Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf Sports Club (), commonly known as Al-Najaf SC, is an Iraqi professional football club based in Najaf. They are members of the Iraqi Premier Division League. Al-Najaf has competed in the 2007 AFC Champions League.
History In 1960, the city of Najaf began an active movement to establish a sports club after the athletes then felt the need of the city to a sports club that absorbed the energies of young people and their creations which are almost lost in the amateur leagues. Some of the dignitaries of the city were contacted for this purpose. The request was submitted to the Ministry of the Interior, which was responsible for the authorisation of sports clubs in Iraq at that time. The name of Al Ghiri Sports Club was proposed for this institution. In 1961, the Ministry of the Interior approved their request to establish the club and thus wrote the birth certificate of the first sports club in the city of Najaf and consisted of the first administrative body of Messrs. Naji Hassan Hasswa as president and Maki Hadi Maala Vice-President and Alwan Elsafer as secretary. At the beginning of the establishment of the club, the Ministry of the Interior allocated an annual grant of 60 dinars divided into two instalments, and the club relied on this grant and monthly subscriptions from its members.
Stadiums New Najaf Stadium is a purpose built football stadium that is the current home stadium of Al-Najaf. It opened in 2018, with a capacity of 30,000 people. Until 2018, the club played its home matches at An-Najaf Stadium ().
Current squad
First-team squad
FGN
FGN
FGN
FGN FGN FGN
Current technical staff
{| class="toccolours" !bgcolor=silver|Position !bgcolor=silver|Name !bgcolor=silver|Nationality |- bgcolor=#eeeeee |Coach:||Abdul-Ghani Shahad||
|Assistant coach:||Dhiyya Falih|| |- |-bgcolor=#eeeeee |Goalkeeping coach:||Mohammed Abdul-Zahra|| |- |Fitness coach:||Salah Hashim|| |- |Team supervisor:||Fadhel Mohammed|| |-bgcolor=#eeeeee |- |Team manager:||Mohammed Abdul Hussein|| |-bgcolor=#eeeeee |Team Doctor:||Haitham Abdul Amir|| |- |U-19 Coach:||Haider Lafta||
Managerial history Since the club's promotion to the Iraqi Premier League in the 1987–88 season so far, twenty-six coaches have led the team:
Mohammed Hussein Ismail Alwan Mena Nasrat Nasser Mohammed Hussein Ismail Alwan Mena Hatif Shamran Alwan Mena Najeh Humoud Wathiq Naji Hatif Shamran Noman Kadhim & Raheem Jassim Najeh Humoud Hadi Mutanish Ali Kadhim Abdul Ghani Shahad Najeh Humoud Abdul Ghani Shahad Hatif Shamran Majed Najem Abdul Ghani Shahad Hatif Shamran Abdul Ghani Shahad Yahya Alwan Hassan Ahmed Qahtan Chathir Salman Hussein Haider Yahya Hatif Shamran Haider Yahya Hameed Salman Ali Wahab Emad Mohammed Hatif Shamran Emad Mohammed Nadhim Shaker Ali Hashim Ahmed Khalef Mudhafar Jabbar Thair Jassam Chasib Sultan Hassan Ahmad Haidar Aboodi Hatif Shamran Haidar Aboodi
Honours Domestic Iraq Stars League Runners-up (3): 1995–96, 2005–06, 2008–09 Baghdad Championship Winners (1): 1997–98
Friendly Victory and Peace Championship Winners (1): 1992 Love Championship Winners (1): 2003
Performance in AFC Competitions AFC Champions League: 1 appearance 2007: Group stage
Statistics In domestic competitions YearStars LeagueIraq CupSuper CupBaghdad Ch'ship1987–8816Round of 32not heldStarted in19911988–897Round of 32not held1989–908Quarter-finalnot held1990–917Quarter-finalnot held1991–926Round of 16not heldGroup stage1992–9315Second roundnot heldGroup stage1993–944-not held1994–953-not held41995–96Runner-up-not heldGroup stage1996–974Quarter-final31997–984Round of 16Winner1998–998Round of 32not heldGroup stage1999–20009Round of 16Group stage2000–016not held2001–025Semi-finalGroup stage2002–03not finishedQuarter-finalGroup stage2003–04not finishednot heldnot heldGroup stage2004–056not heldnot heldAbolished in20042005–06Runner-upnot heldnot held2006–073not heldnot held2007–085not heldnot held2008–09Runner-upnot heldnot held2009–1011not heldnot held2010–1111not heldnot held2011–129not heldnot held2012–1311not finishednot held2013–1415not heldnot held2014–1517not heldnot held2015–1613not held2016–179Round of 16not held2017–186not held2018–1912Round of 16not held2019–20not finishednot finished2020–213Round of 16not held2021–227Round of 162022–237Round of 322023–244Round of 16not held2024–2514Quarter-finalnot held2025–2619 ↓not finishednot held
See also Iraqi clubs in the AFC Champions League 2007–08 Arab Champions League
References
External links (archived 30 July 2008) Club page on Kooora