Graham Arnold hopes to improve performance against Kuwait and Saudi Arabia

Baghdad – Al-Wasat Iraqi newspaper

The coach of the national team, Graham Arnold, said on Wednesday that the team is looking to improve its performance in its next two matches against Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and he noted that the team lost focus during the second half against Oman.

Arnold said, during the press conference that followed Iraq's 1-1 draw with Oman at the start of its campaign in the 27th Gulf Cup: "The team played a good first half, but we lost focus in the second half," expressing his hope "to improve performance in the next two matches against Kuwait and Saudi Arabia."

He added, "The team had chances during the final 15 minutes of the match, but it did not succeed in converting them into goals," noting that he had "given opportunities to a number of new players and believes in the team's ability to deliver strong performances in the upcoming matches against Kuwait and Saudi Arabia."

Arnold criticized the pitch, saying: "Major tournaments, such as the Gulf Cup, require pitches of an appropriate standard, and the grass should not be this long," warning that "this could cause injuries to players."