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Al-Karkh SC

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Al-Karkh SC
Full nameAl-Karkh Sports Club
Nickname(s)Canary or Al-Ghawassa Al-Safraa
Founded1963; 61 years ago (1963)
GroundAl-Saher Ahmed Radhi Stadium
Capacity5,150
PresidentKareem Hammadi
ManagerHaitham Shaaban
LeagueIraq Stars League
2023–24Iraq Stars League, 15th of 20
Current season

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

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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.[citation needed]

On 18 August 1990, the Iraqi Olympic Committee decided to dissolve Al-Rasheed Sports Club, transferring all of its properties to Al-Karkh Sports Club, and replaced 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.[citation needed]

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 Iraqi First Division League 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 Iraqi First Division League.[12] The team stayed in the First Division League 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 First Division League 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

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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

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Recent seasons

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

Season League Rank P W D L F A GD Pts Cup
2000–01 Iraqi Elite League 7 30 14 8 8 48 34 14 50
2001–02 Iraqi Elite League 8 38 15 9 14 52 42 10 54 QF
2002–03 Iraqi First Division League(1) 27 9 10 8 29 21 8 37 R32
2003–04 Iraqi Premier League(1) 8 4 1 3 12 11 1 13
2004–05 Iraqi Premier League 3 – Group 2 19 8 4 7 20 14 6 28
2005–06 Iraqi Premier League 6 – Group 3 12 3 3 6 9 14 −5 12
2006–07 Iraqi First Division League
2007–08 Iraqi First Division League
2008–09 Iraqi First Division League 1 – Promotion Round 5 4 1 0 7 2 5 13
2009–10 Iraqi Premier League 11 – Group B 34 9 14 10 31 35 −4 41
2010–11 Iraqi Elite League 5 – Group A 26 10 11 5 35 27 8 41
2011–12 Iraqi Elite League 17 38 8 10 20 32 49 −17 34
2012–13 Iraqi First Division League 1 30 20 7 3 62 24 38 67 R32
2013–14 Iraqi Premier League 12 22 7 4 11 20 25 −5 25
2014–15 Iraqi Premier League 5 – Group 1 18 7 5 6 20 18 2 26
2015–16 Iraqi Premier League 8 – Group 1 17 2 6 9 11 20 −9 12 QF
2016–17 Iraqi Premier League 19 36 3 11 22 24 65 −41 20 R32
2017–18 Iraqi First Division League 1
2018–19 Iraqi Premier League 6 38 15 12 11 44 35 +9 57 R16
2019–20 Iraqi Premier League Withdrew 3 1 1 1 5 7 −2 4 R32
2020–21 Iraqi Premier League 10 38 11 12 15 35 40 −5 45 SF
2021–22 Iraqi Premier League 14 38 8 19 11 32 36 −4 43 Won
2022–23 Iraqi Premier League 12 38 13 12 13 40 36 +4 51 SF
2023–24 Iraq Stars League 15 38 7 18 13 36 45 −9 39 R16

As of 14 July 2024.[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

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First-team squad

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As of 20 September 2024

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
3 DF Iraq IRQ Hamza Adnan
4 DF Iraq IRQ Omar Noori
5 DF Brazil BRA Caio Acaraú FGN
6 MF Iraq IRQ Ali Qasim
7 FW Nigeria NGA Ifeanyi Eze FGN
8 MF Iraq IRQ Ahmed Salah
9 FW Iraq IRQ Jaafer Obeis Captain
10 FW Iraq IRQ Wakaa Rammdan
11 MF Iraq IRQ Mosab Jamal
12 GK Iraq IRQ Mohammed Shakir
16 MF Iraq IRQ Hassan Ali
17 FW Iraq IRQ Suhaib Raad
18 DF Morocco MAR Anass Nouader FGN
19 MF Iraq IRQ Mohammed Abdulrahman
22 GK Iraq IRQ Hussein Hassan
24 MF Iraq IRQ Younis Ghani
25 DF Iraq IRQ Mohammed Mustafa
31 GK Iraq IRQ Mohammed Ahmed
33 DF Iraq IRQ Mujtaba Saleh
56 DF Brazil BRA Leanderson Lucas FGN
No. Pos. Nation Player
59 MF Iraq IRQ Abdulkhaliq Mohammed
66 MF Republic of the Congo CGO Christ Kouvouama FGN
99 FW Jordan JOR Mohannad Abu Taha FGN
GK Iraq IRQ Sajjad Nassir
DF Iraq IRQ Alaa Mhawi
DF Iraq IRQ Ahmed Qasim Kadhim
DF Iraq IRQ Ali Kadhim Jawni
DF Iraq IRQ Ali Turki Abbas
DF Iraq IRQ Hussein Fahim
DF Iraq IRQ Sajjad Hussein
MF Iraq IRQ Ahmed Zeyad
MF Iraq IRQ Humam Haitham Ali
MF Iraq IRQ Hussein Ahmed Fakhir
MF Iraq IRQ Hussein Zeyad
MF Iraq IRQ Jassim Mohammed
FW Iraq IRQ Haider Ali Hussein
FW Iraq IRQ Hassan Ali Hussein
FW Iraq IRQ Mohammed Emad Mohammed
FW Iraq IRQ Muqtada Al-Sadr Sameer Jabbar
FW Iraq IRQ Rashed Fawaz Mazin

Reserves team squad

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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

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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

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Current technical staff

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Position Name Nationality
Manager: Ahmed Abdul-Jabar Iraq
Assistant manager: Bahaa Kadhim Iraq
Goalkeeping coach: Abdul-Karim Naim Iraq
Reserves team coach: Dhafer Turky Iraq
Reserves team assistant coach: Yaser Yahya Alwan Iraq
Reserves team goalkeeping coach: Yaser Abdulkareem Abbood Fayouri Iraq
Reserves team fitness coach: Sarmad Rasheed Hameed Iraq
Youth team coach: Abbas Hassan Iraq
Youth team assistant coach: Ibrahim Jari Iraq
Youth team assistant coach: Ashraf Akram Jebur Iraq
Youth team goalkeeping coach: Ahmed Ali Daeer Iraq
Youth team fitness coach: Hadeer Aabed Sadiq Iraq
Youth team supervisor: Nabeel Saedi Iraq
Youth team administrative manager: Ali Nima Lazim Iraq
Youth team media coordinator: Ameen Shirad Iraq
Director of football: Taleb Menshed Iraq
Technical Advisor: Thair Ahmed Iraq
Club doctor: Majed Khazal Iraq

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

Board members

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Office Name
President Sharar Haidar

Managerial history

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Honours

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Domestic

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Invitational

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Other sports

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Basketball

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  • 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

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  1. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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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