Graham Arnold Makes Fiery Statements Before Facing Saudi Arabia

Graham Arnold, the coach of the Iraqi national team, made fiery statements ahead of the match against the Saudi national team in the final round of the Asian playoff matches for qualification to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The Iraqi national team is scheduled to meet its Saudi counterpart tomorrow, Tuesday, at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah at 9:45 PM, in a decisive match where the Lions of Mesopotamia will seek victory to ensure direct qualification.

Arnold said at the press conference: "We will play only for victory tomorrow, and we have no other option. I have 40 years of experience dealing with such crucial and difficult matches. We are calm, and everyone is focused only on tomorrow's match, and we will not face any pressure even if the stadium is full against Saudi Arabia."

He added: "All the pressure is on Saudi Arabia from all directions. The Saudi team has two options: either to win or to draw, and they are playing at home in front of their fans. They have all the qualifications and will be strongly demanded by their supporters to achieve victory, but we are calmer, and even if we do not win, we have secured a spot in the next playoff that will bring one of the Asian teams closer to the World Cup."

He concluded by saying: "Player Zidane Iqbal is an amazing boy who has the solutions and all the qualities that qualify him to play in every match, and I am lucky to have outstanding players in the Iraqi team. I can enter the match against Saudi Arabia with a completely different lineup than the one I used in the match against Indonesia, and fortunately, I have many players ready to participate in the crucial match tomorrow."