Iraq coach: We created many chances against Kuwait, could have sealed win early

Iraq national football team coach Graham Arnold acknowledged the difficulty of facing Kuwait in their match today at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, part of the second round of the group stage in the 27th Arabian Gulf Cup.

Speaking at the post-match press conference following Iraq’s 3-2 victory, Arnold said his team had many opportunities during the game and could have settled the result earlier, before Kuwait scored their first goal.

He added that there are many lessons to be learned from the match, noting that 50% of the squad had previously played in the World Cup. He highlighted the presence of experienced players who can lead and motivate the younger members of the team.

For his part, Kuwait coach Helio Sousa expressed pride in his players’ performance and regret over the defeat. He said Kuwait had two chances in the first half and created several opportunities in the second, including a chance to score a third goal before Iraq found the net.

Sousa noted that he made some changes during the match, explaining that he prefers not to make too many substitutions. He stressed the need for greater focus at key moments and the importance of working on small details to help the team progress and achieve its goals.

With this result, Iraq moved up to four points, while Kuwait remained on one point ahead of the final round of group stage matches.