VANCOUVER, BC - Vancouver Whitecaps FC defender Ali Adnan has been called up to the Iraq men’s national team for a pair of upcoming friendlies versus Jordan on November 12, and against Uzbekistan on November 16.
The friendlies will be the first match for the Iraq MNT in almost a year as they resume preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification. On Wednesday, the Asian Football Confederation announced that all the Asian Qualifiers Round 2 matches should be completed by June 15, 2021, with the Final Round of the Asian Qualifiers beginning in September 2021. Iraq sat atop Group C in Round 2 prior to competition coming to a pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Adnan is coming off his second season with Whitecaps FC and was honoured as the club's 2020 BMO Player of the Year. He played 22 of the 'Caps 23 regular season matches, making 20 starts and scoring two goals and five assists.
The Baghdad native has 56 caps for his national team, scoring five goals.
