According to Tasnim news agency, Abdul Ghani Shahd said after the one-on-one draw between Iraq and Syria in the final match of Group A of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers in Asia and the failure to reach the playoffs: “We did not win the match against Syria, because I took over the team during a very difficult period. The conditions of this team were difficult at that time, and I think Fahd Talib was the best goalkeeper in Iraq in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
The head coach of the Iraqi national football team added: “There is a weakness in the Iraqi goal and defense, and we have been looking for reforms in the last two games.” The team’s changes in the two games against the UAE and Syria were positive. Unfortunately, Syria’s early goal and the loss of many opportunities disrupted our calculations. We were not late for the substitutions and they were realistic. The opponent was wasting time, and Iraq performed well overall given its limited time.
Abdul Ghani Shahd said about Iqbal Zidan’s refusal to appear on the field in the 84th minute as a substitute: “Iqbal Zidan is a talent. We respect his decision. At that time, everything depended on himself.
