Falah Hassan


Falah Hassan Jassim is an Iraqi former international football player, and current president of Al-Zawraa Sport Club in Baghdad. He played as a forward.

Early life

Falah Hassan was born in 1951 in the village of Mimouna, in a district of Qal'at Saleh. His father was a farmer and after the 1958 Revolution, his family moved to Al-Thawra in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, taking advantage of the new government's initiative in building low cost housing for families wanting to move to Baghdad, it was there he first played the game on the streets of the city.
During the 1970s, Falah Hassan was seen as one of the greatest players in Asia, and was offered lucrative contracts to play professionally abroad, in 1978 he received two offers one from Belgium and the other from the Emirates. Al-Shaab from the UAE reportedly offered Falah and teammate Ali Kadhim a contract to play for them in 1978, while after the arrival of Belgium’s army team in Baghdad, the delegation nearly reached an agreement for a move to a club in Belgium however the officials at the Iraqi FA turned it down saying that Falah Hassan was a national treasure, and that he should not be sold abroad. A year earlier in a dire 0–0 draw with English club Derby County in Baghdad, the player ran rings around the opposition defence.
After a dispute with the Iraq FA that led to a suspension from the national side in 1978, Falah returned the following year to guide Iraq to their first Gulf Cup victory, and then went on to lift the 1979 CISM World Military Championship in Kuwait, beating Italy 4–3 on penalties.

Career statistics

International goals

Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.
NoDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.20 August 1973March 28 Stadium, Benghazi3–13–11973 Palestine Cup
2.2 June 1974Stade El Menzah, Tunis1–21–2Friendly
3.14 August 1974Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad3–04–0Friendly
4.3 September 1974Amjadieh Stadium, Tehran2–03–01974 Asian Games
5.21 November 1975Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad1–01–01976 AFC Asian Cup qualification
6.28 November 1975Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad2–03–01976 AFC Asian Cup qualification
7.2 December 1975Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad2–02–11976 AFC Asian Cup qualification
8.26 December 1975Stade El Menzah, Tunis3–04–01975 Palestine Cup
9.27 March 1976Grand Hamad Stadium, Doha1–04–04th Arabian Gulf Cup
10.29 March 1976Grand Hamad Stadium, Doha2–04–14th Arabian Gulf Cup
11.1 April 1976Grand Hamad Stadium, Doha3–07–14th Arabian Gulf Cup
12.11 June 1976Aryamehr Stadium, Tehran2–22–31976 AFC Asian Cup
13.25 January 1977National Stadium, Kampala1–11–1Friendly
14.15 July 1978Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur1–12–11978 Merdeka Tournament
15.29 March 1979Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad1–03–15th Arabian Gulf Cup
16.3 April 1979Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad3–05–05th Arabian Gulf Cup
17.6 April 1979Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad4–07–05th Arabian Gulf Cup
18.6 April 1979Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad5–07–05th Arabian Gulf Cup
19.8 April 1979Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad1–02–05th Arabian Gulf Cup
20.21 July 1980Republican Stadium, Kiev3–03–01980 Summer Olympics
21.25 July 1980Dinamo Stadium, Minsk1–01–11980 Summer Olympics
22.6 February 1981King Abdullah Stadium, Amman1–02–0Friendly
23.6 February 1981King Abdullah Stadium, Amman2–02–0Friendly
24.16 September 1981Merdeka Stadium, Kuala Lumpur4–04–01981 Merdeka Tournament
25.19 February 1982Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad1–03–1Friendly
26.19 February 1982Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad2–03–1Friendly
27.19 February 1982Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad3–03–1Friendly
28.7 March 1982Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad1–03–0Friendly
29.7 March 1982Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad2–03–0Friendly

Post-playing career

Falah Hassan has been the president of Al-Zawraa SC since 2010. The club has been into lots of success under Hassan's regime, winning many trophies and playing in Asian competitions.