraq IRQ Mohammed Mohsen
99 FW Iraq IRQ Hayder Hussein

Reserves team squad

As of 17 April 2023[18]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Iraq IRQ Laith Faez
2 Iraq IRQ Abbas Kareem
3 Iraq IRQ Khattab Rasheed
4 Iraq IRQ Moammel Thamer
5 Iraq IRQ Zainulabdeen Abid
6 Iraq IRQ Ali Hatem
7 Iraq IRQ Ahmed Falih Badeer
8 Iraq IRQ Hussein Abdulsamed
9 Iraq IRQ Mahdi Mohammed
10 Iraq IRQ Hussein Hayder
11 Iraq IRQ Hayder Qasim
12 GK Iraq IRQ Hussein Badeea
15 Iraq IRQ Ali Kadhim
17 Iraq IRQ Rashid Fawaz
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 Iraq IRQ Aqeel Ali
19 Iraq IRQ Sajjad Hassan
21 GK Iraq IRQ Mohammed Basim
22 Iraq IRQ Ahmed Qasim
23 Iraq IRQ Jaafer Omar
25 Iraq IRQ Hussein Ahmed
27 Iraq IRQ Sajjad Kadhim
28 Iraq IRQ Hussein Abbas
29 Iraq IRQ Khudhur Raheem
33 Iraq IRQ Muqtada Al-Sadr Sameer
35 Iraq IRQ Ali Jawad Kadhim
88 Iraq IRQ Zaid Qahtan
90 Iraq IRQ Ali Jaber Shawy
99 Iraq IRQ Mohammed Qasim

Youth team squad

As of 9 March 2023[19]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Iraq IRQ Mukarram Jawad
2 Iraq IRQ Mohammed Ibrahim
3 Iraq IRQ Ruq Jabbar
6 Iraq IRQ Amir Rashid
8 Iraq IRQ Ridha Abdul-Kadhim
9 Iraq IRQ Abdul-Moez Sahy
11 Iraq IRQ Hassan Anas
12 GK Iraq IRQ Mohammed Jassim
13 Iraq IRQ Mohammed Ahmed
15 Iraq IRQ Muntadher Subhi
17 Iraq IRQ Karam Albarri
20 GK Iraq IRQ Safaa Alaa
21 Iraq IRQ Hassan Hameed
24 Iraq IRQ Youssef Ibrahim
27 Iraq IRQ Murtadha Raji
28 Iraq IRQ Alhassan Aiser
No. Pos. Nation Player
30 Iraq IRQ Abdulkhaliq Mohammed
42 Iraq IRQ Mohammed Basim
— Iraq IRQ Abdulwahhab Salah
— Iraq IRQ Muslim Ghassan
— Iraq IRQ Al-Abbas Alaa
— Iraq IRQ Hussein Ali
— Iraq IRQ Khalid Ali
— Iraq IRQ Moammel Jawad
— Iraq IRQ Ibrahim Abdul-Wahid
— Iraq IRQ Ali Ahmed
— Iraq IRQ Ali Hassan
— Iraq IRQ Yaseen Raed
— Iraq IRQ Mohammed Wathiq
— Iraq IRQ Hassanin Adel
— Iraq IRQ Mustafa Mahmoud
— Iraq IRQ Ali Mohammed

Personnel

Current technical staff

Position Name Nationality
Manager:Ahmed Abdul-JabarIraq
Assistant manager:Bahaa KadhimIraq
Goalkeeping coach:Abdul-Karim NaimIraq
Reserves team coach:Dhafer TurkyIraq
Reserves team assistant coach:Yaser Yahya AlwanIraq
Reserves team goalkeeping coach:Yaser Abdulkareem Abbood FayouriIraq
Reserves team fitness coach:Sarmad Rasheed HameedIraq
Youth team coach:Abbas HassanIraq
Youth team assistant coach:Ibrahim JariIraq
Youth team assistant coach:Ashraf Akram JeburIraq
Youth team goalkeeping coach:Ahmed Ali DaeerIraq
Youth team fitness coach:Hadeer Aabed SadiqIraq
Youth team supervisor:Nabeel SaediIraq
Youth team administrative manager:Ali Nima LazimIraq
Youth team media coordinator:Ameen ShiradIraq
Director of football:Taleb MenshedIraq
Technical Advisor:Thair AhmedIraq
Club doctor:Majed KhazalIraq

Updated to match played 13 May 2023
Source: almirbad.com

Board members

Office Name
President Sharar Haidar

Managerial history

Honours

Domestic

Invitational

Other sports

Basketball

  • Iraqi Basketball Premier League:
    • Champions (13): 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1996–97, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2004–05, 2007–08, 2015–16

References

  1. 1 2 Zaidan, Ahmed (May 12, 2013). "Al-Karkh, its stars that enlightened the way for the coming generations in sports and its role in supplying Iraqi sports with high quality players". Al-Gardenia (in Arabic). Archived from the original on November 22, 2015.
  2. ↑ Abdul-Wahab, Mohammed (6 August 2013). "هذه هي اندية العراق لسنة 1974". Kooora (in Arabic).
  3. 1 2 Al-Athari, Munthir. "Al-Karkh and Al-Rasheed, again". Al-Batal (in Arabic). {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  4. ↑ Hashim, Refel (January 3, 2008). "Iraq 1990/91". RSSSF.
  5. ↑ Hashim, Refel; Mubarak, Hassanin (April 2, 2006). "Iraq 1991/92". RSSSF.
  6. ↑ Hashim, Refel (August 20, 2002). "Iraq 1994/95". RSSSF.
  7. ↑ Qayed, Mohammed (June 19, 2003). "Iraq 1996/97". RSSSF.
  8. ↑ Qayed, Mohammed (August 30, 2002). "Iraq 1997/98". RSSSF.
  9. ↑ Hashim, Refel; Schöggl, Hans; Qayed, Mohammed; Mubarak, Hassanin (May 8, 2008). "Iraq 1999/2000". RSSSF.
  10. ↑ Mubarak, Hassanin (October 17, 2006). "Iraq 2001/02". RSSSF.
  11. ↑ Hashim, Refel; Mubarak, Hassanin (November 15, 2005). "Iraq 2004/05". RSSSF.
  12. ↑ Hashim, Refel; Mubarak, Hassanin (November 8, 2006). "Iraq 2005/06". RSSSF.
  13. ↑ "In Al-Karkh SC, continues work to return to the crowning stages". Al-Ittihad (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
  14. ↑ Mubarak, Hassanin (January 17, 2013). "Iraq 2009/10". RSSSF.
  15. ↑ "Iraqi First Division League 2012–2013". Goalzz.
  16. ↑ "الكرخ بطلا لكأس العراق للمرة الأولى في تاريخه". Kooora.com (in Arabic). 16 July 2022.
  17. ↑ Stokkermans, Karel (October 15, 2015). "Iraq 2014/15". RSSSF.
  18. ↑ ".قائمة الملاك التدريبي لفريق رديف الكرخ بالكرة مع قائمة اللاعبين" (in Arabic). Al-Karkh SC Facebook.
  19. ↑ "الملاك الفني والاداري لفريق شباب الكرخ بكرة القدم، وقائمة لاعبي الفريق" (in Arabic). Al-Karkh SC Facebook.
  20. ↑ Chaudhuri, Arunava. "List of Winners/Runners-Up of the IFA-Shield". indianfootball.de. Indian Football Network. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  21. ↑ Chaudhuri, Arunava; Jönsson, Mikael; Bobrowsky, Josef (13 February 2014). "India 1996/97 – List of Champions: 102nd IFA Shield". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 18 October 2022.
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