According to Tasnim news agency, the Iraqi national football team tonight, accepting a 3-0 defeat against South Korea in the sixth round of Group A matches of the final stage of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, found difficult conditions to advance.
“I do not see any excuse for losing this game,” Iraqi coach Dick Advocaat told a news conference after the game against South Korea. South Korea was better than us in many ways. They made many passes that were difficult to control.
He added: “Everything was somewhat normal in the first half, even with South Korea scoring, but in the second half the playing conditions became difficult.
Regarding Iraq’s chances of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, Advocaat said: “The conditions for Iran and South Korea to qualify directly for the 2022 World Cup are better because of the quality players who play in Europe.” We are fighting for the third place in the group table and we have a similar chance with the teams of Lebanon, UAE and Syria.
“I can not blame the Iraqi players for the defeat against South Korea, because they did their best,” the Iraqi coach concluded. Our hard work is not enough to compete with better teams. Let’s look to the future. We have young players who are ambitious. We hope to appear at a better level in the FIFA Arab Cup.