Ibrahim Bayesh: I am a soldier in the service of Iraq and we aim to win against Saudi Arabia

Ibrahim Bayesh has stated that his Iraq teammates are capable of facing any Asian team. This comes ahead of their match against Saudi Arabia in the third round of the Gulf Cup 27 in Saudi Arabia.

In the previous match against Kuwait, Ibrahim Bayesh captained the Iraqi national team and rose to the occasion, playing as a right-back despite his primary position being right winger, alongside his ability to occasionally play as an attacking midfielder.

Ibrahim Bayesh said at the press conference ahead of the match against Saudi Arabia: "As a coaching staff and players, we are fully determined to achieve victory and collect the three points to seize the top spot in the group, and we are completely ready for this confrontation and to show the required performance."

He added: "I am a soldier in the service of the nation, and the Iraqi national team belongs to everyone, so I am ready to play any position the coach asks of me and to carry out all the duties and tactical instructions assigned to me on the pitch. I consider myself a servant to my country in any position I find myself in."

He added: "The Saudi Arabia national team is among the best teams in the Asian continent, and we have faced each other on several occasions. We play against the Saudi Arabia national team on the pitch, not against the fans in the stands, with full focus on ourselves to deliver the best possible performance."

He added: "As for the expected pressure from the fans, we are used to playing matches in such fan atmospheres, which is very normal in football, and I hope the match will showcase the technical level befitting the name and status of Iraq and Saudi Arabia."

Ibrahim Bayesh revealed his relationship with social media, saying: "As a professional player, you must have the necessary awareness to deal with social media platforms, and personally, I do not prefer to follow these sites during such combined tournaments."

Ibrahim Bayesh stated: "We have the confidence and ability to compete with any national team in Asia, and our ambition and future vision is to be among the top 3 teams on the continent. Arnold's words in this regard will remain in my mind, and we must deliver great performances worthy of the name Iraq and the fans of the Lions of Mesopotamia."

After the match between Iraq and Kuwait, Ibrahim Bayesh shared a photo of himself in goalkeeper attire and gloves, alongside a joker card, indicating his ability to play in multiple positions. The photo received a great deal of interaction from fans.