Merchas Doski #23

Profile

The moment this cultured Hannover-born left-back with roots to Zakho came into the team, everyone knew he would become a key player. Merchas, meaning "brave knight" in Kurdish, was first selected by Olympic coach Miroslav Soukup. After appearing at the 2022 Asian Under-23 Cup in Tashkent while without a club, he had a trial at Czech Cup winners FC Slovacko through Soukup’s contacts. After just six days, he earned a contract and played in Europe for the first time. Just three years earlier, he had been an amateur in Germany's fifth tier and working as a bricklayer. With a growing reputation, Doski later signed for Viktoria Plzen and played in the Europa League. With Iraq, he slotted in as if he had played there for years, achieving one of his lifelong dreams. ”The road to get here hasn't been easy. But a World Cup – that's every child's dream. Every boy who played on the streets, like I did, saw the great players at a World Cup.”

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