Jassem Mohammed responds to Yasser Al-Qahtani's statements

Former Iraq defender Jassem Mohammed Ghoul has responded to comments made by former Saudi Arabia star Yasser Al-Qahtani regarding the 2007 AFC Asian Cup final, in which Iraq claimed the title after a victory by a goal from Younis Mahmoud.

Al-Qahtani recalled in recent statements the final match of the AFC Asian Cup 2007, explaining that if VAR had been available in that encounter, three players from the Iraq national team would have faced severe penalties, in his words.

Al-Qahtani spoke about the 2007 final, highlighting the difference between a deserved final and a manipulated final, indicating that Al-Adalah was absent in that match which was decided in favor of the Iraq national team.

Jassem Mohammed responded to those statements, stating: "I believe that Yasser Al-Qahtani is still living in a psychological state due to the 2007 AFC Asian Cup final and has not been able to get out of it yet."

Ghalam added: "Even if he remains a player, I believe he would continue with the same mental state and the events of 2007 are still revolving inside him, and I think Al-Qahhtani will continue on this path and in what he is saying."

Iraq won the AFC Asian Cup in 2007 for the first time in its history, having secured the tournament amid difficult circumstances as Iraq was experiencing complex security conditions at that time.

Jassem Mohammed Ghalam was one of the defenders who helped limit the threat of Yasser Al-Qahtani in the final alongside Ali Hussein Rahima and Basem Abbas.

Nashat Akram and several stars of the Iraq national team who won the title at that time spoke about the difficulties of preparing for the tournament, confirming that the gathering of players and their joining the national team were not easy, and that the team faced many challenges before and during the tournament.

It was noted that some players had only one shirt during the tournament, which forced them to wash it after each match to be ready for the next encounter, highlighting one of the major difficulties faced by the Iraq national team during their campaign.

In that tournament, Younes Mahmoud finished the competition as the top scorer with four goals, tied with Yasser Al-Qahtani and Japan's Naohiro Takahara, while Al-Qahtani was awarded the Best Player in Asia that same year.