A conversation took place between Al-Nassr coach Jorge Jesus and Al-Zawraa team star Haider Abdul Kareem, discussing the two halves of the match held between the two teams as part of the AFC Champions League.

The two teams faced each other at Al-Nassr's home stadium in the sixth round of the group stage, with the match ending in favor of the home team Al-Nassr with a score of 5-1, allowing both teams to advance to the next round together.

According to special sources: "Coach Jesus spoke to Haider Abdul Kareem during the warm-up exercises the player was doing before entering the field. He asked him about his nationality and age, and whether he was a German player. Abdul Kareem responded by confirming that he is an Iraqi player, only 21 years old, to which Jesus replied, 'Keep up this performance, you are a good player.'"

The sources added: "Abdul Kareem conveyed this conversation to his teammates after they asked him questions about the content of the discussion between them. The Iraqi player expressed his happiness with this praise, as he is receiving attention from the coach of a big team like Al-Nassr, especially since Abdul Kareem was very outstanding in the first leg match held at Al-Zawraa Stadium in Baghdad and delivered a great performance in that match."

They explained: "The player is preparing for the new year 2026 with very high ambitions, especially since he is a strong candidate to represent the Iraqi national team in the upcoming World playoff match scheduled for April 1. Before that, he will participate with the Iraqi Olympic team in the AFC U-23 Championship in Saudi Arabia next month, where he is one of the key pillars of the team."