Indonesia eliminated from the World Cup, Iraq's coach still not satisfied

Iraq national team coach Graham Arnold remains cautious after their victory over Indonesia in the World Cup play-off.

"Yes, of course, I am proud of the players for their hard work and effort,"said Graham Arnold following Iraq's 1-0 win against Indonesia in the fourth round of World Cup qualifiers. "But I also know we can do better. We haven't achieved anything yet," he added.

With this result, Iraq is assured of a chance to participate in the World Cup, while the Southeast Asian representative's dream has officially ended. In their final match against Saudi Arabia, a win will secure direct qualification. Meanwhile, if they lose, Iraq will still advance to the fifth play-off round.

According to the Australian strategist, the Iraqi team must not rest on their laurels but immediately focus on the upcoming match against the hosts:

"We have won one game, and of course, that is good. But the most important thing now is to recover, get enough sleep, and prepare for Tuesday night's match."

"I don’t think we will feel pressure, but the Saudi Arabia team is under pressure. Over the past five days, they have been thinking about the match against Iraq because everyone expects them to advance," he added.

"I told Iraqi fans: Don’t celebrate our victory over Indonesia yet, because we still have a second match,"he concluded.

The final match between Iraq and Saudi Arabia will take place at 1:45 AM on October 14. Currently, both teams have 3 points, but the hosts rank higher due to a better goal difference.

Related articles

Coach Kluivert choked up as Indonesia missed World Cup qualification The 0-1 loss to Iraq in the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers officially ended Indonesia’s dream of participating in the world’s biggest football event, while placing coach Patrick Kluivert under heavy criticism. See more