Habib Jafar vs Younis Mahmoud
Iraq against Iraq. The almanac states its case, the crowd votes, you decide.
Habib Jafar
Iraq · 1986–2001 · CM
- Almanac rating
- 83
- Rank in Iraq
- #8 of 33
- Caps
- 92 · 27 goals
- Clubs
- Talaba SC, Al-Karkh SC, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
Evaristo de Macedo left him out of Iraq's squad for Mexico 1986, judging him too inexperienced for a World Cup. Two years later Iraq won the Gulf Cup in Saudi Arabia and Jafar was voted the tournament's best player, the peak of 71 caps and 16 goals stretched from 1986 to 2001 across Al-Talaba, Al-Rasheed and a long Qatari spell; a red card against Iran in 1994 qualifying cost him the decider with Japan. Career record: 92 caps and 27 goals for Iraq; club career at Talaba SC, Al-Karkh SC, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya.
Younis Mahmoud
Iraq · 2000s · SS
- Almanac rating
- 86
- Rank in Iraq
- #4 of 33
- Clubs
- Talaba SC, Al-Khor Sports Club, Al-Gharafa SC
Hawar Mulla Mohammed swung in the corner and the captain met it in the 73rd minute to beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 in Jakarta on 29 July 2007, four days after bombs killed at least fifty Iraqis celebrating the semi-final win. Iraq's first Asian Cup came with the tournament's MVP award and a share of its Golden Boot, and he finished as the country's most-capped player on 148 games with 57 goals and goals at four consecutive Asian Cups. Career record: club career at Talaba SC, Al-Khor Sports Club, Al-Gharafa SC.
The verdict
The almanac puts Younis Mahmoud ahead by 3 rating points, 86 against 83.
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