Habib Jafar

Habib Jafar

Personal information
Full name	Habib Jafar Aqal
Date of birth	(1966-07-01) July 1, 1966
Place of birth	Baghdad, Iraq
Position(s)	Right Winger
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1983–1985	Al Talaba
1985–1990	Al Rasheed
1990–1991	Al Tayaran
1991–1993	Al Talaba
1993–1995	Qatar
1995–1996	Al-Ittihad
1996–1998	Al-Wakrah
1998–2000	Al Ansar
2000–2003	Al Talaba
International career
1986–2001	Iraq	92	(27)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Habib Jafar (Template:Lang-ar) (born July 1, 1966) is a former Iraqi footballer. He was featured on the national team many times and is remembered for competing in various Gulf Cup competitions. In the 1988 Gulf Cup, he was voted as the best player of the competition. He became a regular of the national team at a young age and was almost even called up for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, but he was thought to be to unexperienced by then-coach, Evaristo de Macedo.

He was a key player in the Iraqi national team during the late 1980s and through the 1990s. Habib first appeared in the national team in 1988, playing in the Arab Championship, Olympics in Seoul and the Gulf Cup, where he was voted as player of the tournament. Was an important part of a talented Iraqi side that nearly qualified for the World Cup in 1994.

He spent his time with clubs in Iraq, and spent a 4-year spell in Qatar with Al-Rayyan, Al-Ittihad (now known as "Al-Gharaffa"), and Al-Wakra, and in the latest part of his career, with Dhofar of Oman.

Retired from the international scene after being omitted from the Asian Cup squad in Lebanon in 2000, by Milan Zivadinovic, but was surprisingly brought back by Adnan Hamad after the sacking of Milan in February 2001. Habib was placed by the German-based Federation of Football History & Statistics as Iraq's 3rd best player of the century.

See also

• 1988 Gulf Cup of Nations

External links

• Info on Habib Jaafar
• Habib Jaafar - Iraqi football; Hall of Fame