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{{Infobox football biography
| name =Ammo Baba
| image = Ammobabaold.jpg
| fullname = Emmanuel Baba Dawud
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1934|11|27|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Baghdad]], [[Iraq]]
| death_date          = {{death date and age|2009|5|27|1934|11|27|df=y}}
| position = [[Striker]]
| years1 = 1951-1954  
| years2 = 1954-1955  
| years3 = 1955-1957  
| years4 = 1957-1960  
| years5 = 1960-1962  
| years6 = 1962-1964  
| years7 = 1964-1965  
| years8 = 1965-1967  
| years9 = 1967-1968
| years10 = 1968-1970
| clubs1 = RAF Employees' (Assyrian) Club  
| clubs2 = Al-Haras Al-Malaki
| clubs3 = Al-Nadi Athori
| clubs4 = [[Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya]]
| clubs5 = Al-Nadi Athori 
| clubs6 = [[Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya]]
| clubs7 = [[Al-Amana|Maslahat Naqil Al-Rukab]]  
| clubs8 = Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya  
| clubs9 = [[Al-Amana|Maslahat Naqil Al-Rukab]]
| clubs10 = Al-Kulyia Al-Askariya
| nationalyears1 = 1955-1965
| nationalyears2 = 1957-1966
| nationalteam1 = [[Iraq military national football team|Iraq Military]]
| nationalteam2 = [[Iraq national football team|Iraq]]
| nationalcaps1 = 55
| nationalcaps2 = 17
| nationalgoals1 = 21
| nationalgoals2 = 11
| manageryears1 = 1970-1974 
| manageryears2 = 1974-1975 
| manageryears3 = 1976-1978 
| manageryears4 = 1978-1980 
| manageryears5 = 1980-1981 
| manageryears6 = 1981-1984 
| manageryears7 = 1986 
| manageryears8 = 1986-1987 
| manageryears9 = 1987-1988 
| manageryears10 = 1988-1989 
| manageryears11 = 1991-1992 
| manageryears12 = 1992
| manageryears13 = 1992-1993 
| manageryears14 = 1993 
| manageryears15 = 1993 
| manageryears16 = 1993-1994 
| manageryears17 = 1994-1995 
| manageryears18 = 1995-1996 
| manageryears19 = 1996 
| manageryears20 = 1997 
| manageryears21 = 1997 
| manageryears22 = 1997-1998 
| manageryears23 = 1999-2000 
| manageryears24 = 2000 
| manageryears25 = 2000-2001 
| manageryears26 = 2001-2002
| managerclubs1 = Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya 
| managerclubs2 = [[Al-Jaish (Baghdad)|Al-Jaish]]  
| managerclubs3 = Al-Tamim Province XI  
| managerclubs4 = [[Iraq national football team|Iraq]]  
| managerclubs5 = [[Al-Talaba]]  
| managerclubs6 = [[Iraq national football team|Iraq]]  
| managerclubs7 = [[Al-Rasheed]]  
| managerclubs8 = Al-Tijara  
| managerclubs9 = [[Iraq national football team|Iraq]]  
| managerclubs10 = [[Iraq national football team|Iraq]]  
| managerclubs11 = [[Al-Zawra'a SC]]  
| managerclubs12 = [[Al-Shorta]]  
| managerclubs13 = [[Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya]]  
| managerclubs14 = [[Iraq national football team|Iraq]]  
| managerclubs15 = [[Qatar SC]]  
| managerclubs16 = [[Al-Zawra'a SC]]  
| managerclubs17 = [[Al-Karkh]]  
| managerclubs18 = [[Ramadi FC]]  
| managerclubs19 = [[Iraq national football team|Iraq]]  
| managerclubs20 = [[Iraq national football team|Iraq]]  
| managerclubs21 = [[Al-Shorta]]  
| managerclubs22 = [[Al-Zawra'a SC]]  
| managerclubs23 = [[Salahaddin FC]]  
| managerclubs24 = [[Iraq national under-17 football team|Iraq U-16]]  
| managerclubs25 = [[Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya]]  
| managerclubs26 = [[Al-Shorta]]
}}

