Kurdish Footballers Called Up for Iraq's Olympic Squad

Iraq's Olympic football team has called up a strong contingent of Kurdish talent, including players from Erbil, Duhok and Europe, as it begins preparations for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers, a crucial step toward a place at the next Olympic Games.

The roster includes six players from clubs based in the Kurdistan Region, among them Josef Imam, Mustafa Nawaf and Hassan Emad from Duhok, and Mustafa Qabil and Zulfiqar Younis from Erbil. Goalkeeper Imran Zaki of Zakho club and Newroz SC's Reza Abdulaziz were also invited.

Adding international experience to the squad is the professional Kurdish player Botan Amin, who plays for the English club Swindon Town and was invited to join the training camp in Malaysia. (Kurdistan24)