Cairo, Egypt – Romanian coach Olariu Cosmin, the manager of the UAE national team, confirmed the readiness of “Al Abyad” for the match against Iraq. This match is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, in the Asian play-off for the 2026 World Cup.
The UAE national team is scheduled to visit Iraq at Basra Stadium. This match is part of the Asian playoff round for qualification to the 2026 World Cup.
“The Iraq match is extremely important for us,” Cosmin said in a press conference before the match. “I thank the people of Iraq and everyone for the warm welcome.”
He added: “The Iraqi national team has excellent players, including 5 to 6 professional players in Europe. They have ambition and know what they want from the match.”
He continued: “The match will be difficult for both teams. However, the calmer team that is fully focused will be the one to win the match.”
He continued: “We expect a large crowd at the match. That gives us the motivation to fight until the end.”
He added: “No one is happy if they don’t win. Everyone had the will to win in the first leg. But even if we win, we will play tomorrow’s match.”
He concluded: “In tomorrow’s match, both teams are looking for a win in order to qualify. They want to continue their journey towards the World Cup. I thank the fans for their trust, and we will fight to give our best in tomorrow’s match.”
