The Iraqi national team succeeded in marking its perfect start in the Qatar 2025 Arab Cup after achieving an important 2-1 victory over its Bahraini counterpart in the match hosted by Stadium 974 on Wednesday evening, as part of the first round of Group Four.

The Lions of Mesopotamia did not wait long to open the scoring; after only 10 minutes, Ayman Hussein rose to meet a cross and headed the ball into the net, announcing Iraq’s lead.

At the 25th minute, striker Mohannad Ali "Mimi" appeared to add the second goal with high confidence, giving the team a comfortable advantage before the end of the first half, which witnessed clear Iraqi dominance.

Although Iraq’s attacking rhythm declined at the start of the second half, the Bahraini team did not give up and managed to reduce the deficit at the 79th minute through player Al-Sayyid Hisham.

Today’s victory was not just about three points; it ended a long series of negative results against Bahrain, who had dominated the recent encounters between the two teams and had been a clear obstacle for Iraq.

One of the most notable gains from the match was Ayman Hussein’s return to scoring after a long absence, as the striker had not shown his usual form since Australian Graham Arnold took over the Iraqi national team in May last year.

Today, Ayman Hussein delivered a great performance and scored an important goal that gave Iraq a strong start. Most importantly, he regained his scoring instinct and appeared with high confidence, which could make him a contender for the top scorer title if the team continues its journey in the tournament.

Arnold continued his technical gains by introducing new names into the starting lineup, the most prominent being Zaid Ismail, the Al-Talaba player, who delivered an impressive performance throughout the match minutes.