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Adnan Dirjal

Adnan Dirjal
President of Iraq Football Association
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 September 2021
Personal details
Born	(1960-01-26) 26 January 1960 (age 64) Baghdad, Iraq
Height	190 cm (6 ft 3 in) Association ftball career Position(s) Defender Youth career 1976–1977 Assyrian Sports Club Senior career* Years Team Apps (Gls) 1977–1980 Al-Zawraa 1980–1984 Al-Talaba 1984–1990 Al-Rasheed International career 1978–1990 Iraq 121[1] (8) Managerial career 1991–1992 Al-Karkh 1992–1993 Iraq 1993–1994 Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 1995–1998 Al Wakrah 1999 Al Sadd 1999 Al Shamal 1999–2000 Al Wakrah 2000–2001 Al Arabi 2004 Al Sailiya 2004–2005 Al Wakrah 2007 Al Wakrah 2010–2012 Al Wakrah 2013–2014 Al Wakrah *Club domestic league appearances and goals

Adnan Dirjal (Arabic: عدنان درجال مطر; born 26 January 1960 in Baghdad) is an Iraqi former footballer, national team coach, and as of May 2020 heads the Iraqi Ministry of Youth and Sports.^[2] He was one of Iraq's most prominent national team captains, who played as a defender.

On 14 September 2021 he won the presidency of the Iraqi Football Association.^[3]

Club career[edit]

Adnan started his career with Al-Zawraa, where he won the Iraqi league and cup double in 1978/1979. He went on to join Al-Talaba, where he was one of the stars of a team that included Haris Mohammed, Jamal Ali and the great Hussein Saeed. At Al-Talaba Adnan won the Iraqi league two times and reached two cup finals.

His most successful club spell came at Al-Rasheed, the club owned by Saddam Hussein's eldest son Uday, where he captained the club and won three Iraqi league titles, two cups and a record three Arab Club Championships during the mid to late 1980s.^[4]

Political career[edit]

He secured a position in Iraqi PM Mustafa Al-Kadhimi's cabinet in May 2020 when he was appointed Minister of Youth and Sports.^[2]

International career[edit]

Adnan made the step into international football early, helping Iraq win both the CISM World Military Championship and the Gulf Cup in 1979. He later played at three Olympic Games, in 1980, 1984 and 1988,^[5] three Gulf Cup victories, and the Asian Games win over Kuwait in 1982. The biggest disappointment in a glittering career was missing the World Cup finals in Mexico in 1986 through injury.

International goals[edit]

Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.

No	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	25 March 1981	Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, Riyadh	Bahrain	2–0	2–0	1982 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.	28 March 1984	Royal Oman Police Stadium, Muscat	Qatar	1–0	1–1	7th Arabian Gulf Cup
3.	27 September 1986	Daegu Stadium, Daegu	Thailand	1–0	2–1	1986 Asian Games

Personal life[edit]

He has three sons and one daughter. One of them is Muhannad Darjal, who played professionally for Al Wakrah as a defender.

See also[edit]

• List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Adnan Dirjal – FIFA competition record (archived)
• C.V.^{[permanent dead link]}