The Australian coach Graham Arnold faces a tough task after the Iraqi national team's failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, following a goalless draw with Saudi Arabia in the last round of the Asian qualifying playoff, which took place at the "Al-Inma" stadium in King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, with the presence of about 60,000 spectators.

With the loss of the direct qualification ticket, Arnold will need to quickly reorganize his plans in preparation for the next two Asian playoff matches against the UAE, scheduled for November 13 and 18, in order to keep Iraq's dream of the World Cup alive.

Arnold's first challenge lies in restoring confidence to the players after their failure in the playoff, as the sadness was evident on the faces of the Lions of Mesopotamia after the draw with Saudi Arabia. A source close to the coaching staff confirmed that the coach has already begun motivational steps, through short meetings with the players to encourage them to work hard to compensate for the lost opportunities, while focusing on boosting morale before engaging in the upcoming intensive training.

The second challenge is to find players capable of filling critical positions, especially given the limited time before the matches against the UAE. The team suffers from the unpreparedness of some players in key positions, most notably the right-back position after the physical collapse of player Hussein Ali, and the need for a striker capable of leading the attack following the continued absence of Ayman Hussein, which has affected the team's offensive effectiveness.

The third challenge lies in setting an ideal preparation program before the decisive matches, in coordination with the Iraqi Football Association headed by Adnan Darjal. The coach is expected to request at least one friendly match to avoid the previous mistakes in preparing for the playoff, when the preparations were limited to two matches against Hong Kong and Thailand without achieving the desired technical benefit.

Arnold is expected to focus on improving offensive effectiveness and enhancing the ability to capitalize on opportunities, while maintaining defensive discipline and balance within the team lines, to ensure a complete performance against the UAE.