Al-Haras Al-Malaki

Al-Haras Al-Malaki

Full name	Al-Haras Al-Malaki
Founded	1947
Dissolved	1956
President	Obaid Abdullah Al-Mudhayfi
League	Iraq Central FA Premier League

Al-Haras Al-Malaki (Arabic: فريق الحرس الملكي, lit. 'Royal Guard'), was an Iraqi football team based in Baghdad. They participated in the first ever national cup tournament held in Iraq: the 1948–49 Iraq FA Cup.[1] They also won seven Iraq Central FA Premier League titles in a row (the top-tier league for teams from Baghdad and its neighbouring cities between 1948 and 1973), making them the most successful team in the tournament's history.[2]

History

Al-Haras Al-Malaki players in 1948

The club participated in the first ever national cup tournament held in Iraq: the 1948–49 Iraq FA Cup.[1] They also won seven Iraq Central FA Premier League titles in a row (the top-tier league for teams from Baghdad and its neighbouring cities between 1948 and 1973).[2]

In 1950, the club played an unofficial friendly against the Pakistan national team on their tour to Iran and Iraq in the national team's international debut.[3] In Iraq, due to the Iraqi FA's inability to gather a full national team, Pakistan played an unofficial friendly against the club resulting in a 1–1 draw.[3][4]

Honours

• Iraq Central FA Premier League
  • Winners (7): 1949–50, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1955–56 (record)
• Army Cup
  • Winners (4): 1948, 1950, 1955, 1956 (shared record)
• Jamal Baban Cup
  • Winners (2): 1948, 1951

References

1. Iraq 1948/49
2. Iraq - List of Champions
3. "Pakistan Tour of Iran and Iraq 1950". www.rsssf.org. Archived from the original on 21 July 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
4. Ahsan, Ali (23 December 2010). "A history of football in Pakistan – Part I". Dawn. Karachi, Pakistan. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2014.