On Thursday, the Iraqi national team will host its Jordanian counterpart at the Trunk al-Nakhla Stadium in Basra Governorate, in the first leg between the two teams in the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
This is the first match that brings together the two teams after the famous match between them in the round of 16 of the Asian Nations Championship in Qatar 2023, which ended in favor of the Jordanian team with three goals to two in the fatal time, after Al-Rafidain Lions star Ayman Hussein was sent off.
On Wednesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani urged the Iraqi fans to encourage in a sporting spirit that “reflects the generosity of the Iraqis.”
We salute our loyal fans currently in Basra, who continue to support our national team since the start of the World Cup qualifiers, until this decisive stage.
In tomorrow’s match, the brotherly Jordanian team will arrive against us in Basra, and it is imperative for our fans to show encouragement with their usual sportsmanship, which…
– Muhammad Shia Al-Sudani (@mohamedshia) November 13, 2024
Before that, Al-Sudani decided to allow Jordanian fans to enter Iraqi territory without the need for a visa, with the aim of supporting their team.
The Iraqi Ministry of Transport announced, on Wednesday, that Minister Razzaq Muhaibis also directed that flights and train trips from Baghdad to Basra be doubled, and that screens be installed at Baghdad International Airport, to encourage the Iraqi national team.
For the Iraqis, the match represents an opportunity to redress the exit, which they described as “undeserved,” from the Asian Nations Championship. It is also a match to break the partnership for second place between the Arab teams, as South Korea leads the group.
South Korea leads Group Two with ten points from four matches, followed by Jordan and Iraq with seven points each, Kuwait and Oman each have three points, and Palestine bottoms the group with only two points.
In the press conference the day before the match, Spaniard Jesus Casas, coach of the Iraqi national team, said, “Winning this confrontation will be an important step forward, but it is not decisive for qualification, and losing does not mean the end of the road.”
As for Moroccan Jamal Al-Salami, coach of the Jordanian national team, he confirmed that his players are fully prepared for the match, and that his team “knows what awaits them on the field.”
A few days ago, Iraqi fans from several provinces arrived in the city of Basra, and tickets for the match were sold out less than 48 hours after they were put on the market.
The Iraqi national team did not lose or draw in the six matches it played in the current World Cup qualifiers, at Basra Stadium.
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