Ayoub Odisho


Ayoub Odisho Barjam, is an Iraqi Assyrian former football player and coach of Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya in the Iraqi Premier League.

Football career

Playing

Ayoub was a tough tackling full-back, who played for Al-Talaba during a playing career that spanned 14 years. The right-sided defender joined the Students club in 1976, making his debut in a 1–0 win over Al-Shurta a year later. The defender, was one of the best defenders in the Iraqi league during the 1980s. He played alongside the likes of Hussein Saeed, Wathiq Aswad, Ali Hussein Shihab, Haris Mohammed and Adnan Dirjal during his career with the great club, helping Al-Talaba to three league titles in 1981, 1982 and 1986.
He made his international debut on 9 February 1979 in the 1-1 draw with East Germany in a friendly game in Baghdad and went on to make 38 appearances for Iraq, including playing at the 1982 Gulf Cup in the UAE and the Asian Games victory in New Delhi that same year but due to injuries a year on he lost his place in the side to Khalil Allawi. He made his last international appearance in a friendly with Bahrain in 1987.

Coaching

Odisho after retiring in 1991, he went on to coach Al-Talaba and Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, leading Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya to four trophies in the 1996–97 season. He infamously gave an interview at the end of the 1997–98 Iraqi League season telling the cameras how happy he was that Al-Quwa Al Jawiya had won the league title, but midway through the interview he announcer announced that Al-Shorta had won the league with a last minute goal and Odisho stood with a shocked, distraught face. The coach also had a lengthy spell in Lebanon managing Salam Zgharta, Al-Akhaa Ahli Aley and Safa FC. His last coaching job was at Arbil, which he stood down from in late 2011.
Since begin 2012, he is the new coach of Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya.
In October 2013, Odisho was appointed Erbil SC coach for his second stint with the club.
On 23 August 2017, Odisho took lead of Al-Zawra'a SC for two seasons. He led them in 62 games, winning 39 of them and winning the Iraqi league and the Iraqi super cup after a big game against Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya. Odisho then left the team because of problems with the fans, and results went down to sign for the rival Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya on March 15, 2019. A big change which made Al-Zawra'a SC fans mad at him.

Managerial statistics

Honours

Club

As Player
Al-Talaba
As Manager
Al-Talaba
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya
Al-Zawraa
Al-Jaish