ZURICH (AP) 鈥� Iraq is one game away from soccer鈥檚 2026 World Cup in North America and its veteran coach senses a little pressure and a huge achievement ahead.
For Iraq fans, a 40-year wait through their nation鈥檚 to return to the World Cup can end in the last of an epic 21-game qualifying campaign. That is more games than any other team played getting to the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Iraq just has to win an elimination playoff against Bolivia or Suriname scheduled in March. Bolivia and Suriname meet days earlier 鈥� also in Monterrey or Guadalajara.
鈥淚f ever a country is desperate to qualify, this is it,鈥� Iraq coach Graham Arnold told The Associated Press in Zurich after FIFA made the playoff pairings draw Thursday.
鈥淚鈥檝e never seen anything like it the other night,鈥� he said, about Iraq scoring a penalty kick in the 17th minute of stoppage time to eliminate the United Arab Emirates in an Asian playoff.
There were 62,000 to see Iraq win 2-1, and 3-2 on aggregate score, inside the stadium in Basra 鈥� a city often known for military conflict and turmoil since Iraq last played at the World Cup in 1986.
A video that circulated online showed Arnold behind the team dugout refusing to watch as Amir Al-Ammari prepared to score the decisive spot-kick.
Arnold’s playoff pedigree
Still, Arnold has seen it and done it before in World Cup qualification.
He guided his native Australia through a win-or-go-home game against Peru in Doha to reach the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. His bold coaching helped Australia win the penalty shootout by sending on , who made the decisive save.
鈥淭he funny thing is, I didn鈥檛 feel this much pressure,鈥� Arnold said of coaching Australia in that playoff, compared to the tension 鈥渢hat I felt the other night.鈥�
鈥淎ustralia鈥檚 my country, and I love Australia so much, but I鈥檝e been given a task that can change a country forever,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 really enjoying the task.鈥�
Iraq’s soccer passion
Arnold was appointed only in May, deep into a qualifying campaign that started in November 2023, for a job in a nation where soccer is the top sport.
鈥淭he people are beautiful people and they鈥檙e very passionate about anything that they do,鈥� he said, describing the fans as 鈥渟ensational.鈥�
鈥淭he whole thing of Iraq is a misperception. You know, they had to go through a war, they鈥檙e still recovering from that war.鈥�
Baghdad was subjected to 鈥渟hock and awe鈥� bombing by the United States military in 2003 to begin toppling the regime of Saddam Hussein. For much of the , FIFA judged Iraq not safe enough to host games in international competitions like the World Cup.
鈥淭he roads are busy, everything鈥檚 busy. But I鈥檝e been there for five and a half months out of six, and I find it normal,鈥� said Arnold, adding he is unbothered by the heat and dust storms.
Social media ban
Some in Arnold鈥檚 squad play for clubs in Europe, including Al-Ammari in Poland, in the Netherlands and German-born Merchas Doski in the Czech Republic. Most are still in Iraq.
鈥淭hey have carried a lot of pressure and there鈥檚 a lot of expectations,鈥� he acknowledged about the mental challenges. 鈥淚鈥檝e banned them from social media for the last two camps, from the day they got in, to the day we left. And we haven鈥檛 lost a game.鈥�
One more game remains in Mexico, the only country where Iraq played at a World Cup. In 1986, Iraq lost three tight games including to the host nation team.
Iraq wants to return.
鈥淭here鈥檚 45 million that live in Iraq and there鈥檚 probably about another 10 million live somewhere else, because of the war,鈥� Arnold said. 鈥淪o there鈥檚 a lot of emotion around.鈥�
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