Ahmed Radhi Humaiesh Al-Salehi (, 21 April 1964 – 21 June 2020) was an Iraqi footballer who played as a striker. Nicknamed "Al-Saher" (The Magician) in his playing days and regarded as one of Iraq's and Asia's best players of all time, Radhi scored the first Iraqi goal at the FIFA World Cup in its 1986 edition, a low shot to the corner of the net against Belgium in a 2–1 defeat. He was voted the Asian Footballer of the Year in 1988.

Club career Radhi started to make a name for himself after he was forced to switch childhood club Al-Zawraa for new powerhouse Al-Rasheed, the club founded and owned by Saddam Hussein's eldest son Uday. Alongside fellow legend Adnan Dirjal, Radhi led the club to reaching the 1988–89 Asian Club Championship final, losing to Qatari side Al Sadd on away goals. He later had a four-year spell at Al-Wakrah in Qatar before finishing his career with Al-Zawraa.

International career Radhi was given his debut for Iraq against Jordan on 21 February 1982 by Ammo Baba, who acknowledged his talent and supported the player in his first years of senior football. Coach Baba however left Radhi out of the 1984 Summer Olympics squad citing a lack of effort by the player.Asian Icons: Ahmed Radhi (Iraq) - The AFC He then scored 8 goals in World Cup qualification, leading Iraq to a first World Cup finals, in Mexico in 1986.

With Iraq he won 2 Arab Cups, 1 Pan-Arab Games & a Gulf Cup, while he also did represent Iraq in the Olympics in 1988, scoring a goal each in games against Zambia and Guatemala. In 1988, he was voted Asian player of the year and 9th best Asian player of the century in 1999.

Personal life Radhi had three daughters and one son.

He fled Iraq in 2006 because of the sectarian violence and moved with his family to the Jordanian capital Amman, but returned to Iraq in 2007 for a career in politics.Iraqi football legend Ahmad Radhi dies after battling COVID-19 - Al Jazeera In October 2007, he was nominated by the opposition Iraqi Accord Front to the Council of Representatives of Iraq, replacing Abd al-Nasir al-Janabi, who had resigned to join the insurgency., San Diego Union Tribune, 2007-10-05, accessed on 6 January 2008

He was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2014 and 2018 elections with the National Alliance, a coalition of Sunni and Shia figures.

Death Radhi was admitted into Al Nuaman General Hospital in Adhamiyah on 13 June 2020 after contracting COVID-19. He left the hospital only to be readmitted on 18 June after his condition worsened. On 21 June, Radhi was pronounced dead at the age of 56 following complications from COVID-19 during the pandemic in Iraq.

Details about his death were later revealed, that he was about to be taken to be treated in Jordan, but delays in finalizing his medical report postponed the proposed flight. However, the death happened after Radhi removed his artificial ventilation to go to the restroom by himself, later on the medical staff found him dead. His resting place is the Karkh Cemetery in Abu Ghraib.

Career statistics

ClubSeasonQatar Stars LeagueQatar Sheikh Jassem CupCrown Prince CupQatar Emir CupOtherTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAssistAl-Wakrah Sport Club1993–941994–9500007600+7+61995–96157003020 002071996–97154000020 00174Career total

ClubSeasonQatar Stars LeagueQatar Sheikh Jassem CupCrown Prince CupQatar Emir CupOtherTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAssistAl-Arabi Sports Club1997–98110032210064Career total110032210064

