Arab Cup Showdown: Iraq Coach Breaks Down Algeria Loss and Eyes Jordan Clash

Context and Result

Graham Arnold, the Australian coach of the Iraqi national team, explained Iraq's 0-2 loss to Algeria at the end of Group D of the 2025 Arab Cup in Qatar. He thanked the players for their effort and noted the goal they aimed for—advancing to the quarterfinals—was still achieved despite the defeat.

Key Moments and Next Steps

Arnold pointed to Hussein Ali's early red card after just two minutes as a turning point, but stressed that the players did not slack off and fought to neutralize Algeria's danger, even though luck wasn't on their side.

He repeated that Iraq fulfilled the objective by reaching the quarterfinals and praised the team's fighting spirit in the Algeria match. Regarding the quarterfinal against Jordan on Friday, he said it would be a tough game against a strong opponent and that preparations would start immediately, with a strong focus on reaching the semifinals.

Arnold added that Iraq has 48 hours to recover and concentrate before facing Jordan to secure qualification.

Punchline 1: If football came with refunds, we'd be asking for Algeria's back anyway. Punchline 2: 48 hours to rest? Perfect, that should be enough time to finally decide what to eat for breakfast on match day.