{{Short description|Iraqi footballer (1942–2025)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Shidrak Yousif<br>{{nobold|{{lang|ar|شدراك يوسف}}}} | image = شدراك يوسف.jpg | caption = | full_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1942|07| }} | birth_place = [[Habbaniyah]], Iraq | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2025|08|05|1942|07|01}} | death_place = | height = | position = [[Midfielder]] | clubs1 = | clubs2 = | nationalyears1 = 1965–1973 | nationalteam1 = [[Iraq national football team|Iraq]] | nationalcaps1 = 31 | nationalgoals1 = 2 }}
'''Shidrak Yousif''' ({{langx|ar|شدراك يوسف}}; July 1942 – 5 August 2025) was an Iraqi [[association football|footballer]] and sports commentator. A [[midfielder]], he played for the [[Iraq national football team]] from 1965 to 1973, being a member of two [[Arab Cup]] championship teams as well as their team at the [[1972 AFC Asian Cup]]. After his playing career, he served as coach of the [[Iraq women's national football team]] and was a well-known sports commentator in the country.
==Biography== Yousif was born in July 1942 in [[Habbaniyah]], Iraq.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://syriacpress.com/blog/2025/08/05/chaldean-syriac-assyrian-people-mourn-shidrak-yousif-iraqi-football-legend-who-passed-away-at-81/|website=Syriac Press|date=5 August 2025|title=Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people mourn Shidrak Yousif, Iraqi football legend, who passed away at 81}}</ref> He was a member of the [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] ethnic group and was considered one of the most famous Assyrian sportspeople.<ref name="auto"/> He played as a [[midfielder]] and started his [[Association football|football]] career with a local team in Habbaniyah.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|publisher=[[Al Jazeera Arabic]]|language=Arabic|title=شدراك يوسف.. قامة رياضية عراقية رحلت وتركت إرثا خالدا|date=5 August 2025|trans-title=Shadrak Youssef... an Iraqi sports icon who passed away, leaving behind an immortal legacy|url=https://www.aljazeera.net/sport/2025/8/5/%D8%B4%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%83-%D9%8A%D9%88%D8%B3%D9%81-%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B6%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%B1%D8%AD%D9%84%D8%AA}}</ref> He played for several clubs, including [[Al Ahly (Baghdad)|Al Ahly]] in [[Baghdad]] and Ramadi Education, before finishing his career with a club in the Iraqi Third Division.<ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto1"/> He was regarded as one of Iraq's star football players during the 1960s and was known for his "technical skills and consistent performance".<ref name="auto1"/>
Yousif debuted for the [[Iraq national football team]] in 1965.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.almasryalyoum.com/news/details/3517494|newspaper=[[Al-Masry Al-Youm]]|language=Arabic|title=وفاة نجم منتخب العراق السابق شدراك يوسف |trans-title=Death of former Iraqi national team star Shadrak Youssef|author=Al-Adawi, Ahmed|date=5 August 2025|archive-url=https://archive.today/20250810215251/https://www.almasryalyoum.com/news/details/3517494|archive-date=2025-08-10}}</ref> He was a member of the team as they won the [[1964 Arab Cup|1964]] and [[1966 Arab Cup]]s.<ref name="auto1"/> He played a major role for the 1966 Arab Cup-winning team and was named the best player of the tournament.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://ina.iq/en/sport/41532-farewell-to-shidrak-yousif-a-pillar-of-iraqi-football-and-voice-of-the-game.html|publisher=[[Iraqi News Agency]]|title=Farewell to Shidrak Yousif: A Pillar of Iraqi Football and Voice of the Game|date=5 August 2025|via=[[archive.today]]|archive-url=https://archive.today/20250810215336/https://ina.iq/en/sport/41532-farewell-to-shidrak-yousif-a-pillar-of-iraqi-football-and-voice-of-the-game.html|archive-date=2025-08-10}}</ref> He remained with the national team through 1973 and participated in the [[1972 AFC Asian Cup]].<ref name="auto"/> Yousif retired from the national team after [[1974 FIFA World Cup qualification]] and retired from playing entirely in 1974 or 1975.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://iraqsport.com/cgi-bin/db/db.cgi?db=players&uid=default&view_records=1&ID=*&nh=12 |title=Players DataBase: Search Results |website=iraqsport.com |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020312031632/http://iraqsport.com/cgi-bin/db/db.cgi?db=players&uid=default&view_records=1&ID=*&nh=12 |archive-date=12 March 2002 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In his national team career, he appeared in 31 matches and scored two goals.<ref name="auto1"/> He was also a member of the [[Iraq military national football team]], helping them win the 1972 [[World Military Cup]].<ref name="auto2"/> After his retirement from playing, Yousif entered coaching and led several teams including the [[Iraq women's national football team]] before retiring from coaching in 1979.<ref name="auto"/>
Yousif then worked as a sports commentator, becoming one of the most well-known Iraqi sports media figures.<ref name="auto2"/> According to [[Al Jazeera Arabic|Al Jazeera]], he "was distinguished by his unique style and endearing voice, which has remained in the minds of generations. His voice was an integral part of the football enjoyment for the Iraqi public".<ref name="auto1"/> He was known for having a "remarkable memory" and his "exceptional precision" in remembering statistics and moments from Iraqi football history, according to the ''Syriac Press''.<ref name="auto"/> In the 1990s, he served as director of the Iraqi Sports Channel, led the sports department at [[Ishtar TV]], and also hosted a television show called ''Sports Bag''.<ref name="auto1"/> He later moved to [[Ankawa]] where he founded a youth football academy.<ref name="auto1"/> Yousif died on 5 August 2025, following a long illness, aged 83.{{efn|Some sources mislabel his age as "81".}}<ref name="auto"/>
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Iraq squad 1972 AFC Asian Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yousif, Shidrak}} [[Category:1942 births]] [[Category:1972 AFC Asian Cup players]] [[Category:2025 deaths]] [[Category:Assyrian footballers]] [[Category:Iraqi men's footballers]] [[Category:Iraq men's international footballers]] [[Category:Men's association football midfielders]] [[Category:Iraq women's national football team]] [[Category:Iraqi football managers]] [[Category:People from Al Anbar Governorate]]