Salem Ahmed

Salem Ahmed
Personal information
Full name Salem Ahmed Miz'al
Date of birth (2002-10-24) 24 October 2002 (age 22)[1]
Place of birth Basra, Iraq
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 Al-Minaa
Number 9
Youth career
–2020 Al-Minaa
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020– Al-Minaa 101 (24)
International career‡
2023– Iraq U23 3 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Iraq
AFC U-23 Asian Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Qatar Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 4 October 2024

Salem Ahmed (born 24 October 2002) is an Iraqi professional footballer who plays as a striker for Iraqi Stars League side Al-Minaa.[2]

Club career

Ahmed started playing football at the Al-Minaa Academy. In February 2020, he was promoted to play with the club's first team. On 12 December 2020, he scored his first goal in the Iraqi Stars League against Al-Karkh.[3] On 29 June 2021, he scored the winning goal against Al-Qasim in a match that ended in Al-Minaa’s favor with a score of 2–1.[4] The following season, Ahmed finished as the team's top scorer in the Iraqi Stars League despite the team's relegation to the Iraqi Premier Division League. He scored seven goals, scoring against Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya,[5] Al-Qasim,[6] Newroz,[7] Newroz again,[8] Al-Najaf,[9] and Al-Kahrabaa.[10]

In September 2022, his contract with Al-Minaa was renewed.[11][12] Ahmed helped the team win the Iraqi Premier Division League and get promoted to the Iraqi Stars League. He was the team's top scorer, scoring eleven goals, and he scored one of the winning goals in the final.[13][14]

In August 2023, his contract with Al-Minaa was renewed,[15][16] and he played in the starting lineup regularly in the Iraqi Stars League, scoring 4 goals, scoring against Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya,[17] Dohuk,[18] and Dohuk again.[19] The team coach, Hassan Ahmed, considered him one of the main pillars of the team and considered his presence very important in every match that Al-Minaa plays.[20] In August 2024, his contract with Al-Minaa was renewed for an additional season.[21]

International career

Ahmed was first picked to represent Iraq in 2023, when the under-23 coach Radhi Shenaishil selected him to be a part of his 23-man squad to play in the 2023 WAFF U-23 Championship,[22] which Iraq won for the first time in its history.[23] He was also selected in 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.[24] He was the team's striker.[25][26]

Honours

Al-Minaa

Iraq U-23

References

  1. ^ a b Salem Ahmed at Soccerway
  2. ^ "مهاجم الميناء سالم أحمد يحلم بتمثيل منتخبنا الأولمبي". alsabaah.iq (in Arabic). 5 March 2024.
  3. ^ الميناء يتعادل مع الكرخ في الدوري (in Arabic). awla.news. 12 December 2020.
  4. ^ فوز الميناء ونفط الوسط بدوري الكرة الممتاز (in Arabic). shafaq.com. 30 June 2021.
  5. ^ "حمادي أحمد ينقذ القوة الجوية من الخسارة أمام الميناء". kooora.com (in Arabic). 26 October 2021.
  6. ^ "التعادل يحسم مباراتي أمانة بغداد والصناعة والميناء مع القاسم بالدوري الممتاز". ina.iq (in Arabic). 4 November 2021.
  7. ^ سالم أحمد يسجل ويطرد في تعادل نوروز والميناء (in Arabic). kooora.com. 27 November 2021.
  8. ^ الميناء يعادل نوروز في الوقت الضائع (in Arabic). ninanews.com. 5 May 2022.
  9. ^ فوز الكرخ على الديوانية وتعادلان في دوري الكرة الممتاز (in Arabic). shafaq.com. 8 June 2022.
  10. ^ الميناء يحقق فوزاً معنوياً على فريق الكهرباء (in Arabic). observeriraq.net. 3 July 2022.
  11. ^ الميناء يجدد لاثنين من لاعبيه لموسم آخر (in Arabic). shafaq.com. 6 September 2022.
  12. ^ "ادارة الميناء تجدد عقود عدد من لاعبي السفانة". almarsa-news.com (in Arabic). 6 September 2022.
  13. ^ "الميناء يتوج بطلا لدوري الدرجة الاولى بكرة القدم". ninanews.com (in Arabic). 2 June 2023.
  14. ^ "الميناء يحرز لقب دوري الدرجة الاولى للموسم 2022/ 2023". al-mirbad.com (in Arabic). 2 June 2023.
  15. ^ "سوق الانتقالات الصيفية.. تحرك متسارع للأندية العراقية". shafaq.com (in Arabic). 16 August 2023.
  16. ^ ادارة الميناء تجدد عقود عدد من اللاعبين وتوقع مع آخرين (in Arabic). ninanews.com. 18 August 2023.
  17. ^ هاتريك أيمن حسين يقود القوة الجوية للفوز على الميناء (in Arabic). kooora.com. 11 February 2024.
  18. ^ أربيل يقسو على أمانة بغداد.. والميناء يعرقل دهوك (in Arabic). kooora.com. 29 February 2024.
  19. ^ بالصور: 8 أهداف في تعادل جنوني بين دهوك والميناء (in Arabic). kooora.com. 1 July 2024.
  20. ^ أندية عراقية تعبر عن موقفها من تفريغ لاعبيها للمنتخب الأولمبي (in Arabic). shafaq.com. 3 April 2024.
  21. ^ "لاعبو الميناء يجددون ولاءهم للسفانة في الموسم الكروي المقبل". ninanews.com (in Arabic). 18 August 2024.
  22. ^ "‏الجهاز الفني للمنتخب الأولمبي يعلن قائمته لبطولة غرب آسيا". mawazin.net (in Arabic). 25 June 2023.
  23. ^ ""أسود الرافدين" يفرض تألقه ويحقق أول ألقابه في بطولة تحت ٢٣ عاماً". the-waff.com. 21 June 2023.
  24. ^ "شنيشل يعلن قائمة العراق لكأس آسيا تحت 23 عاما". kooora.com (in Arabic). 3 April 2024.
  25. ^ "مهاجم الاولمبي: تعلمنا الدرس وتجاوز السعودية قاب قوسين او ادنى". mawazin.net (in Arabic). 20 April 2024.
  26. ^ "شنيشل يفقد خدمات مهاجمه سالم أحمد في مباراة إندونيسيا المصيرية". shafaq.com (in Arabic). 30 April 2024.