Whichever way you look at it it’s been some footballing journey for one of the Hyundai A-League’s genuine good guys, Wellington Phoenix’s Ali Abbas.
A part of the competition for the best part of a decade, Abbas has been a fan favourite at all his clubs, also enjoying stints at Newcastle Jets and Sydney FC.
Ahead of Wellington’s clash with Melbourne Victory on Wednesday night, we caught up with the Iraqi international as part of our “Extra Time” Series.
In a revealing interview, the 31-year-old touched on his recent battle against the Caltex Socceroos, the best player he’s ever played with and his footballing inspirations.
And he reflected on one of the best moments of his career, Iraq’s stunning AFC Asian Cup triumph in 2007.
“It was huge for Iraq, especially as a nation and the things we went through,” Abbas told www.a-league.com.au.
“It was a crazy experience for me. I was 21-years-old and it was unbelievable.
“We went to Dubai to celebrate for one day and then we went back to Iraq. It was crazy, the car couldn’t move. We had to have security to move the people, it was unbelievable there, a lot of people were there celebrating with us.”
Watch the full chat with Abbas in the player above.
