Arnold sets date for announcement of Basra friendly tournament squad

In an exclusive press reading and special follow-up by Yalla Shoot, Australian coach Graham Arnold has confirmed the announcement date for Iraq's official squad, the Black Falcons, for participation in the upcoming Basra Four-Nation Tournament next month, which will be hosted at the Basra International Stadium after the completion of the rehabilitation works on its pitch and facilities.

The tournament will take place from November 10 to 17, featuring four teams: Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, and Palestine. It will kick off with the Semi-Final matches, where Iraq will face Lebanon, while Iran will clash with Palestine. The winners will qualify for the final, and the losers will compete for third place.

The Iraq Football Association is looking to use this opportunity as a model for the coaching staff to assess players ahead of the AFC Asian Cup 2027 in Saudi Arabia. This will be followed by a final training camp in the Qatari capital, Doha, before heading directly to Saudi territory.

Sources from Yalla Shoot have learned that Arnold has set next Tuesday as the final and official date to announce the squad that will participate in the friendly tournament. The Australian coach sees the tournament as a key opportunity to give chances to players who have not been called up recently, as well as to open a new chapter with some prominent names, including Hammarby star Montazer Al-Majed, following his impressive and impactful performances lately.

Sources have revealed the key names strongly in contention for the upcoming squad, which includes, alongside Montader Al-Majed, Danilo Al-Saed from BK Häcken, Ali Aqla from Central Coast, Peter Gwargis from Cleopatra FC, as well as Ali Kazem, the standout goalkeeper from Newroz, and Hiran Ahmed, the playmaker from Al Zawraa, who is on the radar of the Australian coach.

The technical reading for the next phase indicates that the friendly nature of the tournament will free Arnold and the players from the pressures of points and fans that accompanied the recent Gulf Cup. This will allow the Australian coach, who arrived in Baghdad two days ago, to give more playing minutes to young faces like Youssef Al-Nasrawi and Haydeer Abdulkareem to assess their technical readiness and strengthen the bench with suitable tactical options before entering the fray of the AFC Asian Cup 2027.