Young footballers look for offers from big clubs

For some young footballers, playing is "working" and a means of survival.

Young Kurdish players are becoming prized recruits for clubs that can't afford big-ticket names from the outside.

After the Kurdistan Football Federation (KFF) decided that clubs participating in Kurdistan League could allow outside players to compete on their squads, some teams began spending millions of dinars on bargain signings. Some disagreed with this new law, since it favors only a few specific clubs that can afford to buy players outside of Kurdistan.

Local Kurdish youngsters have become targets of many clubs that don't have a sufficient budget to bring in qualified outside players. But the contract cost and the monthly pay that most of the youngsters get are 15 percent of what outside players get.

Ahmed Yaseen, a young goalkeeper, started shooting balls but prefers the ball at his hands instead of just shooting with his feet. Just before finishing high school, he was offered to play with the Khabat Football Club (KFC) as a goalkeeper in Erbil. He stayed there for two years before moving to Ararat FC then to Brayaty FC.

Yaseen does not get much from his club, but is very optimistic that he can draw big clubs' attention by showing his talents and skills. "I agreed with my club administration officials that if the club doesn't get promoted to play in the premier league next year I will leave and go to a better team," said Yaseen. "I started somewhere, and I realized if I want to move on, I have to think of getting myself in better shape. It is my natural right if I want to play for a better team so that I can get better pay."

His contract bid is two million Iraqi dinars (IDs) for two years and 3,500 IDs is his monthly salary. Although goalkeeping is not an easy task, Yaseen, unlike many goalkeepers, likes it very much. "I find more fun in goalkeeping than striking. Goalkeeper is recognized as half of a team due to sensitivity of the position."

Outside stadiums, Yaseen teaches sports at a primary school in a village called Gawilan in Duhok city. Asked if practicing sports is an obstacle to studying, Yaseen noted: "It is up to each individual's way of thinking; if they have a plan, they can definitely study and play at the same time without a problem."

Khalid Omer, another young player, loved playing soccer from the moment he started at age 8 in the school and showed early talent. In recent years, he has age-advanced in club soccer competition and worked on individual skills with his local trainers in Jihan FC in Erbil.

He is a modern player. He can play with his left foot or right foot. He can play anywhere on the front line, in the middle or outside, the way professional footballers play.

"I'll just keep trying to impress and see where it takes me," noted Omer, whose talents and skills attracted several managers' attention from other clubs. Omer landed with Brayaty FC before coming to Peshmarga FC.

The Kurdistan Olympic Committee (KOC) has made a decision recently forcing the clubs not to sign players for more than one year unless there is an agreement on both sides. The decision came after a lot of players were mistreated by their clubs. "Jihan did not let me respond to the offers I received as I was forced to abide by the club's rules. Fortunately, after the KOC's decision, everything changed. I can move to any club that is interested in me," said Omer.

Omer thinks nowadays that playing is regarded as a job in addition to being fun. Some players rely greatly on the monthly pay they get from their club for expenses and needs; sometimes if the pay is good, they share with family members.

Hawre Yousif, 23, is a college graduate footballer who depends on his monthly pay to survive because he has not been offered a job to play outside his club so far. "Playing is working since I am required by my bosses in the club to adhere to their time schedules and follow their instructions, which actually affects my personal life," said Yousif, who gets 250 IDs as a monthly salary.

Yousif's hope is to play for a renowned team next year so that he will get recognized as a well-known player. "I refused many offers from some clubs based in Duhok city because I wanted to find a job in a government agency and play in my hometown--Erbil--at the same time." He added: "It's been really exciting. This doesn't come often, where a coach of a great level phones your house personally to say he's interested in seeing you play soccer. I'd like to stay humble about the whole thing, but am keenly aware that my whole life may get to change if I play for what I like to." He doesn't know what's going to happen, but he wants to be able to follow his dream.

There are some footballers playing for big clubs and getting excellent pay in their early years. Hardi Nooradding, who is only 19 years old, plays for the yellow castle club, Erbil FC. His contract bid is 40 million IDs for a year while his monthly salary exceeds 700.000 IDs.

Asked what the other footballers have to do so as to receive offers from great clubs, Nooraddin suggested that "they should work hard and never give up. In order to achieve their purpose and bring their dream in to realty, they have to pass through difficult situations."

Nooradding believes KOC and KFF should think of finding ways to train local Kurdish youngsters who can replace the outside ones in the near future. "We need to work on persuading sports officials that they have to give more opportunities for the players playing in the 1st-, 2nd-, and even 3rd-grade Kurdistan league by organizing more tournaments for them so as to prove themselves," he concluded.