The strike came in the 6th minute of their opening Group Stage match against Oman at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah.
The match is part of the first round of the tournament hosted by Saudi Arabia. Manager Graham Arnold selected a starting lineup featuring Ahmad Basil in goal, with Akam Hashim, Mirchas Duski, Zaid Tahsin, and Mustafa Saadoun in defence. The midfield comprised Zidan Iqbal, Amer Al Amari, Zaid Ismail, Ali Jassim, and Ibrahim Bayesh, while Aymen Hussein led the attack.
Oman's starting eleven included Ibrahim Al Mukhaini in goal, Khalid Al Bariki, Khalid Al Ghafri, Ahmed Al Harthi, Ahmed Al Kaabi, Harib Al Saadi, Sultan Al Marzouq, Abdullah Fawaz, Nasser Al Rawahi, Jameel Al Yahmadi, and Essam Al Subhi.
Team Context
This Gulf Cup appearance follows a difficult period for Iraq in World Cup qualifying. The team currently sits 4th in their group with 0 points from three matches, having suffered three consecutive defeats to Norway, France, and Senegal.
Iraq have scored just one goal in those three qualifiers while conceding twelve. Their last official result was a 5-0 loss to Senegal on June 26th. Their form over the last five matches reads four losses and one draw.
Arnold will hope this early goal marks a fresh start and rebuilds confidence within the squad. The current match is the first in a group that also includes Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Fans can check the team's upcoming fixtures schedule here.
Further reading: اليوم السابع
