Khaberni - Australian Graham Arnold has banned Iraqi national team players from using social media before the decisive match against the UAE in the Asian qualifying play-off for the 2026 World Cup.
The Iraqi team will be guests in the UAE on Thursday at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in the capital Abu Dhabi, in the fifth round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, and the encounter between the two teams will be renewed at the Basra International Stadium after five days.
The winner of the aggregate matches will qualify for the global play-off scheduled for March 2026, with participation from a team from Asia, Africa, Oceania, South America, and additionally two teams from North, Central America, and the Caribbean (CONCACAF).
Arnold said in statements conveyed by the Iraqi national team's Facebook account: "We have banned the players from using social media for the second consecutive camp, and everyone is fully committed."
He added: "The players are excited to play the two matches, I don't see an advantage in playing the first match in Abu Dhabi, they are two matches in the Asian play-off, one half in Abu Dhabi and the other in Basra."
The coach continued: "We currently have a wealth of offensive options after the return of Ayman Hussein and Ali Al-Hamadi, in addition to having Mohanad Ali, and this is the first time since I took responsibility that I find all the strikers fully ready."
Arnold concluded: "I will choose the best in terms of physical and mental readiness, this encounter needs the fighting spirit and mental readiness more than anything else."
