Oscar Villegas, the coach of the Bolivian national team, has set a clear framework for facing Iraq in the final of the global playoff qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, affirming that his team is one step away from the 'goal', but 'the most important match is still ahead of us, and it may grant us the title.'

Villegas said: 'Today we find ourselves one match away from achieving this goal, and this is an achievement credited to all of us; to the players' faith, the president's support, and the collective work of the coaching staff who knows every member of the team. But we still have the most important match, which may grant us the title.'

The coach explained that 'several factors pushed us to make the decision to change. A previous group gave a lot but suffered from failures and disappointments, so this generational change came to give the team a new spirit. These young players have renewed the team and showed different energy, with full respect for what the previous players offered.'

He added: 'Showing character and maturity, even in difficult circumstances, has given us greater strength, and the atmosphere within the team is wonderful. Also, the medical condition of player Medina is reassuring after the latest examinations.'

On a non-technical level, Villegas emphasized the value of cohesion: 'Teamwork was very important, even off the field, where we strengthened the team's bond, which positively reflected on performance.'

Villegas acknowledged the ranking difference and the strength Iraq possesses: 'Iraq is ahead of us in the ranking and has a competitive league and professional players in strong leagues, yet we are working on developing ourselves, and our ranking has improved recently, and we continue to progress with a young and ambitious team.'

He continued: 'We have analyzed the Iraqi team well and aim to minimize its threat as much as possible. In matches, opportunities are always created, and we must be ready and take all precautions not to be surprised. We know their strengths; they have physically strong players in the attacking line, and we must control that.'

Technically, Bolivia relies on a disciplined medium block, with calculated advances of the fullbacks to support the attack, which is a double-edged sword: it provides width and numerical increase in the final third but leaves spaces on the flanks and depth that may be relatively slow against transitions. Villegas' statements about 'reducing Iraq's threat' translate on the field to narrowing the passing lanes in front of the Iraqi front three, and quick counter-pressure when losing the ball to delay counterattacks, while taking advantage of set pieces as a valuable opportunity in a closed match.

He concluded: 'We hope things go well, and that we are more effective in the next match to achieve the goal. We will wait for the right moment, and when everyone is ready, the team will show its best to achieve the desired result.' Thus, Villegas summarized his philosophy before pointing to the psychological dimension: 'There has been a lot of pressure, but there is also a very special motivation to finally reach this moment we have long dreamed of... We have players with great capabilities, and as much as they can develop, I have great confidence that we will succeed.'