Australian coach Graham Arnold has headed the Iraqi national team's delegation to Thailand to begin preparations for the participation of the Lions of Mesopotamia in the friendly King of Thailand Cup, which will take place from September 4 to 7, as part of the preparations for the Asian playoff qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

Arnold decided to summon 23 players for the tournament roster, including local and professional players, as the coaching staff will follow a comprehensive program that includes monitoring the team's accommodation, training fields, and logistical preparations before opening the technical and psychological file with all players.

According to sources, the Iraqi national team delegation will be in Thailand for more than a week, with the remaining players joining the camp tomorrow, Sunday, to complete their number in preparation for the first training sessions and to focus on the first match against Hong Kong on September 4, in the semifinals of the friendly tournament, while the second match will be between Thailand and Fiji.

The sources indicated that Coach Arnold will personally oversee all details of the camp, from logistics to technical and psychological aspects, and will not consider winning in his calculations during the friendly tournament matches, as the main goal is to test all players and give them the opportunity.

The sources added: "All 23 players will be given a full opportunity, especially the professionals in Europe who started training and matches earlier compared to the players of the Iraqi Stars League, who just started recently and have not yet reached the required readiness."

They continued: "This will include new players in the national team such as Kevin Yaqub, who plays for Aarhus in Denmark, who has returned after a long absence due to injury, in addition to several other national team players."

This camp comes as part of the final preparations for the Asian playoff qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, where Iraq will face the teams of Saudi Arabia and Indonesia in October, with an emphasis on raising the level of physical and technical readiness for all players and unifying the harmony between locals and professionals within the national team.