Mahdi Karim

Mahdi Karim Ajeel (Arabic: مهدي كريم عجيل‎, born December 10, 1983 in Iraq) is a former Iraqi footballer. [1] He last played as a winger for Al-Talaba in Iraq and the Iraq national football team.

Mahdi Karim
Personal information
Full name Mahdi Karim Ajeel
Date of birth (1983-12-10) December 10, 1983
Place of birth Baghdad, Iraq
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Winger, Right Back
Youth career
1995–1996 Al-Shorta
1996–1997 Al-Khutot
1997–1998 Al-Sulaikh
1998–1999 Al-Shabab
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2000 Al-Shabab ? (?)
2000–2002 Al Naft ? (?)
2002–2005 Al Talaba ? (?)
2005–2007 Apollon Limassol 83 (10)
2007–2008 Al Ahly Tripoli 18 (11)
2008–2009 Al-Khor 19 (3)
2009–2013 Erbil SC
2013–2015 Al-Shorta (2)
2015–2017 Al-Talaba
National team‡
2001–2018 Iraq 110 (11)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 28 February 2018

Player info

Mahdi Kareem Ajeel's successful conversion to a right winger came initially came as a result of his failure claim a more central striking role in the face of competition from the likes of Younis Mahmoud. Kareem's club career began with Al Naft, where he displayed his predatory instincts by scoring regularly for the local powerhouses. However, his career as a centre-forward effectively ended when he moved to Al Talaba in 2002.

With Alaa Kadhim, Younis Mahmoud and Ahmed Salah all in their prime and ahead of Kareem in the pecking order for a starting place, the youngster found himself switched to the right wing. Not that it took long for the versatile player to adapt to his new position; indeed, it was on the wing that Kareem really came into his own.

Having thrived in his new role at the club level, he quickly broke into Iraqi Olympic team under Adnan Hamad. There, he formed one half of a dynamic wing duo with Hawar Mulla Mohammed, whose surging down the left flank were as significant as Kareem's in breaking down opposition defences. Both figured prominently with the Iraq junior side as they came through Asia's hard-fought qualifying round to book an appearance at Athens 2004, where they would stun the watching world by storming into the last four.

The high point of Kareem's international career arrived later in the year when Iraq won their first continental title at year's AFC Asian Cup. He also figured prominently in Iraq's qualifying campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, scoring four times in the 7–0 victory over Pakistan. This display helped earn him a move to Al Ahly Tripoli, where he has scored 11 times in 18 appearances. Then he went to the Qatari Club Al-Khor, where he had a great season. In 2009, Iraq played disastrous Gulf Cup. After that he moved to the Iraqi club Arbil FC. He made great matches in the AFC Cup against Al-Kuwait, where he also scored a goal.

International goals
Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first. [2]

Honours

Club

Country

Individual
  • Champion with Apollon Limassol FC (CYP) in 2005-2006
  • Best Foreign Player (Libyan Premier League 2007-08) (voting sponsored by Libyana and Al-Madar)
  • Goal of the Season (Libyan Premier League 2007-08, against Al-Madina) (voting sponsored by Libyana and Al-Madar)

Notes
  1. Mahdi Karim Ajeel
  2. "Mahdi Karim- Century of International Appearances". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
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