The Iraqi national team aims to secure an important victory when it faces Indonesia at 9:45 PM today, Saturday, at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, as part of the second round of Group B matches in the Asian World Cup 2026 qualifiers playoff.
Our Saudi national team leads the group standings with 3 points from one match, while Indonesia still has zero points, awaiting Iraq’s first group match.
The third and final round will be held on Tuesday, with Saudi Arabia meeting Iraq. The first round saw Saudi Arabia defeat Indonesia 3-2.
The Iraqi team aspires to a long-awaited return to the global stage, while the Indonesian team understands that any result other than a win will weaken its chances of continuing the journey.
Iraq enters the match with strong determination to secure its second appearance in the World Cup finals after its historic participation in the 1986 Mexico edition. Coach Graham Arnold expresses confidence in his team’s ability to repeat this achievement.
Iraq’s King Cup victory over Thailand last September was a clear message of intent, and Arnold will rely on the trio of Mohannad Ali, Ali Jassim, and Ayman Hussein to deliver the expected performance again.
With Saudi Arabia’s early lead after winning their opening match against Indonesia, Iraq knows that securing a victory is essential to start their campaign optimally.
For Indonesia, the match carries historical weight as it seeks to end a long wait since its first global appearance in 1938 under the name “Dutch East Indies.” Coach Patrick Kluivert sees these qualifiers as an opportunity to create a new milestone in Indonesian football history.
Indonesia showed brave performance against Saudi Arabia in the opening match before narrowly losing 3-2 to the hosts, making a win against Iraq the only option to stay in the competition.
The top team from each of the first and second groups qualifies directly for the World Cup finals, while the two runners-up will enter the Asian playoff round to determine the team advancing to the global playoff.
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