Arnold prepares his attacking arsenal against Oman in Gulf Cup 27

Australian coach Graham Arnold, the head of the Iraq national team, is preparing his attacking plans early to present a different and strong performance in the Gulf Cup "Gulf 27" which kicks off next Wednesday in Saudi Arabia.

The Iraqi national team delegation arrived in Jeddah yesterday afternoon, with the Rafidain Lions' plane landing at 4:30 PM. On board were Arnold, his coaching staff, and all the players active in the Iraqi Premier League, marking the countdown to the anticipated match against Oman.

The national team is set to hold its first training session today, Monday, in Jeddah at 6 PM at the King Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium, where the coaching staff will focus on recovery aspects before entering serious tactical preparations.

Arnold seems to have decided to change his approach and adopt a purely attacking style starting from the match against Oman, as he has prepared three weapons that he believes will be lethal in the tournament, according to his playing style that relies on playing through the middle and exploiting crosses.

The strongest weapon in Arnold's hands is the 30-year-old forward Aymen Hussein, who always appears different and radiant when wearing the Iraq national team jersey, unlike what he sometimes shows with clubs.

Aymen Hussein has significant international experience and was the top scorer of the previous edition of the FIFA World Cup "Gulf 25" in Basra. He will try to replicate his achievement to be Arnold's most important weapon, especially since he is characterized by his height and physical strength in aerial balls and challenges.

Aymen Hussein is nearing the 100-cap mark with the Iraq national team, having played 93 international matches so far, scoring 33 goals. Additionally, he has played 17 matches with the Olympic team, netting 3 goals, and he is considered the attacking leader of the squad in this tournament.

The second weapon is Ali Al-Hamadi, a 24-year-old striker for Sheffield, who is looking for an exceptional tournament that will be his true gateway to the hearts of Iraqi fans.

Al-Hamadi has never participated in any edition of the FIFA World Cup. In Gulf Cup 25 in Basra, he was not included in the squad, and he missed the last edition in Kuwait due to his club not releasing him as the tournament fell outside FIFA days. Therefore, his enthusiasm and strong desire will be an important factor for a strong appearance.

Ali Al-Hamadi was one of the standout stars for the national team in the FIFA World Cup 2026 playoff match against Bolivia, which ended in a 2-1 victory for Iraq, after he scored the first goal in a wonderful manner that highlighted his high technical value.

The third weapon that Arnold is preparing is the standout striker of Al Talaba, Saif Rasheed Hameed, who is 26 years old, and he is looking to seize the golden opportunity given to him by the Australian coach and not repeat the scenario of excluding Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya's striker Mohammed Jawad.

Saif Rasheed will enter training with great seriousness to prove himself and confirm he is worthy of trust. He hopes to get enough opportunity to achieve a beautiful start in the competition, and this seriousness and desire are seen by Arnold as an important weapon that can be relied upon.

Saif Rasheed is having an outstanding season in the Iraqi Premier League this season, having scored 7 goals after just 8 rounds, putting him firmly in contention for the league's top scorer title. This impressive performance has earned him a place in the Lions of Mesopotamia squad for Gulf Cup 27.