Adnan Darjal, the president of the Iraqi Football Association, issued important directives to the Iraqi national team players after their goalless draw with the Saudi team in the last round of the Asian qualifying playoff for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The match took place at the "Al-Inma" Stadium in King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, with an audience of about 60,000 spectators, including thousands of Iraqi fans. However, the Lions of Mesopotamia were unable to score any goals, losing the chance for direct qualification to the World Cup.

According to a statement from the Iraqi Federation, Adnan Darjal held a meeting with the players immediately after the match, urging all team members to make amends in the next two matches against the UAE team, which will be held in a home-and-away format next month.

Darjal told the players: "We must apologize to our loyal fans who supported us in the stadium and through television screens. The opportunity is still there, and we must fight for it fiercely. We have enough time to prepare; I urge you to train well and keep yourselves free from injury. We want you to be in full technical and mental readiness next month."

Sources reported that Adnan Darjal will hold a meeting with coach Graham Arnold upon the team's return to Baghdad to discuss the evaluation of the team's performance in the Asian playoff matches and to devise a preparation plan for the upcoming period, especially for the crucial matches against the UAE.

The sources added: "The meeting will also include a review of the Iraqi Stars League situation and the possibility of suspending it a few days before the playoff matches, with a final decision to be made within a week after consulting with the La Liga association overseeing the competition."

Iraq finished its journey in the Asian qualifying playoff in second place in Group B, trailing only on goal difference behind the leading Saudi team, and thus the team will head to the global playoff to determine the World Cup qualification spot, while the UAE team secured second place in Group A after losing to Qatar 2-1.

The Iraqi Federation confirmed that the players and coaching staff are required to make the best use of the available time to optimally prepare the team, in order to maintain Iraq's chances of reaching the World Cup for the second time in its history, after a 40-year absence since the 1986 edition.