2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers - Iraq's Journey

[Basrawii]

Hello all,

This thread will be dedicated to following the latest news, fixtures, video content, live matches streaming and much more about the journey of the Iraqi National Football team in the Qualification stages to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

All your contributions are widely appreciated and encouraged.

To sum up our situation, we currently are at the Asian 2nd Qualification stage to the finals. We played three matches. Our group include the following teams:

(Not arranged according to current standings)

• China PR.
• Jordan.
• Singapore.
• Iraq (That's us!)

The total number of matches we played are three. In the first match (Against Jordan, we played in Erbil. Later, FIFA denied us the right to play on Iraqi soil. Instead, Qatar's Al Arabi Club Stadium is chosen to be our home stadium).

The results are:

• Iraq VS Jordan: 0:2 [LOST] [Place: Erbil]
• Iraq VS Singapore: 2:0 [WIN] [Place: Singapore]
• Iraq VS China: 0:1 [WIN] [Place: Shenzen, China]

I hope we all contribute to this thread. And best of luck to our Iraqi team.

Our group's current standing:

[Basrawii]

Mahmoud earns Iraq win in China

Iraq captain Younis Mahmoud struck the only goal as Zico’s visitors overcame China PR to get their 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ qualifying campaign back on track.

Both sides entered the game with three points from their opening two matches, and knowing victory would give them a top-two position in Group A.

Determined to bounce back from their 2-0 loss in Jordan, Jose Camacho’s charges pressed forward from the outset, but Iraq, having waethered an early Chinese storm, gradually took the upper hand with their long-ball tactics and lightning counter-attacks.

The west Asians should have taken the lead after nine minutes when Mustafa Kareem raced clear into the area, but China goalkeeper Yang Zhi flung himself to block his low shot. Iraq playmaker Nashat Akram also went close to opening the scoring but his powerful shot was deflected over by Wu Xi.

Having survived the early scares, the east Asians battled hard to claw themselves into the contention, with Gao Lin the constant threat in front of the Iraq goal. The Guangzhou Evergrande forward nearly put his side ahead on half-hour, when his left-footed shot was just tipped over by Iraq keeper Mohammed Kassid.

Spurred on by the raucous home crowd, China got the better of the remainder of the first half, but it was the Iraqis that took the lead just before the break through Mahmoud. Pouncing on to a misplaced ball on the edge of the area, he played a smart two-one with Nakram before poking home the latter's well-weighted cross.

China heaped the pressure on Iraq after the interval, pinning the opponents to their own third in the opening stages of the second half. At the other end, struggling to keep the rivals at bay, Iraq's difficulties compounded with the dismissal of defender Basem Abbas, who got red-carded on 65 minutes for a foul on Wu Pingfeng.

Capitalising on their numerical advantage, the Chinese threw everything forward thereafter and they could have drawn level in the closing minutes, with Du Wei calling Kassid into a superb save before an unmarked Yu Hai headed wide with the goal at his mercy. But lacking the necessary composure, the much-wanted equaliser didn't come, allowing the Iraqis to return home with three points and enjoy Group A's second place behind Jordan, who thrashed Singapore 3-0 for their third straight win.

From: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/prelimi...367/index.html

[Basrawii]

AFP: Iraq's Brazilian football coach Zico (R) watches his players as they warm up in Sinapore in September (AFP/File, Roslan Rahman)

[Persi]

Nice Thread Basrawii

[FromBaghdadWithLove]

nice thread. also

selling original (replica) PEAK Iraq jerseys, any players name and number on front and back, sizes from S M L XL. - postage anywhere.

[Chounz]

Originally Posted by FromBaghdadWithLove

nice thread. also

selling original (replica) PEAK Iraq jerseys, any players name and number on front and back, sizes from S M L XL. - postage anywhere.

Huh.. original replica? Haha doesn't replica mean fake??

Are these the official NT jerseys?

When you say any players name you mean any of the NT players or we can put our own name or something....? Im guessing the first..

Is it the t-shirt only or the shorts too....?

[Yousifovic]

I dont like this generation nomore ..
they are in the national team since 11 years, and its really time to change the team !

this is the new gold generation of Iraq (IF WE USE THEM PROPERLY) :









image hosted on flickr


and some talented players from :
Olympic team


and Iraq U20 teams

[Basrawii]

Some ppl already see FOOTBALL as HARAM ... so with this you actually going to make it (HARAM)^2

[FromBaghdadWithLove]

Originally Posted by Chounz

Huh.. original replica? Haha doesn't replica mean fake??

Are these the official NT jerseys?

When you say any players name you mean any of the NT players or we can put our own name or something....? Im guessing the first..

Is it the t-shirt only or the shorts too....?

Hah yea brother no replica but exactly the same as the officials since I'm not in Iraq now, and theirs a stupid.dispute over shorts in iraq because of the sadriya and the sunns -_- they stopped selling shorts, anyways, the ones we are selling are replica but perfect and yes any name printing, even ur name, i ve only sold 1 sofa but I have a massive order I need to do, if ur interested I can get u one to. I haven't started yet I have exams now and apply ing for work but so far everyone who saw the jerseys is satisfied with tyem, ill upload pictures later...

Also in reply to Basrawi, no1 thinks soccer is haram....?

[fazl1991]

Mabroooooooooooook we did it again. 1-0 for Iraq.

[Basrawii]

[haiderpass]

unfu**en believable, 92min, and........ wow.
cant believe its over, basically all we need is 1 point and were guaranteed a spot, yikes when was the last time we made it this far in the WCQ.

[makaay31]

It was such a shame if we didn't win, dozens of chances... but luckily we won

A very important win.. we are almost qualified for the next round


P W D L GF GA GD Points
1 National Team Jordan 3 3 0 0 7 1 6 9
2 National Team Iraq 4 3 0 1 4 2 2 9
3 National Team China 4 1 0 3 3 5 -2 3
4 National Team Singapore 3 0 0 3 1 7 -6 0

[Basrawii]

GREAT MATCH! i JUST GOT A NEW FACT! SPREAD IT PPL! LIONS CAN EAT DRAGONS!

[QuickneutronU235]

Originally Posted by Basrawii

GREAT MATCH! i JUST GOT A NEW FACT! SPREAD IT PPL! LIONS CAN EAT DRAGONS!

heh good one.

I watched the match on Al Baghdadia, it was really a good match.
but Mustafa Kareem played badly today.

[Basrawii]

Mustafa Kareem is not a footballer. Hes a waste of time and chances. I always say it. My dad says hes good simply cuze he played for some time in Egypt. Although hes back their... I feel hes a waste!

If Hawar was in his place today .... it would have made a big difference!

[makaay31]

Come on, replacing him by Hawar?? No way, he is expired

[Persi]

Ohhh yeah babe congratulations guys.... alef alef mabrouk

[Yousifovic]

guys if u all know football, then you would definitely say that when Karrar entered, the match changed ! I swear he raped the Chines defenders ! he is the only player in Iraq which deserves to play in the international level !

[Ali - Iraq]

Iraq ftw!§!!1