Graham Arnold: We came to Jeddah for the title and this is our goal against Oman

Australian coach Graham Arnold, the head of the Iraq national team, has confirmed that the Lions of Mesopotamia possess all the technical abilities and experience necessary to compete strongly for the title of the FIFA World Cup "Gulf 27". He emphasized that the team arrived in Jeddah with high focus and a clear goal of delivering an outstanding performance and bringing joy to the Iraqi fans eager for titles.

This came during the press conference for the Iraqi national team's match against Oman in the opening of both teams' campaign in the Al Khaleej tournament.

Arnold said at the start of his speech: "We came to Jeddah with high focus, and we have a clear and specific goal. We possess the experience and skills that help us deliver an outstanding performance in this tournament. We have many technical abilities that allow us to compete for the title, not just to win matches."

He added: "What distinguishes the current national team is that we have a family working collectively within the team; everyone is working towards one goal, which is to win the title and make our loyal fans, who deserve happiness, proud."

Trent Alexander-Arnold discussed the short preparations ahead of the match against Oman, explaining: "We only had two days to prepare, so working on the physical side was the most important before the opening match. We focused in the last training sessions on the physical aspects and regaining fitness, and the players are ready except for Ali Al-Hamadi, who left the squad due to injury."

He continued: "We are continuously working to improve fitness levels, and we have some injured players, and we are trying to compensate for their absence, but I have great confidence in the players currently available, and they are capable of delivering great performances in the Gulf Cup and compensating for any deficiencies."

The Australian coach expressed great confidence in the young faces he called up for the tournament, stating that the FIFA World Cup 27 represents a golden opportunity for them. He said: "The tournament is very important for young players, as they have a bright future and great skills. They now have the chance to play in this tournament and showcase their abilities to prove their worth to wear the national team jersey."

He added: "A large number of players have participated in the FIFA World Cup with us and have gained greater international experience, and at the same time we have young players with an important future and great quality, and this mix of experience and youth helps us to present a distinctive and different level in the tournament."

Speaking about tomorrow's opponent, Oman, Arnold concluded his remarks by saying: "The Oman national team is a good team and has the necessary experience in such Gulf tournaments, and they are always a tough opponent. Naturally, we have studied our rivals well, but my greater and more important focus is on the Iraq national team and how we will perform."

He concluded: "We cannot look back at the past and what happened in it; we must think about the current tournament and the challenges that await us in it. I sensed a great desire and determination among the players to deliver their best performance in tomorrow's match against Oman, and as I said before, we will be ready and will strive with all our might to achieve victory and collect the three points from the start."