Iraq, the opponent of the fourth round of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup, is more demanding than Jordan in many ways. In order to secure three consecutive wins and cross the fifth ridge of the World Cup finals, the Korean team needs to increase its vigilance in the match against Iraq to be held at Yongin Mir Stadium on Saturday.
First of all, Iraq had a top striker with one-shot ability. Ayman Hussein (28, Alcor), who is 1m 89cm tall and has a European-style physique, scored the winning goal in the third match of the third qualifying round for the World Cup against Palestine on the 11th to lead the team to a 1-0 victory. Hussein, who has become a star at the Qatar Asian Cup with his outstanding scoring ability and grass-eating ceremony, has scored 12 goals in the A-match since the Asian Cup. He scored more than one goal in all five games Iraq recently won, and was the only scoreless match against Kuwait last month, when Hussein was absent due to the injury, drawing 0-0. This gives a glimpse of Hussein’s influence. Hussein, who is specialized in movement in the penalty area, has a talent for making even ordinary crosses goals with physical fights and high decisiveness. Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) and Kim Min-jae’s partner must not take their eyes off the struggle for a moment. Hussein is certainly a type that was not present in Jordan against Amman in Jordan on the 10th, Palestine against Oman last month. Jordan’s two key strikers, Moussa Altamari (Monfelier) and Yazan al-Naimat (Al-Arabi), were excluded from the entry in the aftermath of the injury, respectively, and were substituted in the second half. Fullback Seol Young-woo (Trvena Zvezda), who faced Jordan at the Asian Cup, said it was easier to defend on the day than at the Asian Cup after a 2-0 complete victory over Jordan.
Iraq has a strong color of the “Hussein One-Man Team,” which depends on Hussein’s condition and scoring, but its real strength lies in defense. He did not donate a goal in three games after entering the third qualifying round. He has one point in seven A matches since the Asian Cup. Levine Sulaka (Shaphausen) is at the center. Sulaka, who has emerged as a key Iraqi center back since 2017, is characterized by his K-League experience. He played three K-League games for FC Seoul from February to June this year. Middle East sports media “Winwin” reported on the 13th that Sulaka is “the key to winning the match against Korea,” saying he is well aware of the characteristics of Korean players. He added that Sulaka will play an important role, with Iraq, which is lagging behind South Korea in objective power, likely to focus on a game that does not lose rather than winning. South Korea, which lost its captain Son Heung-min (Tottenham) to an injury, has opened Jordan’s goal protected by “current K-League” Yazan Al-Rab (Seoul) twice, and if it breaks the Iraqi defense wall protected by another K-League member, the chances of winning three consecutive games will increase that much. Lee Jae-sung (Mainz), who scored two consecutive goals in the recent matches against Iraq in November and January 2021 and also scored a valuable first goal in the match against Jordan, can be cited as a key player. Oh Hyun-kyu (Henk), who proved the possibility of “Next Hwang Ui-jo” by scoring his A match debut goal against Jordan, is also expected. 안전놀이터
Hong Myung-bo replaced Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) and Um Ji-sung (Swansea), who were injured in the match against Jordan, with Lee Seung-woo and Moon Seon-min (Jeonbuk Hyundai) making efforts to minimize the problem of left-handed strikers. A positive factor is that Sulaka’s longtime center back partner, Saad Natik (Al-Talaba), was eliminated due to injury, and its defense team is not in the best condition. Zayed Tahshin (Al-Quwa Al-Zhaiya), a defender born in 2001, is expected to form a defense team with Sulaka.