The head coach of the Iraqi national team, Australian Graham Arnold, has expanded the Lions of Mesopotamia's squad in preparation for the global playoff match qualifying for the 2026 World Cup finals by calling up two new players, increasing the squad to 28 players, in a move aimed at ensuring full readiness before the crucial encounter.

The Iraqi team awaits the determination of its opponent in the playoff, where it will face the winner of the match between Bolivia and Suriname on March 27, with the decisive match scheduled for April 1, which will determine the qualifier for the World Cup.

The Iraqi Football Association announced in an official statement that coach Graham Arnold has called up both Maytham Jabbar and Karar Nabil to join the national team squad, without providing additional details regarding the reasons for this decision.

According to close sources, this step is part of the technical staff's vision to expand the available options, as Arnold prefers to work with a larger squad in anticipation of any emergency circumstances, although he will rely on only 23 players in the official match squad.

The sources indicated that the technical staff has considered all possibilities, whether in terms of injuries or travel difficulties, especially amid the current complexities, prompting this decision to ensure ready alternatives are available in all positions.

In the same context, midfielder Karar Nabil enjoys clear confidence from the coach, especially after the remarkable performances he has recently delivered, as he possesses technical characteristics similar to Zidane Iqbal's style, despite the latter's relative decline this season with his team Utrecht.

The technical staff continued to monitor Nabil during the past period, especially after his return to Al-Zawraa ranks, where he succeeded in regaining his level after overcoming the previous exclusion phase and delivered good performances under coach Luay Salah's leadership.

On the other hand, the call-up of defender Maytham Jabbar came as a result of his technical stability with Al-Zawraa team, as well as the great harmony he showed with his teammate Akam Hashim, forming a distinguished duo in the backline, making him a suitable option to bolster the defense.

With the inclusion of the duo, the number of Al-Zawraa players in the Iraqi national team has risen to four, alongside Akam Hashim and Hassan Abdul Karim "Qoqia", while the main goalkeeper Jalal Hassan will miss this important encounter due to an injury he sustained recently.