Sports analyst Nebras Salman confirmed that the Iraqi national team faces significant challenges before participating in the King's Cup of Thailand, noting that the current preparations have not been ideal at all, which may affect the team's readiness before the Asian playoffs for the World Cup.

He said: "We do not have any prior planning, and the Iraqi Federation made mistakes in preparing the Iraqi national team for the Asian playoffs from several aspects, including the delay in contracting with coach Graham Arnold, and then the lack of any gathering for the team before the matches start."

He added: "The King's Cup of Thailand is considered a dead tournament, and we will participate in it only to revive the experience and gain some friendly matches that may benefit the players in their physical and technical preparation."

He continued: "The team needs to focus on tactical and physical aspects before facing the Asian playoffs, especially since the official matches will start very soon."

He added: "Despite all the difficulties, we hope that there will be enough focus and cooperation between the players and the coach to compensate for the short time available before the official start of the playoffs."

It is worth mentioning that the Iraqi national team will face the Hong Kong team on the second of next month in the semi-finals of the tournament.