Coach Rivieira stays true to Brazilian style football, and even has a nickname to go with it. Badu, as he is popularly known, is a name that refers to the act of taking the ball all the way up to the mouth of the goal and tap it in. He has decades of coaching experience, as well as being a former professional player. Badu has taken clubs and national sides from all over the world to success, and most notably, coached Iran to the 1998 World Cup finals after beating Australia in a two-legged playoff. Badu currently coaches Al Shamal in the star studded Q-League, a side that boasts three Iraqi internationals in their lineup (Ahmed Abdul Jabbar, Haider Mahmood, and Razzaq Farhan). shakomakonet exclusively caught up with Badu at a recent training session and enjoyed a quick but memorable conversation with Badu.

shakomakonet: What does Razzaq Farhan mean to the Al Shamal club?
Badu: Razzaq’s is made to play in Europe, he plays at a much higher standard than that which is played here in Qatar. He has an excellent footballing mind, dribbles the ball well, and is an excellent shooter. He has the speed, and the ability to create opportunities through his movement on and off the ball. He has all the characteristics football needs in one player. And I can see these things in him after only being here for two weeks. He is just perfect with regards to his physical attributes. Our team is at the bottom of the table, but he is the second top scorer in the league. He is the exception on our team. He is also a pleasure to work with. He is always in high spirits, energetic, and works hard in training. He arrives early and is the last player to get off the pitch. He is the best professional on our team?

shakomakonet: You are a coaching veteran in the Middle East, what do you know about Bernd Stange?
Badu: I was offered the job of coaching the Iraqi national side before Stange was. But there was uncertainty regarding whether I would be selected or not, so I had to pursue other opportunities. It would be unprofessional for me to say bad things about Stange.

shakomakonet: Would you coach Iraq now?
Badu: I would. Countries like Iraq and Iran have a proud footballing heritage, and soccer is part of their culture. When I was in Iran, I would see children play in the streets all the time. It reminded me of Brazil. I understand Iraq is like that as well. That means you can see somebody on the streets and realize that he has the talents of playing in the first division or the national team. People love playing in Iraq. When Iraq returns to the Gulf Cup next year, it will be over for the rest of the teams. That is probably why they didn’t allow Iraq to play before.

We would like to thank coach Badu for his time and wish him the best of luck with Al Shamal and all his other future assignments, perhaps one of which might be Iraqi.