Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya

This article is about the Iraqi football club. For the Sri Lankan football team, see Air Force SC.
Nadi Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
نادي القوة الجوية
Full name Nadi Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Riyadhi
Nickname(s) Al-Soqoor (The Falcons)
Founded 22 April 1931 (1931) as Gipsy Moth
Ground Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Stadium
Ground Capacity 10,000
Chairman Anwar Hamad Ameen
Manager Basim Qasim
League Iraqi Premier League
2015–16 Iraqi Premier League, 4th

Nadi Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Riyadhi (Air Force Sports Club, Arabic: نادي القوة الجوية الرياضي) is an Iraqi football club based in Rusafa District, Baghdad that competes in the Iraqi Premier League, the top-flight of Iraqi football. Founded in 1931, it is the oldest existing football club in Iraq. It is also one of Iraq's most successful clubs, having won ten national titles, the most recent being in the 2004–05 season. The club has won four Iraq FA Cups, including the most recent edition in 2016, as well as a joint-record three Umm Al-Ma'arik Cups and two Iraqi Super Cups. It is also one of only two clubs to win all four of the aforementioned trophies in the same season (the 1996–97 season).

On the continental level, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya has won one major honour which was the AFC Cup in 2016 which saw them become the third Iraqi club to win a major continental club competition, the others being Al-Shorta and Al-Rasheed. The Falcons have participated in the AFC Champions League three times since its foundation in 2002, but failed to advance past the group stage each time, and the furthest they have reached in the Arab Club Championship is the quarter-final in the 2012–13 edition.

History

Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya is Arabic for "Air Force". It was the first club to be found in Iraq on July 4, 1931. It was founded under the name of "Gipsy Moth," by a group of Iraqi flight policemen from the Hinaidi RAF Base. Al-Jawiya played its first match one day after it was founded, on July 5 against another military team from the Habbaniya RAF Base (50 miles west of Baghdad). Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya renamed its club to Al-Tayaran (Airlines) in 1974 and decided to revert to Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya in 1991.

Stadium

Al-Jawiya's stadium is located in Baghdad, next to Falastin Street. It has a capacity of 10,000. However, the stadium is too small while it lacks all main facilities.

Supporters

Al-Jawiya has a large fanbase throughout Iraq, most fans are based in Baghdad though. The supporters call themselves Al-Soqoor, which means the hawks. This is also the nickname of the club. The fans are very loyal to the club, however, the stadium is not always filled. The main reasons for this is that the stadium lacks all regular facilities, like proper seats and a roof to protect the supporters from the burning sun during the period of April to October. Also, many games are played during the day on work days which prevents many supporters to visit the matches. The security in Baghdad (Iraq in general) hasn't helped to encourage the supporters either.

The games against big clubs like Al Zawraa, Al Shorta, Arbil and Dohuk are always packed.

Ultras Blue Hawks

As of 2012, Ultras Blue Hawks was founded by a group of fanatics. The Ultras has now grown to a big firm of a few thousand. They are the ones that create a good atmosphere during the game.

Current squad

As of 15 June 2016

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

No. Position Player
1 Iraq GK Fahad Talib
2 Iraq FW Samal Saeed
4 Iraq DF Mohammed Abdul-Zahra
5 Iraq MF Ibrahim Kamil
6 Iraq DF Ayad Sadir
7 Iraq MF Haitham Kadhim (Captain)
8 Iraq FW Hammadi Ahmad
10 Iraq FW Ali Saad
13 Iraq MF Bashar Rasan
15 Iraq MF Osama Ali
16 Syria MF Zaher Midani
17 Syria DF Moayad Ajan
23 Iraq DF Salah Hilal
25 Iraq FW Akram Hameed
26 Iraq MF Haidar Hussein Askar
No. Position Player
28 Cameroon MF Makadji Boukar
31 Iraq DF Majid Jawad
32 Iraq DF Ahmed Mohammed
35 Iraq MF Hussein Jawad
Iraq DF Mohammed Ali Karim
Iraq DF Emad Khalaf
Iraq DF Saad Attiya
Iraq MF Ali Sabah
Iraq MF Ihab Kadhim
Iraq MF Abdul-Aziz Koni
Iraq MF Ahmed Nadhem
Iraq MF Halgurd Mulla Mohammed
Iraq FW Abdul-Aziz Drezi
Iraq FW Amjad Radhi
Iraq FW Ahmad Abdul-Amir

Current technical staff

Position Name
Coach Iraq Samir Kadhim
Assistant coach Iraq Rafah Al-Kahlil
Iraq Razzaq Farhan
Iraq Ahmed Khudair
Goalkeeping coach Iraq Hashem Khamees
Club doctor Iraq Khalib Abbas

Honours

International

Domestic

Regional

Individual Honours

2009 FIFA Confederations Cup

The following players have played in the FIFA Confederations Cup whilst playing for Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya :

Notable former managers

See also

External links

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