MONTEREY, Mexico (AP) — Earlier this month, Iraq’s coach graham arnold Due to the Middle East war, they were stranded in Fujairah on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates. He wondered if his national team would be able to fight for a final chance to qualify. 2026 world cup.
After a long and winding journey to reach Mexico, Arnold and Iraq will face Bolivia in the intercontinental play-off final in Monterrey, northern Mexico, on Tuesday as they aim to return to the World Cup for the first time in 40 years.
“It was very difficult to be stuck. I don’t want to talk about it. There’s a lot going on in the Middle East, so we’re trying to get all that out of the players’ minds,” Arnold said at a media conference Monday. “But the players know what they are doing and seem very relaxed and ready.”
During the U.S.-China war, Arnold was with his wife in a hotel in Fujairah after a series of Iranian missiles landed nearby. Iran It has begun. The Australian coach was able to travel to Dubai but was unable to join the team for several days.
Iraqi players were also stranded as the country’s airspace was closed and the team was unable to use commercial flights to fly out of the country. Team officials have formally requested FIFA to postpone the playoff games.
The teams also competed visa complexity Mexico does not have an embassy in Iraq, and the players had difficulty obtaining the necessary visas to enter the country. However, this issue was resolved when Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs made it easier to issue visas at embassies in other regions.
The team overcame travel restrictions and finally arrived in Monterrey on March 21, after a 25-hour journey that included a stop in Portugal.
Arnold, who led the Socceroos to the last 16 of the 2022 World Cup, said: “It’s been a very tough 20 days for us, but it’s an honor and an honor to be here. I’ve lived in Australia for a long time and I know that qualifying for the World Cup can change a country.”
Since arriving in Mexico, the team has had enough time to acclimate to the climate, and the players have been practicing without incident. I was also able to build friendships with children from local schools that I visited during my training.
“I’ve been like a father figure this week because I’ve been through this before, so I want to get them relaxed and ready,” Arnold said.
Iraq needs a win to qualify for their second World Cup, their first since 1986 against Mexico. Boliviaeliminated Suriname 2-1 in the semi-finals of the intercontinental playoffs last week.
“It was amazing. It’s a real honor to get Iraq into the playoffs for the first time in 40 years. There’s only one game left,” Arnold said. “I’m sure this will be a very special night for Iraq.”
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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
