Abbas Rahim

Abbas Rahim (25 January 1979 – 10 August 2012) was an Iraqi football midfielder who played for Iraq in the 2000 Asian Cup and Al-Shorta and Al-Zawraa.

Playing career
Abbas Rahim was born on January 25, 1979, in Baghdad and started his playing career in the junior teams of Al-Nafat and Salikh. At the age of 13, he joined the Talaba youth where he spent two years before joining Al-Karkh - making his first team debut in 1995. A year later he transferred to Al-Shurta winning the league title in 1997–98. After a brief spell at Al-Karkh, he joined ‘the White Seagulls’ Al-Zawraa, winning the double in 2000 and scoring a remarkable seven goals in his first three league games for the club. Abbas joined Al-Shurta for the second time in 2001.

He was a prolific goal scorer at youth level and Under-19 level where he helped Iraq qualify for the AFC Asian Youth Championship in 1998. He had starred for the Iraqi Olympic side and was capable of turning a game on his own. A versatile left-sided player who could play at left-back, on the left wing, just behind the front two or as an out and out striker.

Abbas made his debut during the 1999 Pan-Arab games in Amman against Libya, scoring his first international goal in a 4–0 win against Lebanon. He played a part in the final against the hosts hitting the cross bar in extra time and was also one of three who hit the post in the penalty shoot-out.

International goals

 * Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.

Death
On 10 August 2012, Rahim died in a car crash on the road from Baghdad to Najaf. He was 33 years old.