The Iraqi national team begins its confrontation with the UAE in a defensive manner

In its match against its Emirati counterpart, which will be held this evening, Thursday, as part of the final Asian playoff qualifier for the 2026 World Cup, the Iraqi national team relied on a clear defensive style, contenting itself with striker Muhannad Ali alone in the front line.

The starting lineup for the “Mesopotamian Lions” team revealed that Australian coach Graham Arnold was betting on defensive organization to avoid the expected attacks from the Emirati “White,” while he preferred to keep a number of offensive-minded players on the bench, including Ayman Hussein and Zidane Iqbal.

The reasons for this – according to sources close to the team – are due to the lack of physical readiness of some players, especially Ayman Hussein, who is still recovering from injury, while Zidane Iqbal has not participated in many matches with his team in the Dutch League during the recent period.

It is noteworthy that coach Arnold had brought on Zidane Iqbal in the second half of previous matches, specifically after the 60th minute, as the player showed clear effectiveness in moving the midfield.