First Official Website
AFC 2003 Young Player of the Year nominee Younis Mahmoud was the first Iraqi footballer to have his own official website – which was formally launched on 27 April 2004.
The website played a big role in Younis's popularity and was a first of a kind that took the Iraqi player and fans interaction to another level.
"I am glad to say that the site will be the first ever official Iraqi player’s website" says webmaster Mohammed Ghazi Al-Khakani.
Al-Khakani, an Iraqi who studied at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, regularly visits his family in Abu Dhabi, where he was raised but the Christmas holiday 2003 proved to be a very different affair.
"I was driving my car and noticed from a distance someone wearing a jacket with the name IRAQ imprinted on it. This grabbed my attention so I stopped my car to take a closer look and recognised that the person was Younis Mahmoud."
Since then the pair have become good friends and can be seen on some videos on the website and during some goal celebrations with Younis. It was Mohammed who then came up with the idea of an official website for the player. Younis excited about the idea, agreed, giving his friend the green light to go ahead and work on his personal website.
The site is updated and include a biographical profile on the player, with latest news, photos, videos, and the player’s views on upcoming matches and events.
"Inshallah (God willing) this will get me and my fans a huge step closer to each other" said Younis Mahmoud after the launch of the his site.
Interview conducted by Hassanin Mubarak of Iraqsport.
Read more about this topic: Younis Mahmoud
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