Saif Rashid nears representing Iraq in Gulf Cup 27

Saif Rashid, the striker for Al Talaba, is close to representing Iraq in the Gulf Cup 'Gulf 27' in Saudi Arabia, which will kick off on September 23.

Iraq's coach Graham Arnold continues to watch the Iraqi Premier League matches from the stands, where he witnessed the impressive performance of Al Talaba's striker Saif Rashid, who leads the scoring chart with 5 goals.

Sources have reported that forward Saif Rashid has convinced Graham Arnold to include him in Iraq's squad for the Gulf Cup, where he is set to be one of the key players in the attack for the Lions of Mesopotamia, especially given his readiness and impressive form this season, with Arnold appreciating his significant improvement.

The Australian coach is doing his best to motivate his players to perform at higher and better levels with their clubs, but under the current circumstances, there is significant concern from the coach regarding the attacking line, especially with Ayman Hussein not scoring in Uzbekistan, as well as Ali Al-Hamadi not adapting well to Sheffield Wednesday.

It added: "Another problem facing Arnold is the injury of Al-Shorta player Mohanad Ali, who will be sidelined for up to one month, thus significantly ruling him out of the coach's plans. This situation enhances the chances of Saif Rashid to be included in Iraq's final squad for the tournament, and he is likely to receive a full opportunity."

The coach stated: "Forward Saif Rashid and Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya's top scorer Mohamed Jawad will have a clear role in the Iraq national team, especially since Jawad is competing with Saif Rashid for the top scorer title. Therefore, the coach wants to transfer this healthy competition between them to the Iraq national team, starting with the Gulf Cup in Saudi Arabia."

Sources have completed: "Coach Graham Arnold expressed concern about the situation at Al Talaba Club and the players' strike from training, including Saif Rashid, but at the same time, he is in contact with him to maintain his physical fitness by continuing to carry out the necessary physical training, so that the player can keep his physical condition."

Graham Arnold continues his meetings with the Iraqi Football Association to discuss the team's preparation program for the Gulf Cup 'Gulf 27', along with details of the training camp, which is likely to be held in the city of Basra, southern Iraq.