Financial crisis hits Al-Minaa club in the Iraqi Premier League

Al-Minaa Club is facing tough times as the Iraqi Premier League kicks off, with financial issues impacting the first team despite a promising start yesterday.

Al-Minaa succeeded in overcoming Zakho at their home ground and in front of their fans with a score of 2-1 in the second round match.

The victory came at a crucial time, boosting the morale of players who have been struggling with delayed payments since before the start of the season, despite repeated administrative promises.

The victory has given the team 4 points from two matches after drawing in the opener against Al-Zawraa, but it has not obscured the reality of the crisis the club is experiencing off the pitch.

Al-Minaa is one of the pillars of Iraqi football. It was founded on November 22, 1931, just months apart from Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, which emerged on July 4 of the same year, and for this reason, the two clubs are referred to as the "historic duo."

Today, after 95 years since its founding, the club faces an administrative and financial challenge that could undermine its stability if not addressed quickly.

Informed sources have revealed that the Iraqi National Olympic Committee will announce a new temporary administrative body to manage the club in the coming days.

The decision came after the committee expressed dissatisfaction with the current working mechanism and the deterioration of financial and administrative conditions within the club.

The move aims to reorganise the coastal house at both the administrative and technical levels, seeking urgent solutions. Among these is providing loans or finding alternative financial resources to ensure the team's continuity without further collapse.

The team's coach Hussein Abdul Wahid has been proactive in issuing a distress call, urging the local government in Basra to intervene to save the club before the crisis worsens.

It was pointed out that the lack of funding has even affected the Olympic Port Stadium, which has shown its pitch in an unsuitable condition despite being one of the newest stadiums in Iraq.

In an effort to quell the anger following the players' strike, team captain Saad Natiq reassured the fans ahead of the match against Zakho, saying:

*"Financial matters are not a concern for us right now, and they will not be an obstacle. Our focus was on winning and making our fans happy, and that is what happened."*

Yesterday's victory over Zakho proved that Al-Minaa players have the will to fight despite the circumstances. However, the continued delay in salaries and the deterioration of infrastructure could undermine any technical progress.

The Basra street is now waiting for the decisions of the Olympic Committee. A victory on the pitch alone is not enough, and the club needs administrative and financial rescue to restore its dignity.