'Let's shock the world': Arnold urges Iraq to be 'excited' rather than 'scared'

[p]Graham Arnold navigated the Lions of Mesopotamia through the latter stages of a 21-match ‌qualifying campaign that ended with victory over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bolivia/nXdi7mbc/"]Bolivia[/a] in the ‌intercontinental playoffs.[/p][p]The Australian, who replaced Jesus Casas at the helm in May ‌last year, instantly assumed national hero status when he led [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/iraq/K8aAGt6r/"]Iraq[/a] ‌to the finals despite the disruption caused to his team's preparations by the conflict in the Gulf.[/p][p]Arnold is well versed in dealing with the challenges of ‌the playoffs before excelling at the helm of ⁠an underdog nation, having done ‌both while in charge of his homeland in 2022.[/p][p]His Socceroos qualified for Qatar ​through the back door before going on to reach the knockout rounds, an achievement that saw him rated by L'Equipe ​as the tournament's best-performing coach.[/p][p]The 62-year-old has delivered on the nation's long-held promise – Iraq reached the Olympic Games semi-finals in 2004 and ⁠won the Asian Cup ​in 2007 – but successive generations have fallen short of Iraq's World Cup dream.[/p][p]The country lost all three of their matches in their previous World Cup appearance in Mexico in 1986 and face the daunting prospect ‌of Group I clashes against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/france/QkGeVG1n/"]France[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/norway/8rP6JO0H/"]Norway[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/senegal/hOIsJLJr/"]Senegal[/a].[/p][p]"[b]For me it's a group of excitement because a lot of the players have never played against a player of the calibre of [/b]([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbappe-kylian/Wn6E2SED/"]Kylian[/a]) [b]Mbappe or[/b] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haaland-erling/UmV9iQmE/"]Erling[/a]) [b]Haaland or[/b] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mane-sadio/xxskxOU0/"]Sadio[/a]) [b]Mane, so being on the park with them is a privilege,[/b]" Arnold said of the draw.[/p][p]"[b]But, at the same time, it's 11 human beings against 11 and we go out there and as long as you go out there not scared to play, that ‌you’re excited to play, then let's shock the world.[/b]"[/p][p]Talismanic striker [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hussein-ayman/Aq6AX0QC/"]Aymen ​Hussein[/a] scored the goal that qualified Iraq for the finals ‌and the 30-year-old leads the line for a side trying to find the balance on and off the pitch between locally-born players and those raised overseas.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/iqbal-zidane/KvvBRDjg/"]Zidane Iqbal[/a], currently in the Netherlands with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/utrecht/p6QXMgOj/"]Utrecht[/a], provides attacking thrust in a squad that features players contracted ⁠to clubs in a diverse ⁠range of leagues, including ‌Scotland, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/poland/2HzmcynI/"]Poland[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/uzbekistan/EZYKKRMc/"]Uzbekistan[/a], the United States and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/thailand/zHgBrkd7/"]Thailand[/a].[/p]