Kuwait City, Kuwait, March 27, 2022: Iraqi referee Mohammed Arab has arrived for the Olympic Council of Asia’s special development programme for coaches and referees on a high following his country’s sensational victory last Friday, March 25, in a qualifier for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year.
“I’m so happy, first to be here in Kuwait to take part in the FIFA Level 2 referees’ course, and second that my country still has a chance of qualifying for the World Cup. I’m looking forward to both finishing successfully,” said Mohammed Arab on Sunday, March 27.
He was speaking on the opening day of the second phase of the OCA initiative for coaches and referees from 12 National Olympic Committees in West Asia. It came just 48 hours after Iraq stunned the United Arab Emirates 1-0 in a group game in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to keep their hopes alive of getting through to the play-off rounds.
Iraq will face bottom-of-the-table Syria in their final group game on Tuesday, March 29 in Dubai, and a win will see them through to the play-offs against Australia – unless the UAE is able to defeat undefeated South Korea who are top of the table.
“I hope I will be able to watch the game and we don’t have any courses at that time. My heart will be in Dubai, my mind of course is here,” said Arab.
Arab is part of a three-member referees’ team from Iraq participating in the four-day Level 2 course. He is the most senior member, also being the vice-chairman of the Iraq Football Association’s Referees Committee.
“We are thankful to the Olympic Council of Asia for arranging this course for all referees from West Asia. I hope to share the knowledge and experience I gain here with my colleagues back home,” said Arab.
“Football is our most popular game and I believe courses like this will help us to raise our professional standards,” he noted.
But he acknowledged that there was nothing like a victory on the field for the national team to really boost the popularity of the game in Iraq.
“Inshallah, I hope we will be able to reach the World Cup. But we have a long way to go, Syria, Australia, and then a team from South America (inter-confederation play-off) stand in our way. But I’m confident we can do it,” Arab added.
Iraq has only reached one World Cup finals, in 1986.
South Korea, Japan, Iran and Saudi Arabia have already qualified and will join hosts Qatar as the Asian teams at the FIFA World Cup Qatar.