Graham Arnold, the Australian head coach of Iraq, declared on Wednesday that his squad is set to give their all at this year’s World Cup, relishing the chance to spring a surprise on the global stage.
Iraq secured their World Cup spot by defeating Bolivia 2-1 during their inter-confederation play-off in Mexico on Wednesday, marking a return to the finals after a 40-year hiatus.
Aymen Hussein netted a second-half winner, making Iraq the 48th and final team to qualify for the tournament, which will be held in Canada, Mexico, and the US.
Ali Al Hamadi opened the scoring for Iraq in the 10th minute at Monterrey Stadium, although Bolivia equalised before halftime thanks to Moises Paniagua.
Arnold, who guided Australia to the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, will become just the second Australian coach to lead two different teams to the World Cup finals.
“Before contemplating our match against France, I should mention that I faced them previously with Australia at the 2022 World Cup. We lost 4-1, but we took that experience and used it as motivation to overcome Tunisia and Denmark and progress to the round of 16,” Arnold told reporters.
Arnold acknowledged the challenging conditions facing Iraq due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“Everything happening in the Middle East has made things a bit tougher,” Arnold remarked.
“I implemented a ban on social media from the moment we arrived. I wanted to ensure the players focused solely on our objectives here, rather than the situation back home,” he added.
Arnold stressed that qualifying for the World Cup is a significant privilege for the players.
“Iraq has everything to gain and nothing to lose,” he noted. “We need to approach the World Cup with a winning mentality—that’s the only way to accomplish something extraordinary. Sharing the field with talent like (Kylian) Mbappe and (Erling) Haaland is a true honour for our players.”
“We respect their skills, but we intend to step onto the pitch with the aim of surprising the world and showcasing Iraqi football on the international stage,” he stated.
Iraq finds themselves in World Cup Group I, where they will compete against France, Norway, and Senegal.
Compiled by SportArena.au
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