Graham Arnold, the coach of the Iraqi national team, received reassuring signals after closely following the events of the Baghdad capital derby between Al-Zawraa and Al-Talaba, which took place yesterday at Al-Zawraa Stadium and ended in a positive draw amidst a large crowd that filled the stands of the stadium.

The Australian coach was present in the stands to monitor the performance levels of some of his regular players on the roster, as part of his preparations for the Asian playoff matches qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

Special sources confirmed that Arnold focused on the performance of goalkeeper Jalal Hassan and midfielders Mohammed Qasim and Hassan Abdul Karim, in addition to following Al-Talaba's goalkeeper Fahd Talib, and defenders Karrar Mohammed and Zaid Ismail, as he noted down with his coaching staff the most important observations regarding the strengths and weaknesses in their performance during a significant match like the derby.

The coach expressed his satisfaction with the level of goalkeeper Jalal Hassan, who shone remarkably and saved Al-Zawraa from defeat after he thwarted dangerous chances, confirming that the first goal for Al-Talaba could not be blamed on the goalkeeper, which reinforced his belief in the readiness of the veteran captain to protect the den of the Black Lions of Mesopotamia.

According to sources, Arnold will continue to attend matches in the Iraqi Stars League in the next two rounds to more accurately assess the levels of local players, even though he has finalized a significant portion of his preliminary roster, he has kept the door open for some names that might impose themselves.

As for the file of professionals, he entrusted it to his Dutch assistant Rene Meulensteen, who regularly monitors their matches and provides reports to the coach continuously. The latest was the follow-up of a match in the Norwegian league in which the Iraqi duo Marco Faraj and Imar Sher participated.

Arnold is close to completing his preliminary roster, as he has settled on most names during Iraq's recent participation in the King's Cup of Thailand, but he is still studying the files of some players like Zidane Iqbal, who plays for Utrecht in the Netherlands, and Ali Al-Hamadi, a striker for Luton Town in England, as physical and technical readiness will be the decisive criteria for their return.

It is noteworthy that the Australian coach took over the leadership of the Iraqi national team in May last year, succeeding the Spaniard Jesus Casas, and his contract extends until 2027. He has so far played 4 matches with the "Black Lions of Mesopotamia," achieving 3 victories and 1 loss.