Mohammad Abu Hashish stirs controversy in Iraqi league what’s the story?

Jordanian player Mohammad Ali Abu Hashish's participation with Al-Karma in the match against Mosul has sparked widespread controversy in Iraqi sports circles, following the encounter between the two teams yesterday, Saturday, at the Golan Stadium in the first round of the Iraq Stars League 2026-2027, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Abu Hashish has entered the starting lineup for coach Moamen Soliman's team, earning Al-Karma their first point of the new season as they aim to compete for the top spots.

According to the Iraqi Federation's regulations, each club is allowed to field a maximum of five foreign players in the starting lineup. Mosul's objection arose because Al-Karma included Abu Hashish alongside five other foreign players, meaning they had six foreign players in total.

Al-Mosul club has filed an official complaint to the Iraqi Football Association, claiming that Al-Karma violated the regulations regarding the number of foreign players. If the violation is proven, the result of the match could be awarded to Al-Mosul 3-0, granting them their first three points in the league.

Al-Karma's management swiftly responded to the complaint, confirming that Mohamed Abu Hashish is not counted among the professionals. The reason is that the player holds Iraqi nationality, as his mother is Iraqi and his father is Jordanian, and Iraqi law grants nationality to the children of Iraqi mothers.

As a result, Abu Hashish has been registered with the federation as a local player, despite representing the Jordanian national team, which is a common practice in many leagues around the world.

Sources indicate that the committee in the federation is likely to reject the complaint from Al-Mosul, especially after Al-Karmah submitted documents proving the player's legal status as a local player. This could put an end to the debate that has erupted on social media since the end of the match.

Abu Hashish is 31 years old and has been playing for Al-Karma since the summer of 2025 after renewing his contract until the summer of 2027.

He previously represented Al-Zawraa, Naft Al-Wasat, and Zakho in the Iraqi league, starting his career in Iraqi football with Al-Zawraa in the 2022-2023 season.