I shared something similar about Iraq manager Graham Arnold before the Norway game, but I wanted to do so again.
Iraq’s manager is former Australia boss Arnold. When he was offered the job, his agent said he wouldn’t take it. His response was: ‘why not?’
So take it he did, and he put things right after the country had just lost to Palestine in the third round of the Asian qualifiers. He has spoken of always rating Iraq as a team, but something being off. Of putting the best players in the best positions, but they couldn’t all speak the language. He has settled on Arabic-speaking players playing on the right and English-speaking on the left – those in the middle can speak both languages.
He moved to Baghdad to learn about the country and has been moved around the country amid attacks from Israel. He’s been stuck in Dubai when his players were elsewhere and the land around him was being bombed.
Aymen Hussein, who scored Iraq’s winner against Bolivia, found himself held at O’Hare airport as he headed for the US. Iraqi airspace has just closed too.
But Arnold is keen to use his side’s problems as encouragement rather than an excuse. What a fantastic way to look at it.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like they are here to compete. But it would be great if they can make their mark on the World Cup at some stage.
