Ayoub Odisho

Ayoub Odisho Barjam (; born 15 December 1960) is an Iraqi football manager/coach and former player.

Playing career

Born to Assyrian parents, Ayoub was a tough tackling full-back who played for Al-Talaba during a playing career that spanned 14 years. The right-sided defender joined the Students club in 1976, making his debut in a 1–0 win over Al-Shurta a year later. He was one of the best defenders in the Iraqi league during the 1980s. He played alongside the likes of Hussein Saeed, Wathiq Aswad, Ali Hussein Shihab, Haris Mohammed and Adnan Dirjal during his career with the great club, helping Al-Talaba to three league titles in 1981, 1982, and 1986.

He made his international debut on 9 February 1979 in the 1–1 draw with East Germany in a friendly game in Baghdad and went on to make 38 appearances for Iraq, including playing at the 1982 Gulf Cup in the UAE and the Asian Games victory in New Delhi that same year but due to injuries a year on he lost his place in the side to Khalil Allawi. He made his last international appearance in a friendly with Bahrain in 1987.

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

No Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 23 November 1982 Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi 1–0 3–0 1982 Asian Games

Coaching career Odisho after retiring in 1991, he went on to coach Al-Talaba and Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, leading Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya to four trophies in the 1996–97 season. He gave a live interview at the end of the 1997–98 Iraqi League season in which he said how happy he was that Al-Quwa Al Jawiya had won the league title, but midway through the interview, he heard that Al-Shorta had won the league with a last minute goal. He also had a lengthy spell in Lebanon managing Salam Zgharta, Al-Akhaa Ahli Aley and Safa FC. His last coaching job was at Arbil, which he stood down from in late 2011.

In October 2013, Odisho was appointed Erbil SC coach for his second stint with the club.

On 23 August 2017, Odisho joined Al-Zawra'a SC for two seasons. He led them in 62 games, winning 39 of them and winning the Iraqi league and the Iraqi super cup after a game against Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya.

Managerial statistics

Honours

Player

Al-Talaba Iraqi Premier League: 1980–81, 1981–82, 1985–86

Iraq Asian Games: 1982

Manager

Al-Talaba Iraqi Premier League: 1992–93 Baghdad Championship: 1995–96

Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Iraqi Premier League: 1996–97, 2020–21 Iraq FA Cup: 1996–97, 2020–21 Baghdad Championship: 1996–97 Iraqi Super Cup: 1997

Al-Zawraa Iraqi Premier League: 2017–18 Iraqi Super Cup: 2017

Al-Jaish Syrian Premier League: 2009–10