'''Emmanuel Baba Dawud''' better known as '''Ammo Baba''' ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]: عمو بابا, {{lang-syr|ܥܡܘ ܒܒܐ}}) (born November 27, 1934 in [[Baghdad]], [[Iraq]] – May 27, 2009 in [[Duhok, Iraq|Duhok]], [[Iraq]]),  was a former [[Iraq]]i and ethnic [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] [[Christian]] international [[Football (soccer)|football]] player and coach of the [[Iraq national football team]]. He scored the first international goal for Iraq in 1957 against [[Morocco national football team|Morocco]] at the [[2nd Pan Arab Games]] in [[Beirut]] and later returned to the team as the coach in 1978.

==Playing career==
Ammo Baba, exploded onto the middle eastern football scene at the age of 16 in a Pan Arab School Championship in [[Cairo]] for the Iraqi schoolboys against the home nation Egypt in 1951 after being spotted by Iraqi schoolboys' coach Ismail Mohammed playing for the Liwa Al-Dulaim school province team. It was the same coach that gave him the nickname 'Ammo Baba', and also advised him to move to Baghdad to play for one of Iraq's top teams. <ref>{{cite web|publisher=Goal.com|author=Mubarak, Hassanin|title=Ammo Baba: The Amazing Story Of Iraq's Football Legend |url= http://www.goal.com/en/news/1775/asian-editorials/2009/05/29/1292246/ammo-baba-the-amazing-story-of-iraqs-football-legend/}}</ref>
Ammo who is still revered by generations who never saw him play, was an instinctive out and out goalscorer, known for his bicycle kicks or backward double-kicks as they are known in Iraq, heading ability, and the power of his shooting. He had an opportunist's eye for goal but also displayed magnificent technique and virtuoso skill of a great footballer.

Ammo was born in [[Baghdad]] on the British controlled military camp RAF Hinaidi but moved with his family to live on the Civil Cantonment on the large RAF base in [[Habbaniyah|Habbaniya]] in 1937, where he first learnt to play the game of football. After playing for his school team, he moved to RAF Employees' (Assyrian) Club in 1951 replacing legendary striker and fellow Assyrian [[Aram Karam]], where he played with other famous Assyrian footballers such as Hormis Goriel, Emmanuel "Ammo Simsim" Samson and [[Youra Eshaya]]. In 1954 he signed for Baghdad based Haris Al-Maliki where he was a huge success, scoring bundles of goals, season after season.
The prolific marksman was once the captain of a short-lived Arab national team during the mid-Sixties, in a Nasser-inspired experiment in Arab unity which failed due to the fact that, which Ammo Baba puts it 'no one wanted to play against us'. It had been the initiative of Arab radio station Sawt Al-Arab (Voice of the Arabs) in Cairo, and two of the best players from each Arab country were called up to take part in the team, from Iraq Ammo Baba, and Qais Hamed were selected. The team organised in [[Egypt]] did not play in any international competitions, managing only to play a few local teams in Cairo and Alexandria. Ammo Baba had been picked alongside Qais Hamed, and the team was able to beat Al-Ismaili, Al-Ittihad Alexandria, draw with Zamalek and lose to Tersana, with Ammo scoring the first goal for the Arab team, and hit another two goals against Al-Ismaili.

After brilliant scoring record for both Iraq and [[Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya]], he was spotted by English 2nd Division side [[Notts County]] managed by former Iraqi military coach [[Frank Hill]] and was offered a contract to play for them, but when the call from [[Meadow Lane]] came, he could not leave the country, due to a sudden coup led by the Iraqi General Abdul-Karim Qasim on July 14, 1958. A year earlier another former coach of his, [[Billy Cook (Northern Irish footballer)|William Cook]] offered him a chance to play for [[Crewe Alexandra]], then in the English Third Division and there were also offers from [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] and [[Celtic Football Club|Celtic]] but Ammo decided to stay in Iraq.

