Al-Najaf SC
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| Full name | Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf Sports Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | Ghizlan Al-Badiah (Desert Gazelles) | ||
| Founded | 1961 | ||
| Ground | Al-Najaf International Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 30,000 | ||
| Chairman | Ali Nayef Al-Ghazali | ||
| Manager | Abdul-Ghani Shahad | ||
| League | Iraq Stars League | ||
| 2024–25 | Iraq Stars League, 14th of 20 | ||
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Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf Sports Club (Arabic: نادي النجف الأشرف الرياضي), commonly known as Najaf SC, is an Iraqi professional football club based in Najaf. They are members of the Iraq Stars League. Al-Najaf has competed in the 2007 AFC Champions League.
History
[edit | edit source]In 1960, the city of Najaf began an active movement to establish a sports club after the athletes then felt the need of the city to a sports club that absorbed the energies of young people and their creations which are almost lost in the amateur leagues. Some of the dignitaries of the city were contacted for this purpose.[1] The request was submitted to the Ministry of the Interior, which was responsible for the authorisation of sports clubs in Iraq at that time. The name of Al Ghiri Sports Club was proposed for this institution. In 1961, the Ministry of the Interior approved their request to establish the club and thus wrote the birth certificate of the first sports club in the city of Najaf and consisted of the first administrative body of Messrs. Naji Hassan Hasswa as president and Maki Hadi Maala Vice-President and Alwan Elsafer as secretary.[2] At the beginning of the establishment of the club, the Ministry of the Interior allocated an annual grant of 60 dinars divided into two instalments, and the club relied on this grant and monthly subscriptions from its members.
Stadiums
[edit | edit source]New Najaf Stadium is a purpose built football stadium that is the current home stadium of Al-Najaf. It opened in 2018, with a capacity of 30,000 people. Until 2018, the club played its home matches at An-Najaf Stadium (Arabic: ستاد النجف).
Current squad
[edit | edit source]First-team squad
[edit | edit source]- As of 20 September 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Current technical staff
[edit | edit source]| Position | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Coach: | Abdul-Ghani Shahad | Iraq |
| Assistant coach: | Dhiyya Falih | Iraq |
| Goalkeeping coach: | Mohammed Abdul-Zahra | Iraq |
| Fitness coach: | Salah Hashim | Iraq |
| Team supervisor: | Fadhel Mohammed | Iraq |
| Team manager: | Mohammed Abdul Hussein | Iraq |
| Team Doctor: | Haitham Abdul Amir | Iraq |
| U-19 Coach: | Haider Lafta | Iraq |
Updated to match played 25 September 2020
Source: Alsabaah.iq
Managerial history
[edit | edit source]Since the club's promotion to the Iraqi Premier League in the 1987–88 season so far, twenty-six coaches have led the team:[3][4]
- Iraq Mohammed Hussein Ismail (1974–1976)
- Iraq Alwan Mena (1976–1977)
- Iraq Nasrat Nasser (1977–1978)
- Iraq Mohammed Hussein Ismail (1978–1982)
- Iraq Alwan Mena (1982–1985)
- Iraq Hatif Shamran (1985–1986)
- Iraq Alwan Mena (1986–1988)
- Iraq Najeh Humoud (1988–1991)
- Iraq Wathiq Naji (1991–1992)
- Iraq Hatif Shamran (1992)
- Iraq Noman Kadhim & Raheem Jassim (1992–1993)
- Iraq Najeh Humoud (1993–1998)
- Iraq Hadi Mutanish (1998–1999)
- Iraq Ali Kadhim (1999)
- Iraq Abdul Ghani Shahad (1999)
