Iraqi footballer Ali Hussein, known as Al-Ghazal Al-Asmar (The Black Gazelle), spent nearly the entirety of his senior-level career, from 1978 through 1995, with Al-Talaba SC of Baghdad. The only exception came in 1994, when he moved to Libya briefly to work as a coach, but ended up suiting up for Al-Ahli Tripoli. During his time with Al-Talaba, the team was the winner of the Iraqi Premier League four times (1981, 1982, 1986, and 1993) and Hussein suffered a skull fracture during a match in 1990 that nearly ended his career. He was also active on the Iraqi national team from 1981 through 1989, scoring 11 goals in 73 international appearances. In addition to winning a gold medal with the Iraqi team at the 1982 Asian Games, he was a member of the squad at the 1984 Summer Olympics, where Iraq was eliminated in the group stage after tying Canada and losing to Cameroon and eventual bronze medalists Yugoslavia. Hussein played in all three matches. He also participated in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, where Iraq again failed to advance beyond the group stage or win a single match. He died in October 2016 after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Iraq