Iraq national football team head coach Graham Arnold has called for the country’s inter-confederation World Cup playoff to be postponed due to travel disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict in neighbouring Iran.
Iraq are scheduled to face either Bolivia national football team or Suriname national football team in a decisive playoff match in Monterrey, Mexico on March 31.
However, concerns have emerged that the team may struggle to get players and officials to the venue because of travel restrictions and airport closures across parts of the Middle East.
Speaking to the Australian Associated Press from his home in the United Arab Emirates, Arnold said the current situation could prevent Iraq from fielding their strongest squad for what he described as the country’s biggest football match in four decades.
“It wouldn’t be our best team, and we need our best team available for the country’s biggest game in 40 years,” the Australian coach said.
He also highlighted the deep passion Iraqis have for football, noting that the long wait to return to the World Cup stage was one of the reasons he accepted the coaching job.
“The Iraqi people are so passionate about the game of football that it is insane. The fact that they haven’t qualified for 40 years is probably the main reason I took this job,” he added.
Airspace in Iraq has remained closed since the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on February 28, triggering retaliatory missile and drone attacks from Tehran across the region.
Before facing Iraq, Bolivia and Suriname are expected to meet in the playoff semifinal in Monterrey on March 26, with the winner advancing to the final scheduled five days later.
Arnold suggested that postponing Iraq’s match would allow the team enough time to properly prepare.
“In my opinion, if FIFA were to delay the game, it would give us time to prepare properly,” he said.
He proposed that Bolivia and Suriname proceed with their semifinal this month, while Iraq could play the winner closer to the start of the tournament.
Arnold also revealed that the president of the Iraq Football Association, Adnan Dirjal, is working around the clock to find solutions and keep Iraq’s World Cup hopes alive.
The next FIFA World Cup is scheduled to be held across the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
