Hailing from Baghdad, Ali-Jasim El-Aibi is the latest hot prospect for the Iraqi national team. Since 2020, between loans and permanent transfers, the list of clubs the young striker has represented in his home country is long: Al-Karkh SC, Al-Shorta SC, Al-Qasim SC, Al-Kahrbaa Club and, currently, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya. In between, he spent a month in Turkey with Antalyaspor, but the adaptation didn’t go as planned, and Ali-Jasim returned to the Middle East. Having played at U16, U20 and U23 level in his country, El-Aibi is now a regular in the Iraqi national team. He is currently playing for his country in the AFC Asian Cup.
From a physical point of view, there are aspects of the Iraqi player that need to be honed. However, he needs to develop without neglecting what benefits him. Ali-Jasim is an ectomorph player. This gives him a very beneficial dimension when it comes to dribbling, as it makes him agile and capable of taking opponents out of the way in attacking duels. It’s also in these moments that the player ends up suffering, especially when he comes up against more aggressive and physically strong players. As such, it’s necessary to improve his shock power so that he can withstand some of the loads he receives more successfully. On the physical side, his good execution and travelling speeds, as well as his acceleration and sprinting ability, should also be emphasised.
In attack, Ali-Jasim is a player who takes any team to the next level. Whether it’s with Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya or the Iraqi national team, the impact he offers demonstrates the improvements he brings to the team. He’s able to find spaces at the back of the opposition’s pressure lines so that he always stays connected to the game and switches it on. He’s able to connect the midfield and the attack through passing, progression, and dribbling – he’s very strong in attacking duels due to his ability to change the direction of the ball. In these moments of connection, even though he is creative, he is confident in his actions, but when they are intercepted, he is the first to react actively and aggressively on the opponent, something that shows his willingness to defend, and this same willingness is visible in moments of defensive organisation – his competitive attitude is a point to highlight.
Also offensively, but in the final third, Ali-Jasim El-Aibi shows all his technical qualities in one-on-one situations – he masters deception and changes of speed and direction. As for the opposing full-back, whether he has defensive cover or not, he dares to look for the dribble and then set up the best way, either with a finish or a final pass – he has four goals in five games in the AFC Champions League and is the best assistant in the AFC Asian Cup. As far as finishing is concerned, it’s worth noting his good finishing technique – he usually combines power and precision in his shot. In the last few passes, it’s common to see him looking for the “banana” cross to the far post. Also noteworthy is his ambidexterity.
Right now, the most important thing for Ali-Jasim is to keep getting minutes. In the future, it would be interesting to see him leap to a Nordic club with title aspirations, or to a mid-table club in the Netherlands or Belgium. If he improves physically and continues to perform in international competitions, he’ll likely leap to Europe.
Target Scouting 