Hussein Ali

Hussein Ali Jasim Al Saedi (; born 29 November 1996) is an Iraqi professional footballer who plays for Iraq Stars League club Al-Shorta and the Iraq national team. A creative player, he mainly plays as an attacking midfielder but can also perform well as a winger.

Club career Early career Hussein was born in Baghdad in 1996 and comes from Sadr City. Like his mentor, Hussein began his career as a right winger but is seen as more than just a right sided attacker. Hussein has a versatility to his game and has already proven that he can play anywhere in midfield, whether it be in the center, out-wide on either wings or as a playmaker.

A gifted footballer in his youth, he was often overlooked by youth coaches because of his height. Standing at , he struggled to make the cut ahead of more physically developed players. but it was rejected by Al Zawraa board of directors, And from Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai in UAE, and Libyan club to play to their teams. However the deal fell through when his agent was unable to complete the transfer, because of his participation in AFC U23 Championship, and he preferred to stay with his team until the end of the season. On 13 May 2018, the Qatari media reported that Al-Sailiya SC is close to signing with Hussein in the summer transfer, but he moved to another club. Hussein was instrumental in win the league title with Al Zawraa. He scored 7 goals and many assist for the club 2017–18.

Qatar SC On 10 June 2018, Qatar SC announced that the player had signed a contract with team for the 2018–2019 season. On 16 July after the end of the long season, he joined Qatar SC, He was given the number 9 jersey. Hussein didn't rest for three consecutive seasons, because of his continuing participation with the club and national teams. He scored his first and second goal for Qatar SC in the first match in the league against Al-Gharafa on 4 August 2018. With a good start, the player experienced difficulties after changing the trainer and adding a striker unable to request the ball behind the defenders and receive the crossing balls. The entire team underperformed as Qatar SC ended the season in the relegation playoff, in which Hussein scored the winner in order to keep the club in the first division. Hussein Ali and Qatar SC ended the contract by mutual consent.

Return to Al-Zawraa Hussein Ali returned to Al-Zawraa following his season abroad in Qatar.His second tenure was uneventful as the Iraqi league was suspended once for the 2019 Tishreen Movement which resulted in large scale protests in the country, and then again due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CS Sfaxien 21 August 2021, Hussein joined Tunisian side CS Sfaxien. He made 18 appearances for the club in the firs season as his side finished 3rd in the league. Hussein Ali also featured in the 2021–22 CAF Confederation Cup, which his side was knocked out from the group stage. In the Tunisian cup, Hussein Ali scored his first goal for the club in a round of 32 victory against Étoile de Métlaoui in a 3–0 win. Hussein scored a vital 82nd-minute equalizer against Avenir de Rejiche in the Quarter Final to send the game to extra time, in an eventual 4–2 win. On September 10, 2022, Hussein Ali won his first title in Tunisia, as Sfaxien won the 2021–22 Tunisian Cup.

The following season, Hussein Ali scored 5 league goals in 20 appearances as his side finished in a disappointing 6th place in the league. The team also failed to retain their Tunisian cup after being knocked out on penalties in the QF against Olympique Béja in a match where he scored the opener.

On 30 July 2023, Hussein Ali made his final appearance for the club in a 1−0 match defeat against Ittihad Jeddah at the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup, at which he was sent off during the 41st minute for an early challenge on Tarek Hamed. Following the team's elimination from group stage, he left the team on mutual consent 11 August 2023.

Al Shorta

On August 23, Hussein Ali returned to Iraq, this time signing for Al-Shorta in a contract reportedly worth US$270,000 a year. The player had a fall-out with the manager following the team's match vs Zakho, but the matter was resolved and he returned to training. Hussein was an important figure in the team as the club retained the Iraqi premier League title, and won the FA Cup title.

International career

Iraq U-23 Hussein first tournament for the Iraq national U-23 team was the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship qualification. He started in all of the three matches that Iraq played, scoring a goal against Saudi Arabia, in a match that ended in a 2–0 win for Iraq. He was the best player in the group matches. In January the AFC nominated five players to watch and the best young talent from across the continent before 2018 AFC U-23 Championship, he scoring amazing goal for Iraq against Malaysia.

Iraq On 26 August 2017, Hussein made his International debut against Syria national team in a friendly match ended draw 1–1. He had a breakthrough in the 23rd Arabian Gulf Cup, where he impressed greatly, being named man of the match in all three group stage games. He scored his first goal for Iraq national team in a 2–3 loss over Qatar during 2018 International Friendship Championship.

Career statistics

Club

1 Include League play-off match.

² CAF Confederation Cup

Assist Goals

International Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 21 March 2018 Basra Sports City, Basra 2–3 2–3 2018 International Friendship Championship 2. 30 July 2019 Karbala International Stadium, Karbala 1–0 1–0 2019 WAFF Championship 3. 2 August 2019 2–1 2–1 4. 11 August 2019 2–0 2–1 5. 24 March 2022 King Fahd Stadium, Riyadh 1–0 1–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification 6. 12 January 2023 Basra International Stadium, Basra 5–0 5–0 25th Arabian Gulf Cup

Style of play quote=Hussein gives everything on the pitch. He is the type who would dribble past every player on the opposing team and either finish promptly past the keeper or pass it to a team-mate for an easy tap-in. A complete street footballer, or shaabiya footballer as you would say in Iraq, he is equally capable of winning the ball back for his team with a lunging tackle and score a last-gasp winner from the edge of the box." salign=left — – Hassanin Mubarak, football writer commenting on Hussein. Former Iraq international Ahmed Radhi, praised Ali's ability to create attacking opportunities, likening his influence on the field to that of high-profile players.

Honours

Al-Zawraa Iraqi Premier League: 2015–16, 2017–18 Iraq FA Cup: 2016–17 Iraqi Super Cup: 2017

CS Sfaxien Tunisian Cup: 2021–22

Al-Shorta Iraq Stars League: 2023–24, 2024–25 Iraq FA Cup: 2023–24

lraq WAFF Championship runner-up: 2019 Arabian Gulf Cup: 2023

Individual 2019 WAFF Championship: Top Scorer 2019 WAFF Championship: Best Player