Rival Watch: India's King's Cup 2023 opponent Iraq

Iraq is the highest ranked team in the competition

The Indian national football team are set to return to action during the September FIFA International break, when they travel to Thailand to participate in the 49th edition of the King's Cup.

The King's Cup edition this time around will be a four-team affair, including the Blue Tigers, hosts Thailand, Lebanon and Iraq. The latter is the highest-ranked team in the competition, being currently at the 70th position.

As a result, the Lions of Mesopotamia are definitely among the favourites to win the tournament and also the biggest threat to India. They are packed with talented, experienced players who are seasoned veterans in the International football scene and have produced some very impressive football in 2023. Here we look at what can be expected from the Iraqi side.

About The Team

Iraq has been an international football team since the early 1950s, when the Iraqi FA officially joined FIFA and gained the permission to play affiliated matches. They definitely have a respectable history as a footballing side, having qualified for the FIFA World Cup once in the 1986 edition.

The Lions of Mesopotamia have also won the AFC Asian Cup once in the 2007 edition, beating some major sides like Australia, South Korea and Saudi Arabia to win it. Alongside this, they won the Asian Games gold medal in 1982 as well as the WAFF Championship in 2002.

Iraq has won the Arabian Gulf Cup title four times, including the latest edition held earlier this year. Alongside this, they have won competitions like the Merdeka Tournament and also won the Nehru Cup title twice in the 1990s.

Recent Performances

The Lions of Mesopotamia have played seven international matches in 2023, including five in the Arabian Gulf Cup itself. They won four of their five matches in that competition, defeating teams like Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Yemen to reach the final.

Iraq played out an absolute thriller in the final against Oman, picking up a 3-2 win to clinch their four title in the competition. After that, Iraq managed to arrange friendly matches against Russia and Colombia in the March and June international breaks.

They ended up losing both of them, suffering a 2-0 loss to Russia and a narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia. However, they have been in impressive form for the majority of 2023 and have definitely proven themselves to be a major threat to any Asian side.

The Coach

Spanish coach Jesus Casas took over the Iraqi national team last year after spending the majority of his career as an assistant coach or youth coach. A former player in the lower leagues in Spain, the 49-year-old started his management career by acting as a youth coach and assistant coach at La Liga side Cadiz from 2003-05.

He would go on to spend the next decade after that moving from clubs like Cadiz, Ballon de Cadiz, Deportes Romero and Conil in Spain. It was only in 2018 that Casas got a pretty major breakthrough when he became Javi Gracia’s assistant coach at Watford for a few months.

The Spaniard’s impressive work got him an offer from the Spanish national men’s team, as he worked as the assistant coach to Luis Enrique and Roberto Moreno for La Roja from 2018 to February 2022.

The 49-year-old decided to take up his first major managerial job with Iraq in November 2022 and has done a pretty solid job with them since. In the eight games under him, Iraq have won five games – including their first Arabian Gulf Cup title since 1988.

During his time as Iraq’s manager, Casas hasn’t been shy from tinkering his system. He has often shown a pattern of shaping them in a normal 4-2-3-1 formation against favourable oppositions and a 3-4-2-1 formation against relatively stronger oppositions.

The Spaniard loves to move his players into different positions to keep opponents guessing and make them play aggressive, counter-attacking football to trouble opponents.

Players to Watch

Aymen Hussein

Arguably the biggest threat in Iraq’s frontline, striker Aymen Hussein has been a prolific player for the Lions of Mesopotamia since making his debut for them in 2015. The 27-year-old has earned a reputation for being a bullish forward who loves using his physicality to dominate defenders and is very clinical in the final third.

Hussein has scored 14 goals in 62 appearances for Iraq in his career and currently plays for Moroccan side Raja Casablanca. He’s played for major Asian sides like Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya in his career and scored 26 goals in 33 appearances for the Iraqi side too. Hussein is really clever with his off-the-ball movement and doesn’t need too many chances to bang in goals in the final third.

Ibrahim Bayesh

The Al-Quwa Al-Jawyia star is among the brightest players in the Iraqi side, who can play in either wing and even as an attacking midfielder if needed. The versatile 23-year-old is an explosive figure in the attacking phase, as he loves creating chances and banging in goals with his smart runs in the final third. Bayesh has already made 40 appearances for Iraq at the age of 23 and scored six goals for them too.

He is blessed with pace and impressive acceleration, allowing him to skittle past players with ease. He can be an unpredictable threat with his work in the final third and can definitely run riot on the defenders if given too much space and respect.

Zidane Iqbal

Manchester United fans will probably be aware of this name, as Iqbal is a graduate of their acclaimed youth academy and even played for the senior team. The midfielder, who left Old Trafford to join FC Utrecht in the summer, is a glowing talent who is capable of doing a lot of things with the ball.

Iqbal is a hard-working, creative midfielder who can create chances out of almost nothing and also help move the ball forward efficiently. He loves to dribble past defenders, get into the key areas and influence his side’s promising attacking moves – and the Indian players will need to be on their toes to keep the ex-United midfielder at bay.

What to Expect

Iraq have had a pretty solid 2023 under Jesus Casas and will definitely be a force to be reckoned with at the King's Cup. They have a star-studded team with players currently featured in some of Asia’s best leagues and those who can make an impact at any given time of the game. Iraq has brought a strong squad to the King's Cup, showing their willingness to add another silverware to their cabinet.

They will look to outmuscle, outwit and outwork the opposition sides and make use of their efficient players to dominate their opponents in the King's Cup. Be it India or anyone else, Iraq’s opponents need to bring their absolute A-game to the fray to come close to causing an upset against the Lions of Mesopotamia.