The Iraqi national team players faced a wave of criticism about their physical fitness level after the first match in the Arab Cup Qatar 2025, which saw Iraq defeat Bahrain 2-1 at Stadium 974 in the first round.

The technical analyst for the Iraqi national team, Ali Al-Nuaimi, confirmed that some observations about the decline in fitness level after the 60th minute lack accuracy and rely on unprofessional impressions.

He added: "The players maintained an offensive rhythm and continuous transitions after the 60th minute, and in fact, the 74th minute was an example of their physical ability when the team retained possession of the ball for a full minute."

Al-Nuaimi pointed out that the injury of one or two players does not necessarily mean that the entire team is physically exhausted, and that any general conclusion about fitness must be based on precise professional data issued from within the technical staff led by Graham Arnold, using tracking systems like GPS to monitor players' heart rates and movement maps inside the field.

Al-Nuaimi added that improving communication between the Iraqi national team coach and the Iraqi Stars League clubs would have facilitated Arnold's task in selecting local players and preparing them for the matches.

He further said: "I wished a meeting had been held before heading to Doha where Arnold met with the club coaches to explain his plans and player selections, and to establish a clear cooperation mechanism to facilitate the team's physical and technical preparation."

The Bahrain match witnessed injuries to three key players: Ayman Hussein, Ali Jassim, and Akam Hisham. Sources confirmed that the technical staff led by Arnold is implementing an emergency plan to ensure the readiness of the substitutes for the match against Sudan in the second round of the tournament.