Arnold urged to correct three mistakes ahead of Kuwait clash

Iraq's coach Graham Arnold is required to address three clear mistakes made by the Lions of Mesopotamia in their first match against Oman as they face Kuwait tomorrow in the second round of the Gulf Cup 27 held in Saudi Arabia.

Ahead of the first training session in preparation for the match against Kuwait, Arnold spoke to the media with angry statements, confirming that the president of the Iraqi Football Association, Younis Mahmoud, does not interfere in his technical decisions at all. He pointed out that the team was unable to prepare well for the match against Oman due to the short time and the delay in their arrival, while the Omani team had begun their preparations six full days earlier.

In this regard, Iraqi coach Nebras Salman stated that the Iraq national team did not perform against Oman in the way that we or the fans were expecting in the Gulf Cup, especially since this tournament holds great significance for us as it is under considerable public pressure and everyone follows it with passion. Therefore, the fans were not satisfied with the performance.

He added that Iraq's problem in the match against Oman was not administrative but purely technical, and therefore coach Graham Arnold needs to correct things in the upcoming match against Kuwait, especially since the latter is considered one of the tough teams that do not easily give away match points. We saw the two matches between Iraq and Kuwait in the Asian qualifiers, which ended in draws both home and away.

Salman stated that Arnold must first address the wrong choices made in the lineup, as the coach entered the match with an incorrect formation and relied on players who were not in the required physical condition. Despite his perspective of relying on players accustomed to the conditions in the region, this approach did not succeed, and changes must be made ahead of the match against Kuwait.

The coach is urged to change the playing style, questioning the reason for this contradiction. In the FIFA World Cup 2026, Iraq played against France, Norway, and Senegal with a style that leaned towards short passing from the defense and gradual progression to attack. However, against Oman, we saw the Iraqi team relying on ineffective long balls.

He added that the third mistake Arnold needs to address is the adjustment of tactics and style of play. Unfortunately, we have seen the team playing with great randomness, and it feels like every player is trying hard and playing on their own, as if the players are not listening to the coach's instructions. Therefore, the team must appear more disciplined against Kuwait.