Arnold Calls Up Ammar Mohsen to Replace Al-Hamadi's Injury
The Iraqi national team coach Graham Arnold announced the call-up of a new player to the ranks of the Lions of the Tigris in preparation for the return match against the UAE national team, as part of the Asian playoff qualifying for the global playoff that determines the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
This decision came after the Iraqi team drew with the UAE 1-1 in the first leg, which took place at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, with an audience exceeding 32,000 spectators, in a match that witnessed outstanding performance from the Iraqi players, despite the draw.
The Iraqi Football Association stated in an official statement that medical examinations confirmed that Ali Al-Hamadi suffered a quadriceps injury during the match against the UAE, which will keep him from participating in the return match scheduled for next Tuesday at Basra International Stadium.
The statement clarified: "Accordingly, the national team coach Graham Arnold decided to call up the striker of Swedish club Brage, Ammar Mohsen, to replace Al-Hamadi in the official list for the return match, and the player is scheduled to join the national team camp tomorrow in Basra."
Ali Al-Hamadi delivered a great performance in the Abu Dhabi match, scoring Iraq's only goal in the tenth minute, and continuously pressured the UAE defense, coming close to adding a second goal had it not been for the brilliance of goalkeeper Khaled Essa, who saved three clear chances for the Lions of the Tigris.
Ammar Mohsen had previously been called up to the Iraqi national team during the King of Thailand Cup in September, where he participated for 12 minutes in the friendly tournament, which saw Iraq crowned as champions.
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