Iraq coach Graham Arnold has called for his team's inter-confederation World Cup play-off in Mexico later this month to be postponed amid the travel disruption triggered by war in the Middle East.
The Iraqis are concerned they might not be able to get their players and staff over to Mexico for their scheduled clash with either Bolivia or Suriname in Monterrey on March 31 because of the travel lockdown in the region.
They say they have also faced delays in paperwork being finalised with government agencies shut, while a planned training camp in Houston has already been cancelled.
Roughly half of Iraq's first-choice squad are based in their homeland, while coach Arnold is currently in Dubai.
He says that putting together a team solely with players based outside Iraq would hinder the country's chances of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1986.
"It wouldn't be our best team and we need our best team available for the country's biggest game in 40 years," Arnold told the Australian Associated Press.
"The Iraqi people are so passionate about the game of football that it is insane. The fact that they haven't qualified for 40 years is probably the main reason I took this job.
"But at this stage with the airport being shut down we are working hard to try and find another alternative."
Iraqi airspace has been closed since the United States and Israel launched air attacks on Iran on February 28 and the Islamic Republic responded by firing missiles and drones at Israel, Gulf states and other nearby countries.
Bolivia and Suriname are scheduled to meet in the inter-confederation play-off semi-final in Monterrey on March 26 to decide which team meets Iraq in the final five days later.
"In my opinion, if Fifa were to delay the game it gives us time to prepare properly," Arnold added.
"Let Bolivia play Suriname this month and then a week before the World Cup, we play the winner in the US - the winner of that game stays on and the loser goes home.
"It also gives Fifa more time to decide what Iran is going to do. If Iran withdraws, we go into the World Cup and it gives the UAE, who we beat in qualifying, the chance to prepare for either Bolivia or Suriname.
"Our federation's president Adnan Dirjal is working around the clock trying to plan and prepare to make everyone in Iraq's dream come true, so we need this decision made quickly."
The finals take place in the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
New Caledonia, Jamaica and the Democratic Republic of Congo will travel to Guadalajara later this month to compete in the other three-way play-off for a ticket to the World Cup finals.
