Iraqi national team striker Ayman Hussein raised the level of enthusiasm before facing Sudan, in the second round of the Arab Cup Qatar 2025, affirming that Iraq enters the match with only a winning mentality.

Hussein said: "We enter the match against Sudan with the goal of three points, and all love and respect to the Sudanese team. We know very well that they are an organized team with physical strength and tactical discipline, and we do not underestimate them at all."

He added: "We are preparing well for the match, and the coach has shown us recordings of Sudan’s games. We studied their playing keys and strengths; we know they rely on quick transitions and pressing in the midfield, and we will deal with that in the appropriate way."

He continued: "The Arab tournament is very important to us, especially since we are the most crowned team in it, and this gives us greater responsibility on the field. We want to go as far as possible in the tournament, but our ultimate goal remains qualifying for the 2026 World Cup finals, and every step we take today is part of the bigger project."

Ayman Hussein pointed out: "After the Bahrain match, some players felt exhausted, which is natural due to the match pressure. Things are much better now, and the medical staff is doing a great job preparing us ideally for the encounter."

He added: "The players' spirit in the camp is currently very high, and there is positive competition among everyone. The player who starts and the one who sits on the bench have the same desire to serve the national team, and this is the most important thing we need to continue the path successfully."

He also directed a special message to the Iraqi fans:

"The Iraqi fans are our greatest and first supporters, and their presence in the stands makes a difference. We promise them that we will fight with all we have and deliver a performance worthy of Iraq’s name and history, and we seek the Sudan match to be a new station towards qualifying for the next round."

He concluded his talk by saying: "Every match in the tournament has its calculations, but we are mentally and physically ready. We know what we want in the match, and we will fight from the first minute to the last moment to make our fans happy, achieve victory, and qualify for the next round."