While not too far from his homeland, Amir Al Ammari has felt the support of his compatriots throughout Iraq’s impressive journey to this juncture in the Asian Cup in Qatar.
It connects, he says, and in turn coaxes maximum effort from him and his teammates. It might even prove crucial as Iraq plot their path towards a second continental crown.
“Of course, it's a huge impact for us,” Al Ammari tells The National. “It feels like we're playing at home in every stadium we go to. It was 40,000 Iraqis [in last week’s 2-1 victory] against Japan and you could feel it.
"The atmosphere here was almost the same as in Basra. You could see also on the streets of Iraq, everybody was going out celebrating, as if we won the Asian Cup.
“If that's the small things we can do for them, win a football game to give them that happiness, that's all the motivation I need.”
Al Ammari, 26, was pivotal in the standout result of the rescheduled 2023 tournament thus far. Indeed, the Swedish-born midfielder, who plies his club trade there for Halmstads BK in the country’s top tier, has been one of the top players in Qatar.
Creative and combative, Al Ammari excelled in both the opening Group D win against Indonesia and then again in that now famous victory against Japan, the highest-ranked team in the competition and therefore viewed as title favourites.
Although rested in Wednesday’s late, late win against Vietnam in the final group game – Aymen Hussein converted a 102nd-minute penalty for Iraq to prevail 3-2 – Al Ammari is almost certain to be restored to the line-up for Monday’s last-16 tie with Jordan.
Having qualified for the knockouts as winners and also one of only three sides in Qatar with a 100 per cent record, Iraq enter the encounter at the Khalifa International Stadium in fine form.
Understandably, the run has buttressed belief.
“It's an amazing feeling,” Al Ammari says. “We won against Indonesia in a good way, fought for everything against Japan and took three points there, and then we won in a difficult manner, not the easiest match to play against a compact Vietnam.
“We always find ways to win our games; we believe every game is open until the last seconds. So that's the strength we have in the team, and the team is improving. We have good spirit within the squad.”
The togetherness, a key component since Spaniard Jesus Casas was appointed 14 months ago, could carry Iraq deep into the Doha tournament.
“It’s very important,” Al Ammari says. “That's the first thing we talked about when we gathered together: that we all need to move towards the same goal. Not 70 per cent of the group. Not 80, not 90. We need everybody and everybody needs to be ready to play.
“We’ve almost used every player during the tournament [only two of the 26-man squad have not featured], so it means a lot. We have quality in the team.
“It doesn't matter if you're on the bench or you're starting, we don't have any stars like that. Everybody in the team is important to change the game any time they come in. Everyone matters.
"That's the most important thing. And Casas has had a huge impact in that way.”
The unity is evident among the group, despite almost half the squad being born outside of Iraq, as Casas has shrewdly tapped into the diaspora in a bid to build a side to compete against the finest on the continent.
“We have a lot of fun outside of the field and now even on the pitch,” says Al Ammari, who represented Sweden at youth level before switching his allegiance to Iraq. “So as a group, we were united, we feel like one family, and we're all moving towards that same goal.
“We all want to go in that direction and reach as far as possible in the tournament. Coming out as No 1 in the group means very much for us, very much for the country.
If that's the small things we can do for them, win a football game to give them that happiness, that's all the motivation I need
Amir Al Ammari
“And I think we're sending a message to all the teams in Asia: that we are an up-and-coming country and we’re going in a good way.”
The optimism enveloping the team is drawing, perhaps predictable, comparisons to 2007, when Iraq began the Asian Cup with three wins from three group matches in Indonesia. They went on to defeat Saudi Arabia, three-time champions, 1-0 in the final.
However, Al Ammari is keen to remain in the present.
“These things we don't need to think about right now,” he says. “We need to take one game at a time, go step by step, and then see how far we can come.
“But, of course, if we go all the way and win, that will be incredible and give such a happiness to all the country."
The Jakarta triumph 17 years ago, which sits as Iraq's most memorable football feat, sparked jubilant scenes back in, what was at the time, a deeply fractured Gulf state.
The celebrations weren't experienced only there, though. They were evident, too, in at least one very happy Swedish household.
“I was watching the final in 2007 with my family," Al Ammari says. "And when you are that age, you never really think about maybe doing the same, that you're going to play these tournaments.
“But you always have a dream about it. So now I'm in the tournament, I can't settle for less.”
MATCH INFO
Norwich City 0 Southampton 3 (Ings 49', Armstrong 54', Redmond 79')
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now
RESULT
Aston Villa 1
Samatta (41')
Manchester City 2
Aguero (20')
Rodri (30')
Tom Fletcher on 'soft power'
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
Facebook | Our website | Instagram
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Moving%20Out%202
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20SMG%20Studio%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Team17%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsoles%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nintendo%20Switch%2C%20PlayStation%204%26amp%3B5%2C%20PC%20and%20Xbox%20One%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
The Internet
Hive Mind
four stars
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