- Iraq Najeh Humoud (1999–2002)
- Iraq Abdul Ghani Shahad (2002–2008)
- Iraq Hatif Shamran (2008–2009)
- Iraq Majed Najem (2009–2010)
- Iraq Abdul Ghani Shahad (2010–2012)
- Iraq Hatif Shamran (2012)
- Iraq Abdul Ghani Shahad (2012–2013)
- Iraq Yahya Alwan (2013)
- Iraq Hassan Ahmed (2013)
- Iraq Qahtan Chathir (2013–2014)
- Iraq Salman Hussein (2014)
- Iraq Haider Yahya (2014)
- Iraq Hatif Shamran (2014)
- Iraq Haider Yahya (2014)
- Iraq Hameed Salman (2014–2015)
- Iraq Ali Wahab (2015)
- Iraq Emad Mohammed (2015–2016)
- Iraq Hatif Shamran (2016)
- Iraq Emad Mohammed (2016–2017)
- Iraq Nadhim Shaker (2017–2018)
- Iraq Ali Hashim (2018)
- Iraq Ahmed Khalef (2018)
- Iraq Mudhafar Jabbar (2018)
- Iraq Thair Jassam (2018–2019)
- Iraq Chasib Sultan (2019)
- Iraq Hassan Ahmad (2019–2021)
- Iraq Haidar Aboodi (2021)
- Iraq Hatif Shamran (2021)
- Iraq Haidar Aboodi (2021–present)
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Honours
[edit | edit source]Domestic
[edit | edit source]- Iraq Stars League
- Baghdad Championship
- Winners (1): 1997–98
Friendly
[edit | edit source]- Victory and Peace Championship
- Winners (1): 1992
- Love Championship
- Winners (1): 2003
Performance in AFC Competitions
[edit | edit source]- AFC Champions League: 1 appearance
- 2007: Group stage
Statistics
[edit | edit source]In domestic competitions
[edit | edit source]| Year | Stars League | Iraq Cup | Super Cup | Baghdad Ch'ship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–88 | 16 | Round of 32 | not held | Started in 1991 |
| 1988–89 | 7 | Round of 32 | not held | |
| 1989–90 | 8 | Quarter-final | not held | |
| 1990–91 | 7 | Quarter-final | not held | |
| 1991–92 | 6 | Round of 16 | not held | Group stage |
| 1992–93 | 15 | Second round | not held | Group stage |
| 1993–94 | 4 | - | not held | did not qualify |
| 1994–95 | 3 | - | not held | 4 |
| 1995–96 | Runner-up | - | not held | Group stage |
| 1996–97 | 4 | Quarter-final | did not qualify | 3 |
| 1997–98 | 4 | Round of 16 | did not qualify | Winner |
| 1998–99 | 8 | Round of 32 | not held | Group stage |
| 1999–2000 | 9 | Round of 16 | did not qualify | Group stage |
| 2000–01 | 6 | not held | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2001–02 | 5 | Semi-final | did not qualify | Group stage |
| 2002–03 | not finished | Quarter-final | did not qualify | Group stage |
| 2003–04 | not finished | not held | not held | Group stage |
| 2004–05 | 6 | not held | not held | Abolished in 2004 |
| 2005–06 | Runner-up | not held | not held | |
| 2006–07 | 3 | not held | not held | |
| 2007–08 | 5 | not held | not held | |
| 2008–09 | Runner-up | not held | not held | |
| 2009–10 | 11 | not held | not held | |
| 2010–11 | 11 | not held | not held | |
| 2011–12 | 9 | not held | not held | |
| 2012–13 | 11 | not finished | not held | |
| 2013–14 | 15 | not held | not held | |
| 2014–15 | 17 | not held | not held | |
| 2015–16 | 13 | did not enter | not held | |
| 2016–17 | 9 | Round of 16 | not held | |
| 2017–18 | 6 | not held | did not qualify | |
| 2018–19 | 12 | Round of 16 | not held | |
| 2019–20 | not finished | not finished | did not qualify | |
| 2020–21 | 3 | Round of 16 | not held | |
| 2021–22 | 7 | Round of 16 | did not qualify | |
| 2022–23 | 7 | Round of 32 | did not qualify | |
| 2023–24 | 4 | Round of 16 | not held | |
| 2024–25 | 14 | Quarter-final | not held |
See also
[edit | edit source]References
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External links
[edit | edit source]- Official website (in Arabic) (archived 30 July 2008)
- Club page on Kooora
