Iraq national team head coach Graham Arnold has called up eight Kurdish players for the upcoming Basra International Friendly Tournament, while the postponement of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup has raised financial and administrative concerns for the Iraqi Football Association.
Duhok FC has the largest representation, with four players: Younis Hamoud, Yusuf Imam, Siyaband Aghid, and Kumail Saadi. Four other professional Kurdish players, Mirxas Doski, Aymar Sher, Marko Faraj, and Peter Georgis, have also been selected. Akam Hashim of Zakho FC and Hiran Azad of Al-Zawraa complete the list of Kurdish players.
Meanwhile, Nawroz captain Mohammed Delawar was ruled out because of injury. The omission of Nawroz goalkeeper Ali Kazim and Erbil midfielder Ako Ozeer also sparked criticism on social media.
Arnold defended his selections at a press conference, saying players were chosen based on their performances. He added that goalkeeper selections were the responsibility of the goalkeeping coach and rejected outside interference in his technical decisions.
The Iraqi Football Association is also facing financial pressure following the AFC’s decision to postpone the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia by one year. The tournament is now scheduled for December 23, 2027, to January 21, 2028.
The delay has raised questions about Arnold’s future, as his renewed contract reportedly runs for only seven months. Local coach Adnan Hamad has emerged as a possible replacement.
Association President Younis Mahmoud said the federation faces a serious financial crisis. Arnold and his staff receive around 200 million Iraqi dinars monthly, while the federation needs approximately 650 million dinars to cover coaching expenses across all national teams.
