Ex-Hatters forward earns call-up for Iraq World Cup squad
Striker heading to tournament in USA, Mexico and Canada
Ex-Luton forward Ali Al-Hamadi has been selected in Iraq’s squad for their upcoming World Cup Finals campaign.
The 24-year-old spent last season on loan at Kenilworth Road from Championship outfit Ipswich Town, as a number of niggling injuries meant he played just 14 times in total, but only started twice, scoring just one goal, that coming in the 3-0 victory at his former club AFC Wimbledon over the Easter period.
Al-Hamadi played twice for the Lions of Mesopotamia as well, scoring two goals, in the 1-1 draw against UAE in November, and then in the 2-1 play-off final win over Bolivia as well which saw his country reach the tournament for only the second time in their history and first since 1986. That earned the striker with 17 caps to his name, earn a call-up to Graham Arnold’s squad, who have a final warm up friendly against Spain on Thursday after beating Andorra in a friendly on Friday, ahead of their group stage matches against France, Norway and Senegal.
Speaking in April about scoring such a huge goal for his country, Al-Hamadi had said: “Honestly it’s just what you dream of as a kid, sending your country to the World Cup and playing a part. It just gives me goosebumps every time i remember that moment, that will live me forever and live in the hearts of Iraqi people forever. My family, and just the story of how my family came here, it’s magical and it’s why we play football. I’m very fortunate to have that moment with my family and my people and my team-mates as well.”
Goalkeepers: Fahad Talib (Al Talaba), Jalal Hassan (Al-Zawraa), Ahmed Basil (Al-Shorta). Defenders: Hussein Ali (Pogoń Szczecin), Manaf Younis (Al-Shorta), Zaid Tahseen (Pakhtakor), Rebin Sulaka (Port), Akam Hashem (Al-Zawraa), Merchas Doski (Viktoria Plzeň), Ahmed Yahya (Al-Shorta), Zaid Ismail (Al-Talaba), Frans Putros (Persib Bandung), Mustafa Saadoon (Al-Shorta).
Midfielders: Amir Al-Ammari (Cracovia), Kevin Yakob (AGF), Zidane Iqbal (Utrecht), Aimar Sher (Sarpsborg), Ibrahim Bayesh (Al-Dhafra), Ahmed Qasem (Nashville SC), Youssef Amyn (AEK Larnaca), Marko Farji (Venezia). Forwards: Ali Jassim (Como), Ali Al-Hamadi (Ipswich Town), Ali Youssef (Apollon Limassol), Aymen Hussein (Al-Karma), Mohanad Ali (Dibba).