- Saad Natiq played with Iraq at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup
- At the 2016 Olympic Football Tournament in Rio, he played against Brazil with Neymar
- Now he wants to take part in a World Cup with Iraq after a long absence
In 1986 Iraq made its debut at the FIFA World Cup ™ around this time. The team was led by the late Ahmed Radi, who managed to overcome none other than the Belgian goalkeeper Jean-Marie Pfaff. He was the shooter of the Iraqis’ only goal at the then edition of the King’s Competition.
35 years after this first participation, the new generation of Iraqis players now want to end the long dry spell and return to the world stage. With two game days remaining, the team leads the group C table of the Asian qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 ™.
The selection of coach Srečko Katanec will face Hong Kong on Friday and IR Iran in the decisive duel for first place on Tuesday, June 15. In this top game, the decision will be made about who will qualify directly for the third and final qualifying round.
The Slovenian coach Iraq can count on a strong offensive led by striker Mohanad Ali for these last two games while also having a very solid defense – the strongest in the group. It is no coincidence that the team conceded only three goals in six games.
Defender Saad Natiq, who played the first five games and missed the last against Cambodia due to suspension, is returning to the team. Natiq speaks with FIFA.com about the Iraqis’ dream of participating in the World Cup in Qatar.
“We are leaders in our group. In the next two games we have a good chance of making it through to the next round,” said Natiq about the possibilities of his team. “We did a good preparation, with a training camp and two friendlies. The team is absolutely in top form at the moment and I hope that we can show our good level in these two games and make the Iraqi fans happy. The coach has one played a crucial role because he worked a lot on the defensive system. Now we have the best defense in the group. That of course motivates us to do our utmost to maintain this level, “added the 27-year-old.
Saad Natiq im Kurzporträt
- Born on March 19, 1994 in Náyaf, Iraq
- Height and weight: 1.88 m and 80 kg
- Clubs: Masafi Alwasat and Al Quwa Al Jawiya in Iraq, currently Al Shorta (also Iraq)
- In the 2017/2018 season he was active for the Qatari club Al Arabi
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Strong in big tournaments
Saad Natiq knew how to shine in 2013 when he made it to the semi-finals of the U-20 World Cup in Turkey with the Iraqi selection, which included several current team-mates. There you had to admit defeat against Uruguay and later in the game for third place against Ghana.
Three years later, the defender attended the 2016 Rio Olympics with Iraq. He was on the pitch in two games, gained plenty of experience and his team won a well-deserved draw against the Brazilians with Neymar in the group stage.
“Finishing fourth at the U-20 World Cup was a fantastic experience that we had with our coach at the time, Hakeem Shakir. We also performed well at the Olympic Games, but we lacked a bit of luck to get over the To get out of the group stage, “he says looking back. “It was a great adventure and we learned a lot. We gained a lot of experience by taking part in the two tournaments. Now we hope to be able to return to the world stage and will do everything we can to achieve this goal.”
According to Natiq, the good results of the senior national team in recent years can mainly be attributed to the fact that the players have been playing together since the U-20s and get on brilliantly on the pitch.
“Most of us have been playing together since 2013, it’s been a long time. We started in the U-20s, then went on to the Olympic selection for Rio de Janeiro and now we’re all playing in the senior national team. All of this has contributed to the fact that we all get on so well and also has a positive effect on the team, “he assures.
“Now we hope to return to such an important international tournament as the World Cup. This requires great team cohesion and unconditional mutual support. This is the only way we can achieve our goal and compete against the best teams on the planet,” concluded Natiq, der would be only too happy to return to Qatar after his engagement with Al Arabi.
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