Adnan Dirjal ( ar, عدنان درجال مطر; born 26 January 1960 in Baghdad) is an Iraqi former footballer, national team coach, and as of May 2020 heads the Iraqi Ministry of Youth and Sports. He was one of Iraq's most prominent national team captains, who played as a defender. On 14 September 2021 he won the presidency of the Iraqi Football Association.

Club career

Adnan, a defender, started his career with

Al-Zawraa Al-Zawraa Sports Club ( ar, نادي الزوراء الرياضي) is an Iraqi sports club based in Utayfia, Karkh District (near Tigris River), Baghdad. Their football team compete in the Iraqi Premier League, the top-flight of Iraqi football ...

, where he won the Iraqi league and cup double in 1978/1979. He went on to join Al-Talaba, where he was one of the stars of a team that included Haris Mohammed, Jamal Ali and the great Hussein Saeed. At Al-Talaba Adnan won the Iraqi league two times and reached two cup finals. His most successful club spell came at

Al-Rasheed Al-Rasheed Sports Club ( ar, نادي الرشيد الرياضي) was an Iraqi sports club based in Karkh, Baghdad. Its professional football team played in the Iraqi Premier League, the top tier of the Iraqi football, from 1984 until 199 ...

, the club owned by

Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolution ...

's eldest son

Uday Uday or Odai is a masculine name in Arabic as well as several Indian languages. In many Indian languages it means 'dawn' or 'rise'. The Arabic name (عدي) means 'runner' or 'rising'. List of people * Uday Benegal, Indian musician * Uday Pratap Si ...

, where he captained the club and won three Iraqi league titles, two cups and a record three Arab Club Championships during the mid to late 80s.

Political career

He secured a position in Iraqi PM

Mustafa Al-Kadhimi Mustafa Abdul Latif Mishatat ( ar, مصطفى عبد اللطيف مشتت; born 5 July 1967), known as Mustafa al-Kadhimi, alternatively spelt Mustafa al-Kadhimy, is an Iraqi politician, lawyer and bureaucrat and former intelligence officer who ...

's cabinet in May 2020 when he was appointed

Minister of Youth and Sports Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...

International career

Adnan made the step into international football early, helping

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

win both the CISM World Military Championship and the

Gulf Cup The Arabian Gulf Cup ( ar, كأس الخليج العربي, ''Kass Al-Khaleej Al-Arabi''), often referred to simply as the Gulf Cup, is a biennial football competition governed by the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation for its eight member nat ...

in 1979. He later played at three Olympic Games, in 1980,

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast As ...

and 1988, three Gulf Cup victories, and the

Asian Games The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation (AGF) from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until th ...

win over Kuwait in 1982. The biggest disappointment in a glittering career was missing the World Cup finals in Mexico in 1986 through injury.

International goals

''Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.''

Personal life

He has three sons and one daughter. One of them is

Muhannad Darjal Muhannad Adnan Darjal ( ar, مهند عدنان درجال) (born 1 January 1986) is an Iraqi footballer who plays as a defender. Personal life He is the son of the famous defender Adnan Dirjal Adnan Dirjal ( ar, عدنان درجال مطر; ...

, who played professionally for

Al Wakrah Al Wakrah ( ar, الوكرة, al-Wakra) is the capital city of the Al Wakrah Municipality in Qatar. Al Wakrah's eastern edge is the shores of the Persian Gulf and Qatar's capital Doha is situated to the city's immediate north. Governed by Sheikh ...

as a defender.

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dirjal, Adnan 1960 births Living people Sportspeople from Baghdad Iraqi footballers Al-Zawraa SC players Al-Rasheed players Iraqi football managers Iraqi expatriate football managers Expatriate football managers in Qatar Iraqi expatriate sportspeople in Qatar Footballers at the 1980 Summer Olympics Footballers at the 1984 Summer Olympics Footballers at the 1988 Summer Olympics Olympic footballers of Iraq Asian Games medalists in football Footballers at the 1982 Asian Games FIFA Century Club Asian Games gold medalists for Iraq Association football defenders Medalists at the 1982 Asian Games Government ministers of Iraq Iraq international footballers