World Cup qualifiers: Jordan to repeat its victory and Iraq to regain its standing in an upcoming match in Basra

Amid great anticipation for a match that will bring the winner closer to the World Cup, the Iraqi national Football team will host its Jordanian counterpart on Thursday evening, in Basra, in the fifth round of the second group competitions in the decisive third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, at 7:15 pm local time. (4:15 GMT).

The pre-match atmosphere was characterized by fans of both teams threatening each other to defeat the other side, especially since Jordan defeated Iraq in the last confrontation between the two teams, in a match that witnessed an arbitration controversy after an Iraqi player was expelled.

The two teams share second place in this group with 7 points, with an advantage in favor of Jordan in terms of the number of goals, while South Korea leads the group with ten points. Therefore, a victory for either team constitutes a great motivation towards reaching the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States of America.

In this match, the “Mesopotamian Lions” team, which previously reached the World Cup once in 1986, will try to “restore honor,” as the fans described it, and win over the “Nashama” team, which has never reached the World Cup, at the Basra International Stadium, “The Trunk of the Palm,” which It can accommodate about 65,000 spectators, after Jordan’s victory over Iraq 3-2 in the Asian Cup, which was held in Qatar last year.

Then, the Jordanian national team overturned its deficit against its Iraqi counterpart to a last-minute victory in the round of sixteen, and the expulsion of Iraqi striker Ayman Hussein by referee Ali Reda from that match sparked controversy over his health.

The referee issued a second warning to Hussein after he celebrated scoring a goal that gave Iraq the lead in the 76th minute of the match. Minutes before the end of the match, Jordan scored two goals to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament, in which “Al-Nashama” reached the final for the first time in its history.

The Moroccan coach of the Jordanian national team, Jamal Salami, stressed that the match against Iraq “is not a revenge match, but rather a qualifying match with a direct competitor within the qualifiers, as he has the same number of points as Jordan.”

During a meeting with journalists in Amman, Salami said that the match was “important” in qualifying for the World Cup.

In turn, Iraqi national team coach Jesus Casas said that winning this match does not mean qualification, but the winner will have the advantage.

Casas spoke about public support, stressing that “the Iraqi public is aware and understanding, and they must support and provide support at various moments, whether the moments in which we are superior or the times that will be difficult, or in which the competitor may be superior.”

He stressed, “The match involves some kind of pressure on both teams, but I prefer that we play the pressure matches at home.”

The top two teams from each group qualify directly to the 2026 World Cup finals, while the third- and fourth-placed teams will advance to the fourth round to compete for two tickets to the World Cup and a ticket to the global playoff.

Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani directed that the Jordanian public be allowed to enter Iraqi territory without a visa, to attend the match between the two elected officials.

For his part, the spokesman for the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, Miqdad Miri, said, “From November 9, 2024 until November 14, Jordanians will be allowed to enter Iraq through 4 ports, which are Baghdad International Airport, Najaf Airport, Basra Airport, and the Trebil border crossing.” “Free of charge, without a visa, and by presenting and verifying the passport.”

Merry said, “The maximum stay will be until November 20, as an encouragement to the Jordanian and Iraqi national teams.”

The Iraqi Basra Governorate decided to suspend official working hours on Thursday, in order to allow fans the opportunity to attend the Jordan-Iraq match.

A statement from the governorate stated, “The Governor of Basra, Asaad Al-Eidani, directed that the official working hours be suspended on Thursday, to allow fans the opportunity to attend the national team match.”

The “Nashama” team relies heavily on its star, Musa Al-Taamari, who is distinguished by his speed and his left foot, with which he manipulates defenders to score special goals. He is a player for the French club Montpellier in the attacking wing position, and his fans call him “Jordan’s Messi.”

Al-Taamari (27 years old), who starred in the recent 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar, led his country to the final round for the first time in its history, scoring three goals and assisting several other goals.

Al-Taamari is considered the first Jordanian player to score in the French League, for the Montpellier team.

Also prominent among the ranks of the Jordanian national team is striker Yazan Al-Naimat, who scored 4 goals in the third round of the qualifiers. Analysts describe him as a high-class “sniper striker,” and he left a Jordanian offensive mark in the Asian Cup.

Al-Naimat, who is currently a professional with the Qatari Al-Arabi team, is on the list of candidates to compete for the Best Player in Asia award, alongside Qatari Akram Afif and South Korean Seol Young-woo.

On the other hand, the Iraqi national team is counting on its top scorer in the qualifiers, Ayman Hussein, to score against its Jordanian counterpart.

Hussein, currently a striker for the Qatari club Al-Khor, succeeded in scoring in three of the first four matches in the group.

The young Iraqi star, Ali Jassim, a player for the Italian team Como, is considered one of the most prominent players in the “Lions of Mesopotamia” team.

The Iraqi talent is skilled at playing in several positions, whether as a playmaker, on the wings, or as a spearhead. He shone in the Asian Cup, becoming the focus of attention of many European clubs.