Emad Mohammed

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Emad Mohammed
Personal information
Full nameEmad Mohammed Ridha Gharib
Date of birth (1982-07-24) 24 July 1982
Place of birthKarbala, Iraq
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing positionCenter Forward, Second Striker, Winger
Club information
Current clubAl-Zawraa
Number21
Youth career
1992–1998Karbalaa
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1998–2002Al-Zawra'a
2002Al-Ittihad
2002–2003Al-Zawra'a
2003–2004Al-Ittihad
2004–2005Al-Wakrah30(11)
2005–2006Foolad14(8)
2006–2010Sepahan104(57)
2010–2011Zamalek2(0)
2011→ Shahin Bushehr (loan)11(3)
2011–2012Sepahan22(9)
2013–Al-Zawra'a
National team‡
2000–2011Iraq103(27)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 March 2012.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 25 October 2013

Emad Mohammed Ridha (Arabic: عماد محمد رضا‎, born 24 July 1982 in Karbala, Iraq) is an Iraqi football striker which is currently plays for Al-Zawraa in Iraqi Premier League. He is also a player of the Iraq national football team. Emad Mohammed has been a regular starter for Iraq ever since he played for the youth national team.

Career

At first glance, Emad Mohammed does not appear to have the physical prowess to which young, aspiring strikers often aspire. However, that has not stopped the diminutive forward giving nightmares to opposition defenders. Small but stocky, blessed with lightning pace and an eye for goal, Mohammed is the epitome of the traditional Asian striker, relying on agility and intelligence more than physical stature. As a youth, Mohammed was inspired by his eldest brother, Khaled, who played for a local club. But it was Emad who quickly proved to be the family's greatest footballing talent. Indeed, by the age of 15, he has already been brought into the Iraq U-16 national team by coach Adnan Hamad.

Under the tutelage of Hamad, Mohammed developed quickly and eventually graduated to the national U-19 side. The Karbala-born striking prodigy impressed throughout the AFC Youth Championship 2000, scoring four times, including twice in the final against Japan as Iraq won the Asian title, after that he was offered a transfer contract to Italian giants AC Milan but was denied by son of Iraqi president back then Uday Saddam Hussein; who was the president of the Iraqi FA.

Mohammed's meteoric rise to fame soon earned him a lucrative contract with Qatari giants Al-Gharrafa. Then, in 2005, he signed a deal with Iranian club Foolad before joining giants Sepahan just a year later.

Having thrived at continental level, Mohammed also showed himself to be capable of making an impact on the global stage when he played a key role in Iraq's fairy tale run to the semi-finals at the Olympic Football Tournament Athens 2004. After opening his account in the opening 4-2 victory over Portugal a result which helped pave the way to the last eight, the striker further showcased his predatory instincts in the quarter-final match against Australia, where he scored the only goal with a spectacular bicycle-kick.

Although he did not feature in the Iraq squad that won the AFC Asian Cup in 2007, Mohammed did make his presence felt that same year at the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, scoring two goals in the opening four minutes in Sepahan's 3-1 win over Waitakere United.

He was left out of Iraq's opening 1-1 draw with China in Asia's third round of qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, but has reclaimed his regular place in the five subsequent outings. The talented hitman duly proved his worth with two goals, again haunting Australia by netting the only goal before going on to score the equaliser in Iraq's 2-1 away win against China.

Mohammed's 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa dream was brought to an abrupt end when Iraq failed to reach Asia's final qualifying round after their loss to Qatar last June. Yet disappointed as he was, with the FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009 just around the corner, the Iraqi marksman has a fresh chance to showcase his talent to the world.

On 25 June 2007 Emad renewed his contract with Sepahan for another season in a deal thought to be worth in the region of $600,000.[1] He had a good season with Sepahan in Persian Gulf Cup 2006-07 where he was the top scorer for Sepahan in the league and ACL. In Persian Gulf Cup 2009-10, he had perhaps his best season thus far in his career, scoring 19 goals and becoming the top goal scorer for the season and the champion of the Iran Pro League with Sepahan.

On 17 June 2010, Emad arrived in Cairo and signed an unannounced-value three-year-contract with Egyptian giants Zamalek SC in a mammoth deal after refusing his previous Iranian club and Al-Ahly temptations.

Club Career statistics

  • Last Update: 6 March 2012
Club performance League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Qatar League Emir of Qatar Cup Asia Total
2004-05Al-WakraQatar Stars League301100–3011
Iran League Hazfi Cup Asia Total
2005-06FooladPersian Gulf Cup1480050198
2006-07Sepahan219201033312
2007-0826811413110
2008-09291410523516
2009-10281910403319
Egypt League Egypt Cup Africa Total
2010-11ZamalekEgyptian Premier League20000020
Iran League Hazfi Cup Asia Total
2010-11Shahin BushehrPersian Gulf Cup11300–113
2011-12Sepahan22910312510
Total Qatar 301100–3011
Total Iran 151706131718878
Total Egypt 20000020
Career total 183756131722089
  • Assist Goals
SeasonTeamAssists
06–07Sepahan3
07–08Sepahan1
08–09Sepahan1
09–10Sepahan1
10-11Shahin Bushehr4
11-12Sepahan2

International goals

Scores and results list the Iraq' goal tally first.[2]

Honours

Country

Club

  • Iran's Premier Football League
    • Winner: 2
      • 2009/10 with Sepahan
      • 2011/12 with Sepahan

Individual

  • Iraq Super League young player (1998–1999).
  • Iraqi player of the year in 2000.
  • Top scorer of AFC Youth Championship 2000 (4 goals).
  • Runner-up top scorer of FIFA Club World Cup 2007 with Sepahan
  • Best scorer of Sepahan 2008-2009 (14 goals)
  • 2009/10 Iran Pro League top goalscorer with 19 goals with Sepahan

Famous matches

  • Iraq Youth team vs. Japan Youth team --- (AFC Youth Championship 2000) -- Emad scored twice including the golden goal to clinch the Asian Youth Championship title.
  • Al-Zawraa vs. Al-Ain --- (Asian Club Championship 2000) -- Emad scored 2 goals to help Al-Zawraa beat Al-Ain 2-1 in the first round of the Asian Club Championship 2000.
  • Al-Ittihad vs. Pakhtakor --- (AFC Champions League 2002-03 qualifications) -- Al-Ittihad won 4-3, Emad Mohammed score all 4 goals.
  • Iraq Olympic team vs. Australia Olympic team --- (Men's Olympic Football Tournament 2004) -- Emad scores off a bicycle kick to help Iraq advance to the semifinals.
  • Sepahan vs. Waitakere United --- (2007 FIFA Club World Cup) -- Sepahan won 3-1 and Emad Mohammed scored 2 goals in the first 4 minutes of the match.
  • Iraq vs. Australia --- (2010 FIFA World Cup qualification)--Emad kept Iraq's hopes of qualifying to the 2010 World Cup alive by scoring a magnificent goal in the 28th minute and saving them from elimination.

Notes

  1. ↑ "Emad renews contract with Sepahan". aljazeerasport.net. Retrieved 25 June 2007. 
  2. ↑ Roberto Mamrud & Hassanin Mubarak. "Emad Mohammed Ridha Gharib - Century of International Appearances". RSSSF. Retrieved 2013-10-25. 

External links

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Iran Arash Borhani		 Persian Gulf Cup top scorer
2009–10 		Succeeded by
Iran Reza Norouzi
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