Iraq's young striker puts it down to God

JAKARTA (JP): For Iraqi soccer hopeful Emad A. Mohammad, playing soccer is his destiny.

Compared to his seniors such as Hashim Khamis, Ahmed Abdul Jabar or brothers Abbas and Haydar Jassem, who are in the lineup for the national team due to compete in the 2000 Asian Cup, Emad remains a little known player.

But his talent has shone in the Independence Cup tournament here. Emad contributed three out of the four goals Iraq scored in the past two matches.

"I believe playing soccer is a talent from God," he said on Wednesday through an interpreter.

He said his flawless performance in each tournament was dedicated simply to Iraqi people. He also hoped to change international opinion toward his country through soccer.

"I want to bring Iraq to fame in the international community through soccer," he said.

He attributed his aggressive style of play to the fighting spirit of his ancestors from his hometown of Karbala City.

Karbala is Iraq's foremost holy city which is situated some 88 kilometers southwest of Baghdad. According to the New Encyclopedia Britannica, the city's religious importance derives from the Battle of Karbala (AD 680) between the Sunnite and Shi'ite sects of Islam.

Husayn ibn Ali, the Shiite leader and grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, was killed and his tomb has become one of the greatest Shi'ite shrines and pilgrimage centers. Burial in Karbala is a sure means for Shi'ite Muslims to reach paradise. As a consequence the city has extensive cemeteries.

The city is also a departure point for pilgrimages to Mecca.

Born on July, 24, 1982, Emad began to play soccer when he was 10 years old. He is now playing for his country's league champion Al Zawra.

A hard-working striker who is astute at finding the net, Emad will join the national team for the Asian Youth Under 19 Championships in Iran from Nov. 12 to Nov. 26.

For Emad, the Independence Cup, which was reinstated by the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) after a 15 year pause, serves as a warm-up tournament ahead of the junior championships.

Indonesia and Iraq have collected six points after two matches but the host leads the pack on goal differences. Other competitors, Myanmar and Chinese Taipei, are out of the running after losing twice.

Speaking about the third match and the grand final match between his team and Indonesia, Emad expressed optimism that Iraq would emerge as the champion.

"This is our last chance to win. But this is soccer, anything can happen. The team who scores first will be the winner," he said. (ivy)