2023–24 Al-Mina'a SC season

After Al-Minaa was relegated from the Premier League,[2][3] it was able, within one season, to return and promote again to the Premier League, where the club was able to win the Division One title in the previous season,[4] after defeating Amanat Baghdad (2-1) in the final match,[5][6] the club's management promised the fans that it would prepare greatly to support the team to compete for the league title.[7] In August, the club signed a contract with coach Qahtan Chathir with his assistant staff to lead the team in the league.[8][9] Chathir announced in the press conference upon signing the contract that he does not promise to win the league this season, but rather promises to form a good team that achieves good results, because the team is playing for the first time in the Iraq Stars League after promotion from the Division One, and because there is no financial possibility to sign with super players in present time.[10][11]

The summer transfer window opened on 5 August 2023.[12] Al-Minaa announced their first signing of the summer on 9 August with 26-year-old Iraqi winger Mueen Ahmed joining the club from Premier League side Al-Najaf.[13] Mueen Ahmed started with Al-Najaf in 2017, and during six seasons he scored 17 goals,[14] and he previously played for Iraq national under-23 football team in the 2020 AFC U-23 Championship,[15] and he plays in the central midfielder position.[16] But on 25 September, the Al-Najaf administration negotiated with the Al-Minaa administration to return the player. Al-Minaa agreed to allow him and terminated his contract, and Al-Najaf thanked Al-Minaa for its cooperation.[17]

On 10 August, the Al-Minaa confirmed that they had signed 31-year-old Iraqi defender Niaz Mohammed from Newroz.[13][18] Niaz previously played for Erbil, Al-Shorta, Naft Al-Wasat and Newroz, during which he scored 6 goals,[19] and was also on the initial list of the Iraq national football team that coach Katanec called up for the 2019 WAFF Championship.[20] Al-Minaa also announced that 27-year-old Iraqi midfielder Yasser Naeem had joined the club from Premier League side Al-Talaba.[13][18] He previously played for Al-Karkh, Karbalaa, Al-Kahrabaa, Amanat Baghdad and Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya.[21] He also played for the Iraq national under-20 football team in 2012 under the leadership of coach Hakim Shaker, but he was excluded from the squad that participated in the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[22]

On 11 August, Al-Minaa confirmed that they had signed 26-year-old Iraqi winger Ali Khalil from Naft Al-Basra.[18][23] He started playing for Al-Samawa, then moved to Al-Talaba, then Naft Al-Basra, during which he scored 9 goals.[24]

On 12 August, the Al-Minaa confirmed that they had signed 27-year-old Iraqi goalkeeper Abed Salim Hammad from Al-Karkh.[18][23] Abed Saleem started playing in Al-Ramadi, then moved to Al-Karkh, and won the 2021–22 Iraq FA Cup with them.[25] He is considered one of the most talented goalkeepers in Iraq, and the press called for him to be included in the national team.[26][27] Al-Minaa also announced that 23-year-old Iraqi central midfielder Mohammed Zamel had joined the club from Al-Najaf.[18][23] He previously played for Al-Hudood, Naft Al-Wasat, Al-Talaba and Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, during which he scored 12 goals in Premier League.[28]

Al-Minaa announced on 16 August that three first-team players and academy graduates Haider Salem, Abbas Yas and Salem Ahmed had signed a new contract.[29] The club also renewed the contract of three other players from the first team and academy graduates the next day, they are Jaafar Shenaishil, Hassan Odah and Mohammed Khudhair.[30]

On 17 August, the Al-Minaa confirmed that they had signed 25-year-old Iraqi striker Ahmed Lafta from Naft Al-Wasat.[30] Lafta started playing in the club of his city, Al-Furat, the club’s fans called him (Koné), likening him to the French player Manu Koné,[31] after which he moved to play in the Premier League for Al-Karkh, Al-Najaf, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya and Naft Al-Wasat. From the 2021 season until last season, he scored 28 goals for the clubs he played for.[32] On the same day, the club announced that it had signed a contract with its former player Hussam Malik, who moved from Al-Minaa to Naft Al-Basra in the season before last, and returned this season to sign his contract with Al-Minaa again.[30] On August 19, the club's management renewed the contracts of four players, namely Abdullah Mohsin, Hamza Hadi Ahmed, Sajjad Alaa, and Mohammed Sabah.[33]

