It was belatedly known that the Iraqi Football Association made a request to change the stadium where matches will take place ahead of the away game in Korea. AFC rejected Iraq’s request.
The South Korean national soccer team, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, will face Middle Eastern powerhouse Iraq in the fourth round of Group B of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup at Mir Stadium in Yongin at 8 p.m. on the 15th. 메이저놀이터
South Korea and Iraq have the same seven points with two wins and one draw, but South Korea, which is leading in goal difference, is leading the group over Iraq.
Iraq, which moved to South Korea on a chartered flight shortly after winning 1-0 at home against Palestine in the third round, is currently preparing for the Korean match by checking the condition of its main players. However, it seems that they were somewhat dissatisfied with the stadium where the match against Korea will take place.
According to the Iraqi media Shafak, the director of the Iraqi Football Association, Ghalib Jammali, asked the AFC to play in a stadium other than Yongin Mir Stadium. However, the AFC refused.
“I wanted to play in a better stadium located close to the airport. I wanted to play in a stadium located in the city center so that Korean residents in Iraq can easily come to the stadium,” Zammali said. However, the AFC rejected the offer as it had already completed an on-site inspection.
The reason why South Korea will play against Iraq at Mir Stadium in Yongin is that the grass condition of the Seoul World Cup Stadium, which was mainly used as a home, was very poor. It was selected as an alternative stadium after much consideration, but the accessibility issue that Iraq is worried about is also applied to Korean fans.
Meanwhile, coach Jesus Casas plans to deliver his determination to play in the match against Korea through a press conference today (14th).
