Mohannad Ali 'Mimi', the striker of the Iraqi national team and Dibba Al-Fujairah in the UAE, has captured the spotlight in recent days due to his outstanding performances with his team in the UAE league, making him the center of attention for Iraqi fans and media ahead of the crucial Asian playoff for qualification to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Mimi, who is 25 years old, is looking to enter the starting lineup for the anticipated match against Indonesia next Saturday, amid rising talk about his high readiness and distinctive technical level compared to his fellow striker Ayman Hussein.

According to sources close to the national team, Australian coach Graham Arnold is in a dilemma when it comes to determining the main striker against Indonesia, as he usually relies on Ayman Hussein as the first choice in the attacking line, especially in the style of play that depends on crosses and set pieces, while Mimi is currently showing the best physical and technical readiness.

Observers believe that Mimi's superiority is not limited to physical readiness alone, but extends to numbers and statistics, as he specializes in scoring against East Asian teams, having previously found the net against Nepal, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Thailand, making him an ideal choice for participation in the upcoming match.

These numbers confirm that Mimi is a 'specialist' striker when it comes to scoring against teams from the eastern part of the continent, which may prompt Arnold to reconsider his tactical decisions before facing Indonesia, especially with doubts surrounding Ayman Hussein's full readiness.

On another note, Mohannad Ali is the last Iraqi player to score a goal against the Saudi national team, during the match between the two teams in the Gulf Cup 'Gulf 26' in Kuwait, which ended in Iraq's loss (3-1), where Mimi scored the only goal for the Lions of Mesopotamia in that match.

The Iraqi striker is currently participating in the national team's collective training in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, feeling very confident about getting a chance to start, having regained his usual level, despite the red card incident he faced during the friendly King of Thailand Cup, which at the time caused displeasure for coach Arnold, who urged him to control his nerves on the field.

Mimi has an impressive record with the Lions of Mesopotamia, having played 58 international matches in which he scored 23 goals, and he also represented the youth and junior teams in 14 matches, scoring 17 goals, reaffirming once again that he is one of the most prominent Iraqi strikers in the last decade, and a winning card that Arnold may rely on in the pursuit of the dream of qualifying for the World Cup.