Hussein Saeed and "the phantom 78th goal"
Hussein Saeed is Iraq's all-time top scorer. Many years ago, I compiled a file on the number of international matches and goals, which, through RSSSF colleague Roberto Mamrud, was sent to FIFA, inducting him into FIFA’s century club.
Hussein Saeed became the first Iraq player to do so. Years later, eleven matches were added to the player’s list of international matches.
But while I was compiling Iraq's international matches, in research for my six books, I came across many errors, even in FIFA's records.
The most significant mistake that I found, which has been repeated again and again, is that Hussein Saeed scored 78 goals for Iraq.
Journalists and media outlets continue to repeat this, and no one ever seems to point out the error.
Hussein Saeed's 78th goal was apparently scored on January 27, 1989, in a World Cup qualifier against Oman, according to FIFA's records, but the striker did not score a goal in the game.
FIFA’s match report notes the goalscorers in the qualifier on January 27, 1989, were Ahmed Hassan (Iraqi defender Hassan Kamal), Ahmed Radhi, and Hussein Saeed.
But the goals were scored by Ali Hussein Shihab 33', Natiq Hashim 54', and Ahmed Radhi 82’.
So Hussein Saeed has scored 77 goals for Iraq, not 78.
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