On 21 August, the club confirmed that they had signed 22-year-old defender Hussein Amer Ojaimi from Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya.[33][34][35] The player was part of the Iraq national under-23 football team squad[36] that won the 2023 WAFF U-23 Championship.[37] He started playing in the club of his city, Al-Khidhir, then moved last season to Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya in the Division One, and he will play for the first time in the Pro League.[38]

On 28 August, Al-Minaa announced that it had signed a contract with its former player the left back Hamza Adnan from Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya.[39] The player moved three seasons ago from Al-Minaa to Baghdad, where he played for Al-Talaba and Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya.[40] Three days after that, and within eight days, the club renewed the contracts of four players, namely Karrar Al-Amir Ali, Karrar Jaafar, Muslim Musa Fayyadh and Ayad Abed Farhan.[41]

On 8 September, the Al-Minaa confirmed that they had signed 29-year-old Iraqi striker Murtaja Adel Nasser from Duhok.[41] Murtaja is the son of the club’s vice president, Adel Nasser, and his contract sparked ridicule from the club’s fans and social media users, as he represents a recurring phenomenon among successive Al-Minaa club presidents, who force coaches to sign their sons to play within the squad despite their poor technical level.[42] Murtaja only scored one goal last season for Duhok, and before that, the last goal he scored was back in April 2021.[43]

On 13 September, the club announced the promotion of five players from the club’s academy to the first team, namely Ali Abdul Amir, Mohammed Thair, Hassan Hamed, Amir Shaker, and Hamid Ali.[44] The academy team finished as runner-up after losing the 2022–23 Iraq Youth League title in the final match against the Erbil Academy team on penalties, although it did not lose any match during the league, but it was unable to maintain the title that won it in the previous season.[45]

On 16 September, the Al-Minaa confirmed that they had signed 26-year-old Iraqi right back Salah Hassan from Naft Al-Basra, and 25-year-old Iraqi right back Ibrahim Khalaf from Al-Naft.[46] The club also contracted with Tunisian fitness coach Abdullah Slimani, who began training the team upon his arrival to the club.[46]

On 25 September, the club announced the promotion of six players from the Club’s Reserve team to the first team, namely Abdul Aziz Faisal, Zain Al-Abidin Hussein, Hassan Faleh, Muntadhar Hassan, Mohammed Saadoun, and Mujtaba Ali.[47] The reserve team won the 2022–23 Iraqi reserve league title for the first division after defeating the Al-Sinaat Al-Kahrabaiya reserve team in the final match with a score of 2–0.[48]

On 26 September, Al-Minaa announced the arrival of 5 out of 6 foreign professionals to the club’s headquarters. The club had contracted with them, and the sixth was still waiting for the visa to be completed. The club announced that it would officially present them when their registration was completed. The players are the Cameroonians Ernest Thierry Anang and Regis Baha, the Nigeriens Abdoulaye Boureima Katkoré and Abdoulaye Karim Doudou, the Brazilian Jaílson and the Ivorian Didier Koré.[49]

Three days after completing the signings, Al-Minaa played their first pre-season friendly match, at the Basra Sports City stadium, against Division One side Al-Bahri on 29 September. Al-Bahri player Yousef Aziz scored the only goal in the match, as the match ended 0–1 to Al-Bahri, as Al-Minaa played the match without its professionals.[50] Al-Minaa faced Division Three side Abi Al-Khaseeb at Basra Sports City, on 3 October. Abdoulaye Karim Doudou, Hussam Malik, Sajjad Alaa, Ayad Abed Farhan and Mohammed Khudhair each scored one goal in the match, helping the team win 5–1.[51] Then Al-Minaa faced Division Three side Al-Noor at Basra Sports City, on 9 October. Murtaja Adel Nasser, Hamza Adnan and Ibrahim Khalaf each scored goal in the match, helping the team win 3–2. The team returned to face Al-Bahri again on October 12. Murtaja Adel Nasser and Abdullah Mohsin each scored a goal in the match, and one of the Al-Bahri players scored an own goal to help Al-Minaa win 3–2.[52]

