Playing the second leg in Basra does not give Iraq an advantage over “Al-Abyad”

Iraqi national team coach, Australian Graham Arnold, said that the chances are equal between the “Mesopotamian Lions” and the UAE national team in the two Asian continental playoff matches qualifying for the global playoff for the 2026 World Cup, stressing that Iraq does not have an advantage due to playing the return match at its home stadium in Basra.

He explained in a press conference: “Two very important matches, and we feel optimistic before the first leg, as the team is fully prepared to play the two matches.”

He added: “I do not think that Iraq does not have an advantage because it plays the second leg in Basra, as the stage of the qualifiers is held in a home-and-away system, and we must prepare for each match separately, and we must focus first on the first-leg match, and then after that we think about the return match.”

Regarding choosing the team’s lineup, he said: “We chose 24 players for the two matches, and we have many attacking options, such as Ayman Hussein and Muhannad Ali.”

As for coach Olario Cosmin’s statement that he studied the Iraqi national team, he said: “This is considered normal. I have done the same thing by studying every major and minor member of the UAE national team. The most important thing is that we be fully focused and mentally present during the match.”

He added: “The mental aspect is very important, and this is the first time that the Iraqi national team has reached this stage of the qualifiers, so we must give everything we have and fight to hold on to our chances of qualifying for the World Cup.”

He continued: “The lottery system was not good, and the UAE national team understands this matter, especially since it faced the same problem by playing the last stage of the qualifiers in Qatar while we played in Saudi Arabia, which gave preference to the two home teams.”

For his part, Iraqi national team player Amir Al-Amari said: “Our ambitions are high and we have great confidence in obtaining the qualification card for the next stage of the qualifiers.”

He pointed out in a press conference that the “Mesopotamia Lions” players will fight to achieve victory, praising the role of the Iraqi fans, and said: “We hope to achieve good results in the Emirates, so that we will have an advantage when we play the return match in our home stadium, and that we will be able to make our fans happy.”