Iraq lean on Younis Mahmoud to spearhead young side at Asian Cup
Iraq`s most-capped player Younis Mahmoud was named in the 23-man squad for next month`s Asian Cup despite not playing for a club for more than a year.
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Baghdad: Iraq`s most-capped player Younis Mahmoud was named in the 23-man squad for next month`s Asian Cup despite not playing for a club for more than a year.
The talisman has instead represented Iraq`s mainly under-23 side at the Asian Games in September, where they won a bronze medal after he scored four goals.
Younis was the only player aged over 30 named in Radhi Shenaishil`s squad on Monday for the Group D matches in Australia against holders Japan and fellow west Asian sides Palestine and Jordan.
Colombus Crew forward Justin Meram, Swindon Town midfielder Yaser Kasim and talented 18-year-old playmaker Human Tareq were also named in the 23.
Sydney FC midfielder Ali Abbas, part of the 2007 winning side, missed out on a place in the squad after suffering a serious knee injury last month.
Squad: 1-Ali Yasin, 2-Ahmed Ibrahim, 3-Ali Bahjat, 4-Ali Faiz Atiyah, 5-Yaser Kasim, 6-Ali Adnan Kadhim, 7-Amjed Kalaf, 8-Justin Meram, 9-Ahmed Yasin, 10-Younus Mahmoud, 11-Human Tareq, 12-Jalal Hassan Hachim, 13-Osamah Rashid, 14-Salam Shakir, 15-Dhurgham Ismail Dawood, 16-Marwan Hussein, Hassan, 17-Alaa Abdul Zahra Khashen, 18-Samih Saeed Mejbel, 19-Mahdi Kamil Shiltagh, 20-Mohammed Hamed, 21-Saad Abdulameer, 22-Ali Husni Faisal, 23-Waleed Salim