Arnold Graham of Iraq demands FIFA to postpone the continental play-off
Graham James Arnold, head coach of the Lions of Mesopotamia of Iraq, has made a formal request to have the World Cup playoff game postponed.
The Australian tactician, Graham Arnold, officially made a plea to the world’s governing body after the executive council of the Iraqi Football Association (IFA) rejected a proposal from FIFA that the squad should make a 25-hour road journey to Turkey before flying to Mexico to fulfil the fixture.
The Iraqi Football Association confronts significant logistical hurdles ahead of the winner-take-all playoff against either Suriname or Bolivia, which is scheduled for March 31 in Monterrey, Mexico.
A key factor that prompted Graham to officially call on the governing body to reschedule the continental play-off was the Iraqi Transport Ministry’s hint to the Iraqi Football Association that the country’s airspace would remain closed for the duration of the war.
The reports gathered indicate that around half of the Lions of Mesopotamia squad is in Baghdad and unable to travel, while the Australian head coach, Graham Arnold, is stuck in Dubai.
Again, it has been understood that the world governing body has advised that Iraq’s players go from Baghdad to Istanbul, a tough route via the north of the country that has been under bombardment from Iranian drones since the war began.
Graham, who was selected as the Iraq head coach on the 9th of May, 2025, spoke to the Australian Association press, pointing out the reasons he urgently requested to the governing body to postpone the continental play-off.
“Please help us with this game because right now we are struggling to get our players out of Iraq. It wouldn’t be our best team, and we need our best team available for the country’s biggest game in 40 years,” Graham pleaded.
Graham revealed, “Our federation’s president Adnan Dirjal is working round the clock trying to plan and prepare to make everyone in Iraq’s dream come true, so we need this decision made quickly.”
Story by Atakorah (Pramaso)
