The Iraqi national team witnessed unexpected changes before facing Kuwait and Palestine on the 20th and 25th of this month in the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, as the player from Al-Riyadh club and the Iraqi national team, "Ibrahim Bayesh," was among those summoned to participate in the two matches, before being removed by coach Jesus Casas due to a disagreement over the timing of his arrival at the national team's training camp.

On the 16th of this month, Bayesh was supposed to join the national team's camp, according to the plan set by the technical staff. For this reason, Mahdi Karim, who works within the administrative team of the Iraqi national team, contacted Ibrahim Bayesh to inform him of the necessity to attend at the specified time.

However, Ibrahim Bayesh apologized for coming on that day, explaining that he was tied up with some matters that he needed to finish, suggesting that he could join the camp on the 17th or 18th of the month.

This delay was not acceptable from coach Jesus Casas' perspective, especially since the rest of the players adhered to the specified schedules.

According to sources, Bayesh did not only refuse to attend at the scheduled time, but he also hung up the phone on Mahdi Karim, which was considered an inappropriate action.

When Mahdi Karim tried to contact him again, he did not answer the calls, complicating the situation further.

After informing coach Jesus Casas of what had happened, he made a quick and decisive decision to exclude the player from the list immediately, considering that the behavior exhibited was unprofessional and unethical, especially since discipline and commitment are fundamental aspects relied upon in building the national team.

This decision was not surprising for those who follow Casas' policy, as the Spanish coach is known for his strictness regarding commitment within the national team, having previously made similar decisions against other players for similar reasons.

Despite Casas' clarity in excluding Bayesh, Qatari channel Al-Kass published news that the player would join the national team's camp, which sparked controversy regarding the truth of his final position. So far, no official comment has been issued by the player himself or the Iraqi Football Association regarding whether he will be pardoned and reinstated to the list.