International goals Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first. # Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 10 October 1983 Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah 2–2 2–2 1984 Olympics qualifiers 2. 25 March 1984 Royal Oman Police Stadium, Muscat 1–2 1–2 7th Arabian Gulf Cup 3. 15 March 1985 Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium, Kuwait City 5–0 6–0 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification 4. 6–0 6–0 5. 18 March 1985 1–0 6–0 6. 2–0 6–0 7. 3–0 6–0 8. 29 March 1985 King Abdullah Stadium, Amman 3–2 3–2 9. 19 April 1985 Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium, Kuwait City 1–0 2–0 10. 5 May 1985 Yuva Bharati Krirangan, Calcutta 1–0 2–1 11. 6 August 1985 Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca 2–0 2–0 1985 Pan Arab Games 12. 14 August 1985 1–0 2–1 13. 2–0 2–1 14. 1 November 1985 Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad 3–1 3–1 Friendly 15. 8 June 1986 Estadio Nemesio Díez, Toluca 1–2 1–2 1986 FIFA World Cup 16. 21 September 1986 Daegu Stadium, Daegu 4–0 4–0 1986 Asian Games 17. 23 September 1986 5–1 5–1 18. 27 March 1987 Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium, Kuwait City 1–1 1–1 1988 Olympics qualifiers 19. 8 April 1987 Manama National Stadium. Manama 2–1 3–1 Friendly 20. 3–1 3–1 21. 1 May 1987 Al-Rashid Stadium, Dubai 1–0 3–0 1988 Olympics qualifiers 22. 8 January 1988 Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat 4–1 4–1 23. 25 February 1988 Stade El Menzah, Tunis 1–0 2–0 Friendly 24. 8 March 1988 King Fahd Stadium, Riyadh 1–0 1–0 9th Arabian Gulf Cup 25. 13 March 1988 2–0 3–0 26. 3–0 3–0 27. 16 March 1988 1–0 2–0 28. 9 July 1988 Amman International Stadium, Amman 1–0 1–1 1988 Arab Nations Cup 29. 15 July 1988 1–0 2–0 30. 2–0 2–0 31. 19 July 1988 1–0 3–0 32. 17 September 1988 Daejeon Hanbat Stadium, Daejeon 1–0 2–2 1988 Olympic Games 33. 19 September 1988 1–0 3–0 34. 27 January 1989 Al-Shaab Stadium, Baghdad 1–0 3–1 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification 35. 3 February 1989 1–0 4–0 36. 2–0 4–0 37. 3–0 4–0 38. 4–0 4–0 39. 10 February 1989 1–0 2–2 40. 3 November 1989 Al-Sadaqua Walsalam Stadium, Kuwait City 1–0 6–2 1989 Peace and Friendship Cup 41. 2–0 6–2 42. 8 November 1989 1–1 2–1 43. 2–1 2–1 44. 12 November 1989 1–0 1–1 45. 3 March 1990 National Stadium, Kuwait City 1–2 2–2 10th Arabian Gulf Cup 46. 18 August 1992 National Stadium, Irbid 1–0 13–0 1992 Jordan International Tournament 47. 5–0 13–0 48. 7–0 13–0 49. 10–0 13–0 50. 13–0 13–0 51. 20 August 1992 1–0 3–0 52. 2–0 3–0 53. 25 April 1993 Changwon Civic Stadium, Changwon 1–1 1–1 Friendly 54. 26 May 1993 Kofahi Inter Stadium, Irbid 5–1 6–1 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification 55. 28 May 1993 4–0 8–0 56. 30 May 1993 1–0 1–0 57. 14 June 1993 Chengdu Sports Centre, Chengdu 4–0 4–0 58. 16 June 1993 3–0 3–0 59. 22 October 1993 Khalifa International Stadium, Doha 1–0 2–1 60. 24 October 1993 1–0 1–1 61. 28 October 1993 1–1 2–2 62. 23 May 1997 Lahore Stadium, Lahore 6–2 6–2 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours Player Al-Rasheed Iraqi Premier League: 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89 Iraq FA Cup: 1986–87, 1987–88 Arab Club Champions Cup: 1985, 1986, 1987

Al-Zawraa Iraqi Premier League: 1990–91, 1998–99 Iraq FA Cup: 1990–91, 1992–93, 1997–98, 1998–99 Baghdad Championship: 1991–92

Iraq Asian Games: 1982 Arabian Gulf Cup: 1984, 1988 Arab Games: 1985 Arab Cup: 1988

Individual Asian Footballer of the Year: 1988 Arabian Gulf Cup top scorer: 1988 Arab Cup top scorer: 1988 Iraqi Premier League top scorer: 1985–86, 1991–92 Chosen in the Asia's Top 10 Players of the Century list by IFFHS.

Manager Al-Shorta Baghdad Championship: 2000–01

See also List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps List of men's footballers with 50 or more international goals

References

External links

AhmedRadhi.com