After the end of the internal camp, which the team concluded with a match against Al-Bahri, the team was supposed to enter an external camp in Kuwait, but the delay in obtaining the visa canceled travel there. The team changed its destination to Baghdad to enter an external camp and play two matches.[53] In the first match, Al-Minaa faced Iraq Stars League side Al-Karkh at Al-Saher Ahmed Radhi Stadium on 16 October. The match continued in a goalless draw, until the 90th minute, when Muhammad Abdul Rahman scored a goal from a free kick for Al-Karkh, making Al-Minaa lose 1–0. Al-Minaa played without 6 of its players, including Niger national team players Abdoulaye Boureima Katkoré and Abdoulaye Karim Doudou, who played with the national team during the international break[54] in a match against Somalia and won 3–0.[55] And including Iraqi young defender Hussein Amer, who joined the U-23 national team, which traveled to Morocco to play two friendly matches against Morocco and the Dominican Republic,[56] where they won the matches 1–0 and 3–1, respectively.[57][58] In the second friendly match, Al-Minaa faced Amanat Baghdad, at the Al-Kahrabaa Stadium, Hussam Malik and Ernest Thierry Anang scored Al-Minaa’s goals to defeat Amanat Baghdad 0–2.[59]

On 18 September, the Federal Court of Cassation decided to invalidate the Al-Minaa Club elections, which took place on January 26, 2023, after the lawsuit filed by the former president of club, Jalil Hanoon.[60][61] On 11 October, the Iraqi Olympic Committee decided to dissolve the club’s administrative body and appoint a temporary administrative body headed by Ahmed Khalaf Thijeel, with elections to be held to choose a new body within a period of three months.[62]

In May 2023, the Iraqi Football Association received a notice from FIFA informing it of banning Al-Minaa Club from summer transfer contracts, due to previous debts owed by the administration for the dues of professional players who played for the team and who filed an official complaint for the FIFA.[63] At that time, Al-Mina Club management announced that there were no debts or a ban on the club from registering players, indicating that the FIFA decision was “temporary” and the issue would be resolved and settled before the start of the Iraq Stars League next season.[64] However, after the completion of the summer transfers and the holding of the league draw and a few days before the start of the tournament, the club was informed by FIFA not to approve the registration of the new players due to the ban. The club was informed that it must limit itself to players from the previous season to participate in the league, and the remaining players of the previous season were only 11 players. As a result, the coaching staff revealed two days before the first round match that he would leave the task of leading the football team for this reason.[65][66]

Al-Minaa played their first home game of the season against Al-Kahrabaa in Basra Sports City on October 27. The team entered this match with a significant shortage of players due to the ban imposed by FIFA, as it played without professionals, and excluded all the players who were contracted in the summer, so that the number of remaining players was only 12 players, to whom 4 players from the academy were added, and the team was led by coach Qahtan Chathir.[67] Mahmoud Khalil opened the scoring in the 16th minute for Al-Kahrabaa, and doubled their lead on 23 minutes when Amir Faisal cut inside and arrowed into the right corner. In the 57th minute, Ayad Abed Farhan scored for Al-Minaa, but the goal was canceled after returning to VAR. In the 64th minute, Al-Minaa won a penalty kick, which Ayad Abed Farhan took, but the Al-Kahrabaa goalkeeper Ali Ebadi was able to block it. In the 90th minute, Hassan Odah pulled a goal back for Al-Minaa from a close shot, Anael Barga Ngoba sealed the match with a third goal for the visitors in extra time, ending the match with Al-Minaa losing 1–3. The game also saw League debutant acadimy players Mohammed Ghaleb and Hameed Ali Hameed as substitutes in 56th, 85th minutes from match.[68][69]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 2 DF  IRQ Abdullah Mohsin 6 MF  IRQ Haider Salem 7 MF  IRQ Ayad Abed Farhan 12 FW  IRQ Karrar Jaafar 15 MF  IRQ Mohammed Khudhair 18 FW  IRQ Salem Ahmed 19 DF  IRQ Hassan Odah 22 GK  IRQ Jaafar Shenaishil

