Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail

Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail

Abu Al-Hail with Akhaa Ahli Aley in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail Labid Al-Zirjawi[1]
Date of birth	(1975-12-21) 21 December 1975 (age 45)
Place of birth	Baghdad, Iraq[1]
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Central midfielder
Club information
Current team	Zakho (head coach)
Youth career
1987–1992	Al-Rasheed
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1993–1999	Al-Talaba	35+	(7+)
1999–2001	Al-Akhaa Al-Ahli		(6)
2001–2003	Al-Shaab		(6)
2003–2006	Esteghlal Ahvaz	69	(3)
2006–2009	Sepahan	88	(9)
2009–2010	Foolad	7	(0)
2010–2013	Al-Talaba		(7+)
Total		199+	(38+)
National team
1997–2009	Iraq	59	(8)
Teams managed
2013–2015	Al-Talaba
2016–2020	Al-Akhaa Al-Ahli
2020–2021	Ansar
2021–	Zakho
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail Labid Al-Zirjawi (Arabic: عبد الوهاب أبو الهيل لابد الزيرجاوي‎; born 21 December 1975) is an Iraqi professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Iraqi club Zakho.

Club career[]

Abu Al-Hail started his career by playing for Al-Talaba in Iraq. He has also played for Al-Shaab of the UAE. In 2003, he moved to the Iranian Pro League club Esteghlal Ahvaz. After three seasons he joined the Esfahani club Sepahan. And stayed there for another 3 season where he won the Hazfi Cup once during his time and played many matches in ACL and CWC. He moved to Foolad for 2009–10 season but he was rejected by the new coach Majid Jalali.

Abu Al-Hail started his career with Al Talaba in 1992.^[2][3] He left the club in 1999, moving to Al-Akhaa Al-Ahli of Lebanon,^[2][3][4] and then to Al-Shaab of the United Arab Emirates.^[2][3] In 2003, he moved to Iran, playing for Esteghlal Ahvaz, Sepahan and Foolad.^[2][3] While at Esteghlal, Abu Al-Hail was given the captain's armband: it was the first time in the history of the Iranian league that a foreign player had become captain.^[3]

International career[]

Abdul-Wahab Abou Al-Hail was a key member of the Iraqi national team and one of the most coveted properties in Iraqi football.^[4] A jewel in midfield, equipped with remarkable ball control, accurate passing, shooting and is particularly threatening at free-kicks.^[4] His coach Milan Zivadinovic once described him as 'Our Ronaldo', due to his importance to the side and his short 'Ronaldoesque' hair cut.^[4] He came into the international scene during the Nehru Cup in 1997, missing a penalty in the shoot-out win over India.^[4]

At international level, Abu Al-Hail featured prominently in Iraq's qualifying campaign for the 2002 FIFA World Cup under then coach Rudolf Belin. Olympic manager Adnan Hamad called the midfielder into his squad for the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Abu Al-Hail was a member of the Iraq national football team. and was part of Iraq Olympic team in the 2004 Olympic Games, reached the 4th place. Abu Al-Hail was not selected in Iraq's title-winning 2007 AFC Asian Cup squad as the national authorities stayed faithful to players from the former youth team that had won the AFC Youth Championship 2000.

Managerial career[]

Abu Al-Hail started his managerial career at Al-Talaba in 2013, remaining in charge until 2015.^[2] In December 2016,^[5] Abu Al-Hail became the head coach of his former club Akhaa Ahli Aley, in the Lebanese Premier League,^[6] for the 2016–17 season.^[2] In his second season as head coach, he finished fourth in the league.^[6] On 21 January 2020, he was appointed head coach of Ansar.^[2][7] He resigned on 20 March 2020, following Ansar's 2–2 draw to Safa.^[8]

On 21 April 2021, Abu Al-Hail was appointed head coach of Zakho in Iraq.^[9]

Career statistics[]

Club[]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup[a]		Continental		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Esteghlal Ahvaz	2003–04	Persian Gulf Cup	24	2			—	—
	2004–05	Persian Gulf Cup	23	0			—	—
	2005–06	Persian Gulf Cup	25	1			—	—
	Total		72	3			0	0
Sepahan	2006–07	Persian Gulf Cup	29	4			12	1
	2007–08	Persian Gulf Cup	31	5		0	5	0		5
	2008–09	Persian Gulf Cup	28	0		0	5	0		0
	Total
Foolad	2009–10	Persian Gulf Cup	7	0	0	0	—	—	7	0
Career total			167	12			22	1

International[]

Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.

List of international goals scored by Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	27 August 1999	Al Hassan Stadium, Amman, Jordan	Lebanon	4–0	4–0	1999 Pan Arab Games
2	14 April 2001	Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad, Iraq	Nepal	1–0	9–1	2002 World Cup qualification
3				3–0
4	16 April 2001	Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad, Iraq	Kazakhstan	1–1	1–1	2002 World Cup qualification
5	21 April 2001	Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan	Macau	1–0	5–0	2002 World Cup qualification
6				2–0
7	23 April 2001	Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan	Nepal	2–0	4–2	2002 World Cup qualification
8	5 October 2001	Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan	Saudi Arabia	1–1	2–1	2002 World Cup qualification

Managerial[]

As of 30 June 2021

Team	Nat	From	To	Record
				G	W	D	L	Win %
Al-Talaba		12 September 2013	1 March 2015	33	12	8	13	036.36
Al-Akhaa Al-Ahli		20 December 2016	20 January 2020	76	33	18	25	043.42
Al Ansar FC		20 January 2020	20 March 2021	19	14	1	4	073.68
Zakho FC		21 April 2021	present	8	0	4	4	000.00
Total				136	59	31	46	043.38

Honours[]

Player[]

Sepahan

• Iranian Hazfi Cup: 2005–06

Iraq

• WAFF Championship: 2002

Notes[]

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail.

• Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail at National-Football-Teams.com
• Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail at Goalzz.com (available in Arabic at Kooora.com)
• Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail at iraqsport.com