Al Orobah appoint Hamad as new head coach

Roshn Saudi League side Al Orobah announced on Friday the appointment of Iraqi veteran Adnan Hamad as their new manager, replacing Alvaro Pacheco.

The league’s most northernly team were promoted from the First Division League this season, and have done well to stay outside the relegation zone - they currently sit 14th in the table - but a run of one win and five defeats in their past six matches saw the fate of their Portuguese boss sealed during the winter break.

Newly appointed Hamad, 63, becomes the first Iraqi to manage in the RSL. He brings a wealth of experience in Arab football having previously managed the national teams of Lebanon, Jordan and Bahrain as well as his native Iraq. At club level, he managed in the Iraqi, Jordanian, Lebanese and Emirati leagues.

Hamad enjoyed his greatest success around the turn of the century, winning the Iraqi League title with Al Zawraa in 1996 and 2000 and then leading Jordan’s Al Wehdat to the 2006 AFC Cup (Now AFC Champions League Two) title. He also led Jordan to the quarter-finals of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, matching their best result at the time.