The Iraq national team coach has been working hard to protect his players from the news of the war in the Middle East before their World Cup 2026 qualifying playoff against Bolivia, he explained on Monday in Monterrey (Mexico).
“Representing 46 million people is unique. A big part of my job has been on the mental side. The players need to focus on themselves, think about their family, a few friends, but not the whole country, otherwise it’s too much pressure,” said Graham Arnold at a press conference.
Iraq faces Bolivia on Tuesday night in Monterrey (early Wednesday morning at 05:00 in Paris) with the hope of qualifying for the World Cup hosted in the United States, Mexico, and Canada this summer (June 11 – July 19), which would be a first for the country since 1986 in Mexico.
The team’s preparation for this crucial match has been greatly disrupted for the past month by the war in the Middle East triggered by Israel and the United States against Iran with repercussions throughout the region. Most of the squad was able to reach Mexico about ten days ago after a three-day journey from Baghdad, first by road to Jordan.
“It’s been a very difficult month,” emphasized the 62-year-old experienced Australian coach in front of around 70 journalists at the Monterrey stadium.
“I prefer not to talk about it now (the war in the Middle East). I’ve tried to detach my players from it. There’s a lot happening in the Middle East, if they think about it too much it will damage their brains. They know what they have to do for their country. The last 20 days have been very tough for them, but now they are relaxed,” he added.
Graham Arnold believes that qualifying for a World Cup can “change a country and its perception.”
“In Iraq, there is an obsession with football, it’s the main sport. It’s an honor to work with the players, I’ve tried to be a father figure this week because I’ve been through these playoff situations with Australia,” he continued.
