QNA
Basra
According to Mahdi Karim, the managing director of the Iraqi national team, the final list of the Iraqi national team, which will compete in the Arab Gulf Cup in its twenty-fifth edition, "Gulf 25,” hosted by the Iraqi city of Basra from January 6 to 19, will be announced on Tuesday.
In addition, the director of the Iraqi national team said in a statement yesterday that the roster could include additional professional players if their European clubs approve them. According to the statement, the Football Association sent more than 19 letters to all the clubs where certain significant players play, including Manchester United’s Zidane Iqbal, Crystal Palace’s Cardo Sedik, Queens Park Rangers’ Alexander Uraha, and others.
Karim stated that the president, members of the Football Association, and the Executive Office are all working hard to bring in as many players as possible because the Gulf Cup is held outside of the regular FIFA international break.
He also stated that the final list for the Iraqi team has not yet been released by the Spanish coach, Jes Casas. The list will include 26 players, 23 of whom will be chosen three days before the start of the tournament, according to the instructions of the Gulf Cup Federation, and if one of the players is injured, all teams have the right to add a new player, provided that a medical report from the Gulf Cup hospital is provided.
The "Gulf 25” championship will begin on January 6 with a match between the national teams of Iraq (host) and Oman in the first group events at the Basra International Stadium.
The second group’s matches will be held at Al-Mina Stadium, and will feature teams from Qatar, the Emirates, and Kuwait, as well as Bahrain, the defending champion.