Youssef Al Nasrawi catches the eye in Iraq vs Kuwait match

Youssef Al Nasrawi caught the spotlight with his performance for the Iraq national team in their match against Kuwait in the second round of the Gulf Cup 27 in Saudi Arabia, which ended with a victory for the Lions of Mesopotamia 3-2 yesterday, Saturday.

The 19-year-old Al Nassr player came on as a substitute in the 59th minute for Mohammed Qassim and immediately troubled the Kuwaiti defense. He nearly scored a stunning goal, but his shot went just wide of the post in one of Iraq's most dangerous attacks in the match.

Kuwait's match is Yusuf Al Nasrawi's second international appearance, having previously participated in the friendly match against Andorra last June, which preceded Iraq's participation in the FIFA World Cup 2026. He did not play in the previous match against Oman due to his late arrival to the national team.

The Al Nassr player stated in media remarks after the match that the Iraq national team achieved three very important points and that it was a strong and exciting match. He expressed great happiness with the victory, noting that the team performed very well in the first half and could have scored more goals. In the end, the match became a back-and-forth contest between both sides, with opportunities for both teams. However, thank God, we managed to secure the win and get closer to qualifying for the Semi-Final.

He continued that he does not know exactly what happened after the end of the match because he did not see what transpired, and that it was a strong match with Kuwait and Iraq always being passionate encounters. Both teams wanted to win, so it is natural for the atmosphere to be charged after the match. He confirmed his happiness and thanked the fans and the team, stating that they will continue to work and asked the fans to keep supporting them because they want to make them proud and win the Gulf Cup while continuing to build the project.

Al Nassr's comments refer to the Iraqi Football Association's project to rejuvenate the national team, as Younis Mahmoud, the president of the Iraqi Football Association, previously visited Austria to meet with the player two weeks ago and assured him that he would be an important part of the association's project to build a strong Iraqi team for the future.

On September 8, Austrian club Red announced the extension of Youssef Al-Nasrawi's contract until the summer of 2028. The Iraqi player has participated in 5 matches with his team, scoring one goal and providing two assists in the Bundesliga.