Qusay Munir
Qusay Muneer Abboodi Al-Hussein (Arabic: قصي منير عبودي الحسين, born 12 April 1981 in Iraq) is a Retired Iraqi footballer who last played as a midfielder for Al-Shorta in Iraqi Premier League and the Iraq national football team. Munir, the defensive midfielder of the Iraqi national team, is most noted for playing a big role in addition to playing every single minute in Iraq's successful 2004 Olympic campaign, and was part of the 2007 Asian Cup victory.
Career
Qusay Muneer has been one of the revelations after the war, the former attacker turned midfield enforcer had been on the fringes of the Olympic team before the war until Adnan Hamad gave him a chance and handed the 22-year-old player his debut against Syria, Qusay replied with a goal in a convincing 3–1 victory, and has since earned himself a regular place in midfield despite getting himself sent-off only few minutes after scoring the equaliser against Fajr Sepasi F.C. at the 2003 Emir Abdullah Al-Faisal in Abha, Saudi Arabia. Qusay later scored the all-important fourth goal in the 4–1 win over North Korea in Amman; which gave Iraq a place in the last round of the Olympic qualifiers. Shortly after his goal; Qusay was handed his first international call-up by Bernd Stange and took part in Iraq's tour of Australia in Perth and Albany, and came on as a substitute in the first 20 minutes after an injury to Haitham Khadim.
Before his inclusion in the Olympic team, Qusay had been playing as a centre forward for Al-Sinaa, in the Iraqi first division, netting six times, and scoring twice more in the Iraqi Cup during the 2002/2003 season before the league was suspended due to the outbreak of war. In March 2003, he moved to the Air Force Club, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, at the end of the war and was praised for his impressive performances in the Iraqi league and the AFC Champions League.[1] Qusay played a short term in Saudi Arabia for Al-Hazem then went to Qatar for Al-Khor before he fet a serious injury in 2006 cost him 1 year of his professional career, he recovered in 2007 and signed for Arbil FC and in the same year he won the Iraqi League, Qusay called for the 2007 Asian Cup campaign and was part of the Asian Cup champions squad, after the Asian Cup Qusay signed for 1 year contract with the emeriti Club Al-Sharjah.
In 2008 he signed for Qatar Sports Club after a year playing in the UAE. As of 2014, he plays for the reigning champions of Iraq, Al-Shorta.
Honours
Club
- Qatar SC[2]
- Al-Shorta[2]
International
Individual
- Iraqi Footballer of the Year: 2004[4]
Notes
External links
Hawar M. Mohammed.svg.png){kind=small}