Cairo, Egypt – Graham Arnold, the coach of the Iraqi national team, stressed the importance of the fans in the match against the UAE, scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, in the Asian play-off for the 2026 World Cup.
The UAE national team is scheduled to visit Iraq at Basra City Stadium for the Asian play-off in the qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup.
Graham Arnold said in a press conference: “We have an important match against the UAE tomorrow and the players have been recovering after returning from Abu Dhabi.”
He added: “Playing on your home ground and in front of your fans gives you the advantage against the UAE national team, as there will be 65,000 spectators attending the match.”
He continued: “I need the Iraqi fans to be the 12th player, and this will make things difficult for the UAE team.”
He added: “The first match in Abu Dhabi, the stadium had more than half the capacity, and I think having 65,000 spectators is something new for the UAE national team players.”
The first leg match between the two teams in Abu Dhabi ended in a positive draw with a score of (1-1).
