Iraq on a hot plate: a move to sack Graham Arnold after "the Gulf drama"

A future on the line

The Iraqi Football Association is bracing for a major technical shake-up in the coming days, following the bitter exit of the "Lions of Mesopotamia" from the Gulf Cup, a blow preceded by the disappointment of the World Cup qualifiers.

Sports media figure Hisham Mohammed revealed as much on the "Gulf Time" programme on the "Al-Rabia Al-Riyadiya" channel. There is, he said, a serious and strong inclination within the corridors of the Iraqi Association towards terminating the contract of Australian coach Graham Arnold.

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Younis Mahmoud, the president of the Iraqi Association currently in Jeddah, has held urgent, intensive meetings with members of the board to discuss the matter. The media figure explained that the majority reached near-total consensus on the need to oust the coach, convinced his continuation serves no purpose.

Arnold has drawn sharp criticism for the chaos in his technical selections and his clear floundering in managing the decisive matches. Those errors appeared plainly. They caused the team's situation to deteriorate throughout the Gulf tournament, and fuelled the overwhelming desire for change.

The decision carries real weight, yet the Association faces a difficult time challenge. Little remains before official preparations begin for the 2027 Asian Cup finals in Saudi Arabia.

Iraq's exit from the Gulf celebration unfolded in tragic, harsh fashion. The team needed only to avoid defeat against Saudi Arabia, or for Oman to stumble. Instead, Oman beat Kuwait and the Lions fell to the Green Falcons, leaving the chances level and forcing a resort to the draw system that officially eliminated Iraq.