Iraq's Olympic Team Opens AFC U23 Campaign with a Draw Against China
8 January 2026
Opening AFC U23 campaign
Opening their AFC U23 Championship campaign, Iraq's Olympic team drew 0-0 with China on Thursday in the first match of Group D in Saudi Arabia.
Match details and late changes
Led by coach Emad Mohammed, the Lions of Mesopotamia collected the opening point, finishing level with China in second place behind Australia who lead the group.
There was an early setback for China as Bao Shiming was injured, and Alex Shi came on after nine minutes.
Iraq pressed to reach the Chinese goal with several attempts, yet failing to threaten seriously.
Imad Mohammed made late changes, bringing on Mustafa Nawaf in the 81st minute for Mohammed Jamil, then introducing Hamid Ali for Mahmoud Shaheen.
Iraq's Olympic team faced a severe shortage, hampered by clubs not releasing players as domestic league fixtures continued.
In contrast, Australia beat Thailand 2-1 to seize the group lead.
Iraq will face Thailand in the second round on Sunday, then Australia on Wednesday.
Punchline: If football is a 90-minute battle, the extra time is where the punchlines finally score.
Punchline: And remember, in football as in budgeting, sometimes you plan for a win and end up with a draw — still a win for the morale at tea time.
