Graham Arnold has been appointed as the new head coach of the Iraq national football team, marking his return to international management after a brief hiatus. He returns to the fold over seven months after stepping down as head coach of Australia. In his short time back, he led the national team to the knockout rounds for the first time since 1994 at the 2022 World Cup.
Arnold assumes the position as new head coach, following the ousting of Jesus Casas. Casas’ departure came after a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Palestine in March, which was the third round of Asia’s qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Under Arnold, Iraq hopes to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1986. The team now sits third place in Group B. They lead runners-up South Korea by four points and currently sit one point clear of third-placed Jordan in the table.
“I am excited to start this new journey with Iraq,” Arnold stated upon his appointment.
Arnold’s first game in charge will take place in Basra on June 5 against South Korea, a crucial match for Iraq’s aspirations. Only five days later, the team will meet Jordan in an equally important match that will likely play a major role in determining their hopes of qualifying.
During his first stint with the Socceroos, Arnold had been instrumental in a six-year run that would see Australia thrive on the world stage. Even with all of those things going for him, he chose to call it quits. The ongoing qualification phase got off to a shaky start, with Australia losing to Bahrain and drawing with Indonesia in September. His successor, Tony Popovic, has gone on to take the Socceroos to second place in Group C of Asia’s qualifiers.
Meanwhile, the Iraq Football Association showed their excitement over Arnold’s appointment by tweeting, “Welcome to the Lions of Mesopotamia! This feeling captures just how much people are counting on Arnold’s leadership. With Iraq’s ambitions as high as they’ve ever been, so are the expectations.
What Arnold, 61, lacks in agility he should more than make up with experience and calm when it comes to the Iraqi side. He has extensive experience in international competitions. This wealth of experience makes him the ideal man to lead the team through this crucial phase in their World Cup qualifying adventure.
