The Iraqi Football Federation is racing against time to secure a strong friendly match against an African team, as part of the preparation program for the 'Lions of Mesopotamia' for the 2026 World Cup finals. This is aimed at simulating the playing style of the Senegalese team, which Iraq will face in Group Nine alongside France and Norway.

The Iraqi national team is scheduled to start its World Cup preparations in late May, with a closed training camp in the city of Basra during the last quarter of the month. The camp will include an international friendly match against a team from the African continent, with negotiations still ongoing to finalize its identity.

A special source told 'winwin' that the Iraqi Federation is currently considering several options on the table, having tasked sports marketing companies to communicate with a group of African federations to gauge their readiness to play the friendly match in Basra, in full coordination with the federation.

The source explained that the technical staff of the Iraqi team, led by Australian Graham Arnold, requested to face a strong African team with technical and physical characteristics similar to the Senegalese team, which reached the final of the last African Cup of Nations and presented remarkable levels. 

According to the source, marketing companies have contacted several African federations, and it seems that the Egyptian and Democratic Republic of Congo teams are the closest to agreeing to play the match in Basra, given their readiness and the similarity of their playing style to Senegalese football in terms of physical strength and speed.

The Iraqi Federation continues to consult with coach Graham Arnold to get his technical opinion on the identity of the opponent team, as the match will be an important station before traveling to face Spain in a friendly in La Coruña on June 4.

The source pointed out that holding the match in Basra is largely contingent on the continued stability of the situation in the region, especially concerning the ceasefire and securing logistical aspects such as flights and transportation for the guest team. 

The source confirmed that the Iraqi Federation will finalize the friendly match file within 10 days at most, with a very high probability of it taking place at the Basra International Stadium. In case of any security complications or a return of tensions, the federation has other ready alternatives to move the match outside Iraq.

What is certain so far is that Iraq will face an African team next month as the first preparation station for the World Cup, before undergoing a strong friendly test against Spain in June, as part of a comprehensive plan to prepare the 'Lions of Mesopotamia' to appear in the best form in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.