The first surprise of the World Cup: America rejects the entry of 5 stars in the Iraqi team

This comes at a time when Iraq is preparing to celebrate its return to the World Cup after an absence of almost 40 years, having secured a qualifying ticket for the edition to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Who are the most vulnerable players?

According to what was said by Ghaleb Al-Zamili, a member of the Board of Directors Iraqi Union In football, these problems are related to the failure of five players so far to obtain visas to enter the American soil, and they are:

• Ibrahim Bayesh
• Muhannad Ali
• Zaid Tahsin
• Haider Abdel Karim
• Ali Al Hammadi

Al-Zamili confirmed in a press release that these players are included in the first list of the national team, but no permission has been given to give them visas, without clear reasons from the relevant authorities.

Art by Graham Arnold

The challenge represents a major blow to the Australian coach Graham Arnoldwho relies heavily on many of these players in his starting line-up, especially in the test matches he has led. Iraq To the qualification of history.

If visas continue to be denied or delayed, the technical staff may find themselves facing the loss of vital resources along the lines, which may affect the calculations of the plans to participate in the biggest football event in the world.

Ambiguity increases ambiguity

So far, no clarification has been given by the American authorities or the Iraqi Football Association on the reasons for delaying or refusing to issue visas, which opened the door to many opinions on the television and social media.

Spectators believe that such issues, if not resolved quickly, may affect the team’s focus and technical stability before the competition.

Between anxiety and hope

Despite the current concerns, the Iraqi Football Association and the technical staff still hope to solve the problem through diplomatic and sports channels, to ensure that the team is fit before participating in the World Cup.

Iraqis hope that this obstacle will be resolved in time, so that the “lions of Mesopotamia” can appear strongly in their long-awaited return to the World Cup after a long time.