By the age of 20, becoming one of Iraq’s most prolific goalscorers at both local and international level, with a near perfect 100% goal-scoring ratio from 1955 to 1960. As a player, he could adapt to any position, and played in defence, midfield and attack in his playing career. 

A national championship winning coach at the age of 23 at Nadi Athori, made even more impressive when you think it was done with an Assyrian only club policy, and in 1967, Ammo was coaching two teams in the Iraqi league. <ref>{{cite web|publisher=Iraqsport.wordpress|author=Mubarak, Hassanin|title=Ammo Baba: The King is dead, long live the King |url= http://iraqsport.wordpress.com/2013/05/27/ammo-baba-the-king-is-dead-long-live-the-king}}</ref>

He went onto play and coach Nadi Athori (Assyrian Sports Club) to the Iraqi Cup Championship in 1960 beating his former employers Al-Jawiya 3-0 in the final, before returning to Al-Jawiya in 1962 after Nadi Athori were relegated from the Iraqi first division. He later played for Al-Maslaha and Kuliya Al-Askariya before calling it a day in 1970.

==Coaching career==
[[Image:Ammobabaold2.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Ammo Baba in full flight against Al-Maslaha's Mohammed Thamir during match in 1959.]]

Due to a serious injury he sustained in 1965 while playing for Iraq at the [[Pan Arab Games]] in [[Cairo]], Ammo was nearly forced to retire from the game but returned to play for a further five years. He began his coaching career at Al-Maslaha (Passenger Transport) team in [[Baghdad]] in 1967 in a player-coach role. A year earlier while returning from injury, the Iraq FA named him coach of the Baghdad XI side for a match against East Germany however they were beaten 4-0 by the Germans and Ammo was relieved of his duties.

In 1978, Baba was appointed as Iraq's football military national team coach, leading the team to its third [[CISM World Military Championship]] title a year later beating nations such as [[Austria national football team|Austria]], [[Morocco national football team|Morocco]], and [[Greece national football team|Greece]], on the way to the final where they beat [[Italy national football team|Italy]], on penalties.

The same year he was appointed as the head coach of Iraq's [[Iraq national football team|national team]] for the first time. He would be appointed and re-appointed on seven different occasions, during the 1980s and 1990s (see below for exact years). Iraqis often call the 1980s as the "golden years" of Iraq football, where Baba led the national team to numerous tournaments and many titles.

Throughout his coaching years, Baba was also the Olympic team head coach, where he led the team to two [[Summer Olympics|Olympic]] appearances in [[Football at the 1984 Summer Olympics|Los Angeles 1984]], and [[Football at the 1988 Summer Olympics|Seoul 1988]].
[[Image:Ammobaba4.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Ammo Baba netting one of his many goals.]]

In addition, Baba led Iraq to three titles in the [[Gulf Cup of Nations|Gulf Cup]] (1979, 1984, 1988), the [[1982 Asian Games|Asian Games of 1982]], and the [[Arab Nations Cup]] in 1988.

Baba also found success in the [[Iraqi League]], where he led [[Al Talaba]] to a title in 1981. After leaving the national scene, Baba was hired by [[Al Zawraa]], and led them to a title in 1994.

