Iraq made a strong opening statement at the Fifa Arab Cup in Doha on Saturday, earning a 2-1 victory over Bahrain to place one foot on the path towards the knockout stages.
Four years after the two sides met in the group stage and both bowed out early, the Lions of Mesopotamia ensured history would not repeat itself with a composed and purposeful display at .
It took Iraq barely 10 minutes to find their breakthrough. Aymen Hussein’s close-range effort caused chaos in the Bahrain penalty area, ricocheting off defender Ebrahim Lutfalla and over the line for an unfortunate own goal.
Lutfalla, injured in the scramble, was forced off minutes later, with substitute goalkeeper Omar Salem sent on in his place. Salem’s first task was to pick the ball out of his net again, as Iraq doubled their advantage midway through the opening half. This time it was Mohanad Ali who reacted quickest inside the six-yard box, sweeping home a low finish to give his side full control.
Bahrain rallied late, reducing the deficit through substitute Sayed Hashim, who steered in a precise Abdulla Al Khalsai cross. But Iraq held firm to bank three valuable points and set an early marker in Group C.
While the performance offered encouragement for Iraq’s coaching staff, it also shone a spotlight on several players fighting to make next year’s expanded World Cup.
Coach Graham Arnold, missing several key contributors from the squad that overcame the UAE in the recent World Cup play-off, has turned to fringe players and rising talents in Qatar – many of whom see the Arab Cup as a final audition before March’s intercontinental play-off tournament.
Among those seizing the opportunity is winger Hasan Abdulkareem, who impressed on the right flank against Bahrain. For the 24-year-old, the stakes could not be clearer.
“I’m so pleased that the coach has trusted me to be here and it’s such a huge motivation,” Abdulkareem told Fifa.com. “I want to show Iraqi fans, and show the world, what I can do. Given that the coach has empowered me and sees my potential, I will do everything I can to repay that faith.”
Abdulkareem stressed that while the opening win was important, the bigger picture remains Iraq’s World Cup ambitions.
“The three points are very important and the performance was good, so it was what we wanted,” he said. “Our main goal is the World Cup qualifiers – that’s why we are here, to prepare ourselves. Starting with a win gets the flow going and already gives us a good chance to go through. It’s a great chance for all of us to show the coach what we can do.”
Elsewhere in Doha, Jordan made a spirited start to their campaign with a dramatic victory over the UAE, despite a rollercoaster evening for striker Ali Olwan. The forward scored one penalty and missed another as Jordan capitalised on an early red card to Khaled Al Dhanhani.
UAE, though reduced to 10 men for more than 70 minutes, showed impressive resilience and briefly levelled through Bruno’s slick finish early in the second half. Jordan eventually restored their lead when Yazan Al Naimat beat the offside trap to settle the contest.
The day’s final fixture saw defending champions Algeria dig deep to salvage a goalless draw against Sudan despite playing the entire second half with 10 men. Adam Ounas’ dismissal on the brink of half-time tilted the game in Sudan’s favour, but a stubborn Algerian defence held out under sustained pressure to claim a hard-earned point.
Algeria and Sudan face Bahrain and Iraq respectively in their second Group D matches on Saturday while UAE face Egypt in Group C.
