Iraqi coach Jesus Casas spoke about the discussion with the Korea Football Association.
The Iraqi national soccer team will play the fourth match of the Asian regional qualifying round for the ‘2026 FIFA North-China World Cup’ against Iraq at Yongin Mir Stadium in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province at 8 p.m. on the 5th.
Casas attended an official press conference at Yongin Mir Stadium a day before the match with Mercas Dowski.
Iraq and South Korea have two wins and one draw. After winning the first match against Oman 1-0, Iraq tied the match 0-0 in Kuwait. In the third match, the team beat the Palestinians 1-0. Iraq is ranking second in goal difference, trailing South Korea (+4).
Casas said, “It must be a game that many players want to play in. Korea is a fantastic team and we have good players. It will be a new challenge for us and a new opportunity to experiment. We will make sure to play well.” 스포츠토토
Before the appointment of Coach Hong Myung-bo, Casas had been mentioned as a candidate for the national soccer team. “I had discussions with the Korea Football Association. I thought it would be difficult to achieve realistic goals, but the conversation itself was good. We talked not only about the selection process but also about the players and the style of the national team. The test itself was good, and I think the coach who has been appointed has been selected through a good process,” Casas said.
When asked about comparing the friendly match with Korea before the Asian Cup to now, he said, “It is more organized than that. When we analyzed it, the defense organization was good, and the pressure was good in the form of 4-4-2. Organizedly, we commit ourselves to defense, but it will flow differently from the previous friendly matches.”
Casas also said, “Every game matters. Korea is the strongest team in Group B. Not just tomorrow’s game but all 10 games matter. We failed to secure two points against Kuwait, but we will continue to recover in the upcoming games. We expect that Korea will compete with Jordan and Oman for second place. Korea is a little bit higher than us.”
