Khaberni - Australian Graham Arnold, the technical director of the Iraq national team, said that the Saudi team will be more pressured than his team in the Asian playoff qualifier for the 2026 World Cup.
Saudi Arabia meets Iraq at the end of the second group matches in the decisive phase qualifying for the 2026 World Cup from Asia.
The Green team enters the match with the opportunities of both a draw and a win, while the Iraq national team, second in the group by goal difference, must achieve a victory to qualify for the World Cup for the second time in its history.
Arnold emphasized in the press conference prior to the match that "the pressure will be greater on Saudi Arabia, as they have two options for qualifying, while our goal is clear and that is to win."
He continued: "We understand that 90% of the audience will be Saudi, and this constitutes greater pressure on them from the local media."
The Iraq coach revealed that he had played a number of his players against Indonesia on Saturday for limited minutes to prepare them for facing Saudi Arabia.
He added: "All matches are big for me, but the importance of that confrontation is tied to the players and what they represent for their country."
He continued: "Zidane Iqbal is a remarkable and outstanding player, and Ayman Hussein is completely ready, and he is extremely important to us."
And the Iraq coach emphasized that Renard, the French coach of Saudi Arabia, describing that confrontation as the most important in his career reflects the amount of pressure on him.
He completed: "Renard was recently a coach for the French women's national team, and if he sees this match as the most important in his history, then it means there is a lot of pressure on him."
He continued: "I respect the Saudi team a lot, but I have faced many big confrontations before, and his statement is certainly striking."
