Head coach Graham Arnold has included injury doubts Youssef Amyn, Zidane Iqbal and Al Al Hamadi in Iraq’s 26-strong squad set to contest the FIFA Play-Off Tournament later this month.
Bidding to reach the FIFA World Cup™ for just the second time, the Lions of Mesopotamia face either Bolivia or Suriname in Monterrey on 31 March.
Cypriot-based winger Amyn has missed his club’s last four matches with a hamstring strain while Utrecht midfielder has been dealing with ongoing injury concerns that have sidelined since him December. English-based striker Ali Al Hamadi has also been battling a calf injury that has limited his minutes for English club Luton Town.
In a key blow, 100-cap goalkeeper Jalal Hassan has been unable to recover from injury, along with experienced left-back Ahmed Yahya.
Otherwise the bulk of the squad that featured as Iraq booked their Play-Off berth in the in the fifth round of Asian qualification are all present, including stars Ahmed Al Ammari, Ali Jasim, Mohanad Ali and veteran goal plunderer Aymen Hussein.
Speaking to FIFA last month, Arnold declared that Iraq will go ‘full throttle’ as they stand just 90 minutes away from a return to the global showpiece.
“This squad has been on the edge four times in six months. It’s been such an intense effort to get to this point, this is the 21st qualifier we’ll have played, whereas some nations play only eight to get to a World Cup.
“Having come this far, we will leave everything on the pitch and go for it from the very first minute because I want to do this for the Iraqi people.”
The squad are set to depart on a private flight from Saudi Arabia to Monterrey on Friday as they look the emulate the heroics of the 1986 team that became the first Iraqi side to feature at the World Cup, ironically in Mexico.