==Iraq national team head coaching years==
:''Note the Military Cup games are not counted, since they were not considered to be Class A national teams participitating.''
<center>
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 80%"
|-
|  style="background:#39c; text-align:center;" colspan="6"| '''<span style="color:#fff;">Ammo Baba Coaching Record</span>'''
|-
!Year
!Games
!Wins
!Losses
!Draws
!Notes
|-
|1978–1979
|18
|14
|2
|2
|[[1978 Asian Games]] - 4th place <br>[[Gulf Cup of Nations 1979|Gulf Cup 1979]] - Champions
|-
|1981–1984
|64
|34
|9
|20
|Merdeka Tournament 1981 - Champions <br>[[1982 Asian Games]] - Champions<br>Qualified for [[1984 Summer Olympics|1984 Olympics]] <br> [[Gulf Cup of Nations 1984|Gulf Cup 1984]] - Champions
|-
|1987–1988
|40
|23
|6
|11
|Qualified for the [[1988 Summer Olympics|1988 Olympics]] games<br>1988 [[Gulf Cup of Nations|Gulf Cup]] - Champions
|-
|1988–1989
|12
|4
|4
|4
|1988 [[Arab Nations Cup]] - Champions 
|-
|1993
|4
|1
|0
|3
| 
|-
|1996
|2
|2
|0
|0
| 
|-
|1996
|2
|2
|0
|0
|  
|-
|1997
|1
|1
|0
|0
|  
|-
|'''Total'''
|143
|81
|21
|40
|  
|}
</center>

==Personal life==
[[Image:Ammobabaasheadcoach.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Ammo Baba at a 1979 Military Cup game.]]

Ammu Baba was one of the few prominent Iraqis to openly confront Saddam Hussein's [[Uday Saddam Hussein|Uday]], the president of the Iraqi Football Association.<ref name=independent>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/ammo-baba-footballer-and-coach-revered-by-the-people-of-iraq-1695320.html |title=Ammo Baba: Footballer and coach revered by the people of Iraq - Obituaries - News |publisher=The Independent |date=2009-06-03 |accessdate=2012-08-17}}</ref> After the Iraq war all of his family, including his children, moved to [[Chicago]] where there is a sizeable [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] community, while he stayed in [[Baghdad]], where he ran a football [[academy]] for [[teenager]]s.<ref name=independent/> On January 20, 2006, the 71-year-old Baba was attacked in his home, where he was tied, blind-folded, beaten, and then robbed.<ref name=independent/>

Ammo Baba died at the age of 74 on Wednesday the 27th of May 2009, after suffering from diabetes and its complications in Duhok. He was buried at [[Al-Shaab Stadium|Baghdad's largest stadium]] as he requested before his death.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8074225.stm |title=Middle East &#124; Funeral held for Iraq football legend Dawud |publisher=BBC News |date=2009-05-29 |accessdate=2012-08-17}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/cta/events99/millennium/diaries/ammo_baba.ram BBC video interview]
*[http://www.aina.org/aol/bulls/stars/ammo_b/ammo.htm Assyrian Sports : Hall of Fame : Soccer]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8074225.stm BBC reporting his funeral]
*[http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0719567955]
*{{cite web|publisher=[[Iraqsport]]|author=Mubarak, Hassanin|title=Ammo Baba ... the football poet|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20030319214202/http://www.iraqsport.com/articles/07/Ammo_Baba.pdf|accessdate=2003-03-19}}
*{{cite web|publisher=[[www.iraqsport.com]]|author=Hassanin Mubarak|title=Player Database |url=http://web.archive.org/web/20010618234645/http://iraqsport.com/cgi-bin/db/db.cgi?db=players&uid=default&view_records=1&Index=A}}

{{Persondata 
| NAME              = Baba, Ammo
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Iraqi footballer
| DATE OF BIRTH     = November 27, 1934
| PLACE OF BIRTH    = [[Baghdad]], [[Iraq]]
| DATE OF DEATH     = May 27, 2009
| PLACE OF DEATH    =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baba, Ammo}}
[[Category:1934 births]]
[[Category:2009 deaths]]
[[Category:Iraqi Assyrian people]]
[[Category:Iraqi Christians]]
[[Category:Association football forwards]]
[[Category:Iraqi footballers]]
[[Category:Iraqi football managers]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Baghdad]]
[[Category:Assyrian sportspeople]]
[[Category:Al-Zawraa players]]
[[Category:Deaths from diabetes]]
[[Category:Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya players]]
[[Category:Qatar SC managers]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Qatar]]
[[Category:Iraq international footballers]]