Wellington Phoenix midfielder Mohamed Al-Taay tells aleagues.com.au how his footballing aspirations have been inspired by family, faith and one of international football’s greatest achievements.
Mohamed Al-Taay was just seven years old when Iraq won the Asian Cup.
16 years later, the memories of that historic night in July, 2007 still fill him with pride.
“What I remember from the 2007 Asian Cup final when Iraq won, was seeing the joy of everyone in Iraq,” Al-Taay tells aleagues.com.au.
“The country had been through so much, and the thing that brought them so much joy was winning a trophy. It was football; football made everyone happy again.
“Seeing that, it was always in the back of my mind. It made me dream of playing for Iraq one day.”
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Iraq’s men’s football team was the 80th-ranked nation in the world in 2007. At the time, the country had been decimated and divided by the United States-led invasion.
In July of that year, a Brazilian by the name of Jorvan Vieira took on the unenviable role of guiding the country’s international men’s team to the Asian Cup.
He was announced as head coach just two months prior to the tournament, and managed to unite a squad of players divided by faith, and carrying the burden of a nation deeply impacted by the four preceding years.
Vieira took that team to the unlikeliest of Asian Cup victories, and Al-Taay was transfixed by what he witnessed.
Iraq went undefeated through the tournament, beating Australia 3-1 in the group stage, Vietnam in the quarter-finals, South Korea in the semi-finals, and Saudi Arabia in the final in Jakarta.
“Iraq are there, they’ve won it!” Hill exclaimed on the Australian broadcast, as Iraq were crowned Kings of Asia.
“The fairytale is complete. The team without a home base, the team without a coach until two months ago, the team left waiting in a hotel lobby for hours, the team who struggled to travel because of their passports.
“The team without hope has brought joy to its fractured nation. Football succeeds, perhaps you could say, where politics has failed. Iraq are champions of Asia. Unbelievable!”
Al-Taay has since come to understand the gravity of the achievement, and what that moment meant to the people of Iraq. To the country his parents fled in 1994 to start a new life in Australia.
Now, a decade and a half on from Iraq’s 2007 Asian Cup triumph, Al-Taay is a 23-year-old professional footballer relishing his first season at Wellington Phoenix with hopes of becoming an Iraq international.
“One day I’d love to represent Iraq… It’s a dream of mine that I’ve had for a long time,” Al-Taay says.
“But right now, I’m still 23 so I think there’s plenty of time to get that opportunity. Right now I’m focused on my club, but of course, if the opportunity comes I’ll take it with both hands. To represent the country where my parents were from and my background would be a beautiful thing.
“I’m Iraqi and I love Iraq because you think about what the people there have gone through, and all the struggles they’ve had to face, all the hardship, but when you go there… everyone’s always got a smile on their face, everyone is always providing for others and helping each other.
“The Iraqi culture is beautiful to me, that’s something I hold close to my heart.”
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Al-Taay was born in Australia after his parents fled from Iraq in the mid-1990s. He grew up in Campbelltown with two older brothers and one younger sister, speaking more Arabic than English before his first day of school.
His footballing ability was evident from a young age, spending his junior years at clubs including Marconi Stallions and Blacktown City, before a move to Western Sydney Wanderers at 16 years of age. From the Wanderers came an opportunity to join Newcastle Jets in 2021, but now he’s experiencing his greatest challenge to date.
An off-season move to Wellington Phoenix is the furthest Al-Taay has ever been from family. The difficulty that comes with the distance is something the 23-year-old hopes to get used to as he targets an eventual move to Europe.
That, and an international career with Iraq.
Al-Taay knows his family history well, and feels deeply connected to his faith as a Muslim, and the country his dad bravely departed in search of a safe and prosperous life for his family.
“The story of how my dad came here is what drives me the most,” Al-Taay says.
“His resilience, the way he brought my family over, the sacrifices he took, the hard work. Coming to Australia to start a life for his family, and my family as well.
“Back in 1994, he fled Iraq into a refugee camp in Saudi Arabia.
“From there, he had a decision to make between Australia, Denmark or America, and he chose Australia.
“For him it was very hard because he was on his own at that moment, and my family was still stuck in Iraq. At the time, there were struggles in the country when Saddam Hussein was (president).
“My dad brought my family over… when he came he had nothing, and he just kept working hard. When I was growing up he was working probably 20 hours a day.
“His sacrifices to put a roof over our heads and food on the table, is what drives me today. I’d say he’s my hero.
“I’m grateful I was born here. But it was a big decision my dad had to make. At the time with the war happening in Iraq, it was hard for him. But I’m grateful he made that decision to come to Australia; it’s such a beautiful, multicultural country.”
Al-Taay’s Australian summary is reflected in the professional league in which he plies his trade.
At the start of the Isuzu UTE A-League season, a total of 43 different nationalities were represented in the competition, and the number of players like Al-Taay, who are Australian-born with roots overseas, is even greater.
The midfielder is relishing his best-ever season in the A-Leagues to date, starting six of Wellington’s eight games en route to the top of the table.
His previous-best amount of starts in a season came at the Jets in 2022-23 (seven); he looks set to blitz that figure under Wellington head coach Giancarlo Italiano, who coached Al-Taay at Blacktown City a decade ago, and has likened his new signing to former Wellington star and now-Socceroo Cameron Devlin.
As a devoted Muslim, Al-Taay is grateful to his new club for helping him fulfil his five daily prayers in and around training, games and a demanding travel schedule for the only New Zealand-based side in the league.
“I put my faith before everything,” he says. “It’s very important. I do my five daily prayers, and sometimes I do even more. I want to get closer to God, but it also keeps my grounded and focused when I do play football as well.
“It’s a big part of my life, and the club will help me out in situations where I have to put my religion first. I’m grateful for all of that.
“Having belief in a higher power gives me comfort and confidence to (fulfil) my objectives and take life on.”
Throughout his teenage years and into his early 20s, Al-Taay was inspired by Muslim footballers who he watched excel on the world stage, especially during Ramadan: the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. Al-Taay says Ramadan goes well beyond the act of strict fasting.
“It is a big sacrifice in Ramadan,” he says. “As an athlete you need your nutrition and your energy comes from food and water. But that’s just something you have to prioritise.
“I grew up playing and fasting as well, so now I’m used to it. The thing is, there are other ways to get your energy. For me, when I’m fasting I feel a spiritual energy. I feel I’m doing something good for the sake of God.
“That energy, I don’t really think about food or water, that just keeps me focussed.
“Ramadan is a beautiful thing; it’s not just about eating and drinking, it’s about stopping bad habits, remembering the people that don’t have much, always giving to charities. When people think about Ramadan they think it’s about not drinking and not eating, but the other things are even more important.
“Even just smiling at someone is very important in Islam. I think those things are important to have. Ramadan is a beautiful time for unity and always being grateful for what you have.
“I grew up loving Ramadan and I always will.
There are a lot of big players who (observe Ramadan)… you have (Karim) Benzema, Mo Salah, the list goes on. When I see them prioritising their religion it gives me even more motivation to stick to my faith, to prioritise my faith.
“I think it’s important as an athlete to have that mentality, when you focus on those things. To keep you in check and always have something that keeps you on the right path.”
Watch as Al-Taay and the Phoenix look to continue their flying run of form to start the 2023-24 Isuzu UTE A-League season, when they host Western Sydney Wanderers in Wellington on Saturday, December 23.
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