Highlights from the meeting between the federation and Graham Arnold

The Iraqi Football Association, led by Younis Mahmoud, held an extensive meeting with the Iraqi national team coach Graham Arnold in the capital Baghdad to evaluate the participation of the Lions of Mesopotamia in the FIFA World Cup Gulf Cup 27.

The anticipated stormy meeting following the painful exit in the draw ended unexpectedly on a positive note, with everyone confirming the Australian's continuation until the AFC Asian Cup 2027.

The Australian coach said after the meeting:

"Everything is excellent, the meeting was unexpected and everyone is happy. I came out of the AFC Asian Cup with several gains, we have outstanding new players and new talents that amazed me, and Iraq's future will be special with their presence."

Regarding preparations for the upcoming phase, Arnold appeared very confident, stating:

"We are preparing to win the AFC Asian Cup and we are ready, and you must be optimistic."

Arnold revealed the preparation plan for the continental tournament that will take place in Saudi Arabia early next year.

"We will play two friendly matches in November, the injured players will return, and there are now 4 to 5 players whose performances I really liked in Al Khaleej 27. Overall, things will go well."

In response to a question about what happened in the Gulf 27 and the criticisms directed at him, the Australian replied sharply:

"I won't comment on that, but I will say that we won one match and drew another, and we lost to Saudi Arabia, the host of the tournament. They are the best national team in the Middle East, and we were eliminated by the draw, which I believe is unfair and we should rely on the international ranking instead of a draw."

He added, questioning sarcastically:

"I have a question? Why did Saudi Arabia host the AFC Asian Cup playoff group for the World Cup playoff? Because they were the highest-ranked team, so the draw felt like a children's football game for 10-year-olds, it wasn't serious but it was something disappointing in the tournament."

With this statement, the Iraqi Football Association has renewed its confidence in Arnold, who led Iraq to return to the FIFA World Cup 2026 after a 40-year absence, confirming that the current federation project is based on him until the FIFA World Cup 2030, and that Al Khaleej 27 was merely a stop to test 9 to 10 new faces who will be the backbone of the national team in the future.