No. Pos. Nation Player 26 FW  IRQ Sajjad Alaa 28 MF  IRQ Hamza Hadi Ahmed 33 MF  IRQ Abbas Yas 36 FW  IRQ Hameed Ali Hameed 38 DF  IRQ Mahdi Hashim 39 MF  IRQ Naji Nasser 40 DF  IRQ Mohammed Ghaleb 50 GK  IRQ Mohammed Sabah

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — FW  IRQ Mohammed Jabbar Shokan — DF  IRQ Muslim Musa Fayyadh — DF  IRQ Niaz Mohammed — MF  IRQ Yasser Naeem — MF  IRQ Ali Khalil — GK  IRQ Abed Salim Hammad — MF  IRQ Mohammed Zamel — FW  IRQ Ahmed Lafta — MF  IRQ Hussam Malik — DF  IRQ Hussein Amer Ojaimi — DF  IRQ Hamza Adnan — FW  IRQ Murtaja Adel Nasser — DF  IRQ Mohammed Thair — MF  IRQ Amir Shaker

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  IRQ Hassan Hamed — DF  IRQ Salah Hassan — DF  IRQ Ibrahim Khalaf — DF  IRQ Zain Al-Abidin Hussein — MF  IRQ Hassan Faleh — DF  IRQ Muntadhar Hassan — GK  IRQ Mohammed Saadoun — DF  IRQ Mujtaba Ali — DF  BRA Jaílson — FW  CMR Ernest Thierry Anang — MF  CMR Regis Baha — MF  CIV Didier Koré — DF  NIG Abdoulaye Boureima Katkoré — DF  NIG Abdoulaye Karim Doudou

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixtures

Al-Minaa v Al-Bahri

29 September 2023	Al-Minaa	0–1	Al-Bahri	Basra
16:00 UTC+3		Report	Aziz	Stadium: Basra Sports City

Al-Minaa v Abi Al-Khaseeb

3 October 2023	Al-Minaa	5–1	Abi Al-Khaseeb	Basra
16:00 UTC+3	Karim Malik Alaa Farhan Khudhair	Report		Stadium: Basra Sports City

The league fixtures were announced on 21 October 2023.[78][79][80]

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixtures

As of 27 October 2023

2023–24 season
No.	Pos.	Player	IS League	FA Cup	total
2	DF	Abdullah Mohsin	1	0	1
6	MF	Haider Salem	1	0	1
7	MF	Ayad Abed Farhan	1	0	1
12	FW	Karrar Jaafar	1	0	1
15	MF	Mohammed Khudhair	1	0	1
18	FW	Salem Ahmed	1	0	1
19	DF	Hassan Odah	1	0	1
22	GK	Jaafar Shenaishil	1	0	1
26	FW	Sajjad Alaa	1	0	1
28	MF	Hamza Hadi Ahmed	1	0	1
33	MF	Abbas Yas	1	0	1
36	FW	Hameed Ali Hameed	0+1	0	0+1
38	DF	Mahdi Hashim	0	0	0
39	MF	Naji Nasser	0	0	0
40	DF	Mohammed Ghaleb	0+1	0	0+1
50	GK	Mohammed Sabah	0	0	0

As of 27 October 2023

2023–24 season
Rank	No.	Pos	Nat	Name	IS League	FA Cup	Total
1	19	MF		Hassan Odah	1	0	1
Own goals					0	0	0
TOTALS					1	0	1

As of 27 October 2023

2023–24 season
Rank	No.	Pos	Nat	Name	IS League	FA Cup	Total
1	36	FW		Hameed Ali Hameed	1	0	1
TOTALS					1	0	1