Amir Al-Ammari: Iraq’s Lions of Mesopotamia ready to roar again at Iraq’s Lions Asian Cup

Lions of Mesopotamia won the 2023 Arabian Gulf Cup in January for the first time in a quarter of a century, added an inaugural Thailand King’s Cup to their trophy cabinet in September. (AFP)
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Updated 03 January 2024
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Amir Al-Ammari: Iraq’s Lions of Mesopotamia ready to roar again at Iraq’s Lions Asian Cup

  • Coach Jesus Casas takes a well-prepared squad — and winner of the 2023 Arabian Gulf Cup — into the delayed tournament in Qatar

When Iraq produced one of football’s most remarkable underdog stories to win the 2007 AFC Asian Cup, their preparation for the tournament was marked by chaos and tragedy.

Sixteen years later and Iraq’s build-up could not have been better. The Lions of Mesopotamia won the 2023 Arabian Gulf Cup in January for the first time in a quarter of a century, added an inaugural Thailand King’s Cup to their trophy cabinet in September, and began 2026 World Cup qualifying with a pair of victories last month.

Hopes are now high among Iraq’s players and fans that Jesus Casas can follow in the footsteps of legendary coach Jorvan Vieira and emulate the achievement of the 2007 vintage. Midfielder Amir Al-Ammari has been a near ever-present under Casas and feels the team could be on the verge of something special.

“It is a huge opportunity to make history and right now we have a winning mentality,” Al-Ammari told Arab News in an exclusive interview. “The team will be ready, and everybody is willing to put in everything they can to win this tournament.”

Al-Ammari may have been born and raised in Sweden, but Iraq was never far from his thoughts. Two days after his 10th birthday, he watched with his father and brother as Iraq stunned Saudi Arabia in the 2007 Asian Cup final in Jakarta.

“I can still remember the winning goal of (Younis) Mahmoud,” Al-Ammari recalled. “I knew that it was a big result and a big tournament, but I was just happy for Iraq to win the game; I didn’t realize that it was this incredible moment for the whole country.”

During January’s Arabian Gulf Cup triumph, Al-Ammari, who plays for Swedish club Halmstads BK, experienced the passion of Iraqi football fans first-hand as the team beat Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and then Oman in the final in Basra.

“When I started playing for Iraq, our ‘home games’ were in Doha or Jordan — wherever we could play,” Al-Ammari said. “I had heard about the atmosphere in Iraq, but you only believe it when you see it with your own eyes. Before the final, the stadium was full before the warm-up and there were people outside trying to come in too.

“Playing that tournament in front of our people, our friends, on our home ground, and then with my family from Sweden, my parents and sisters, there too — it was a huge, special thing to win it in front of them.

“We hope it will be the same in Qatar as it is close to fly (there) and there are also a lot of Iraqi people there and in the other countries around the Gulf. We hope they will make it like another home tournament.”

Al-Ammari was given his international debut by Dick Advocaat in 2021, but the Dutchman struggled to get the best out of Iraq, with Zeljko Petrovic, Abdul-Ghani Shahad, and Radhi Shenaishil also coming and going before ex-Spain assistant manager Casas was appointed last November. The difference in the team since has been stark.

“We’ve been improving every time we come together, and I see players now wearing the shirt with confidence when before it felt a little like we just went out to play,” said Al-Ammari.

“The new coach has done amazing work, and we have the same core of players who understand how he wants to play. Everybody knows their role, we are a strong team, we don’t concede a lot of goals and we can adapt tactics to win games in different ways.

“There have been a lot of changes in small details that have made a big difference in the long term; it means we can focus on football and just play our game.”

Part of Casas’ approach to building his new-look side has been calling on the Iraqi diaspora, particularly in Europe. In Iraq’s recent World Cup qualifiers, players traveled from Portugal, Spain, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and England to play.

Despite their different backgrounds, Al-Ammari insists he and his teammates have gelled well.

“I speak English, Arabic, and Swedish so I feel like, personally, I can communicate with everybody,” said Al-Ammari. “Obviously, we have some players who don’t speak Arabic so that can be difficult, but I try to take responsibility and make everyone feel welcome.

“We have still managed to build the relationships on the pitch, and I think that’s the beautiful thing with football; we might not speak the same language off the pitch, but we understand each other on it.

“It feels like one big family, and our training camps are always fun; we are laughing with each other and we are excited to come and play together for Iraq. And we keep in touch on WhatsApp between games; we watch each other play and support each other.”

In the upcoming Asian Cup, Iraq face Japan — perennially among the favorites to win the tournament — as well as Indonesia and Vietnam in Group D. Casas’ side beat both of the latter nations recently in World Cup qualifying, thrashing Indonesia 5-1 at home before narrowly winning 1-0 away to Vietnam.

Al-Ammari feels it was the perfect preparation for Iraq’s tilt at Asian Cup glory and despite the second match against Japan looking like a potential group decider, he stresses that the Lions of Mesopotamia’s focus is firmly on showing their credentials in the opening game against Indonesia on January 15.

“That (Indonesia) match is the key one for the whole tournament, and we have to take three points,” Al-Ammari said. “The performances in World Cup qualifying have given us a lot of confidence and I really think this team is ready.

“Of course, the Iraqi fans like to remind us about 2007 and tag us in posts on Instagram. The beautiful thing is that two years ago, the fans wouldn’t expect us to win the tournament because of our performances at that time.

“But now they believe, and we believe, we can achieve this too. We know that (2007) is a big part of Iraq’s history, but now we want to write our own history.”


Saudi national football team prepare for 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers

Updated 12 sec ago
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Saudi national football team prepare for 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers

  • Herve Renard supervised the training, which was held at Al-Ettifaq Club Stadium
  • Defender Ali Majrashi returned to full training with the squad after recovering from injury

RIYADH: The Saudi national football team trained on Thursday evening at their preparatory camp in Al-Khobar, as part of the build-up for their crucial ninth and tenth rounds of the AFC qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

French coach Herve Renard supervised the training, which was held at Al-Ettifaq Club Stadium, a media statement said.

The training session began with warm-up training followed by tactical exercises and a half-field game, before it concluded with stretching routines aimed at muscle recovery and injury prevention.

In a positive development, defender Ali Majrashi returned to full training with the squad after recovering from a recent injury. Muteb Al-Harbi and Mohammed Bakr continued their individual rehabilitation programs under the supervision of the medical team.

The Green Falcons will resume their preparation on Friday afternoon with a closed-door training match against the Jordanian national team, also scheduled to take place at Al-Ettifaq Club Stadium.


Argentine court declares a mistrial in the case over the death of soccer star Maradona

Updated 29 May 2025
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Argentine court declares a mistrial in the case over the death of soccer star Maradona

  • The whiplash decision comes after one of the three judges overseeing the trial stepped down
  • The judges turned the clock back on all proceedings

BUENOS AIRES: An Argentine court on Thursday declared a mistrial in the case of seven health professionals accused of negligence in the death of soccer legend Diego Maradona, the latest dramatic twist in a trial that has captivated the nation and the soccer world for more than two months.

The whiplash decision comes after one of the three judges overseeing the trial stepped down over criticism surrounding her participation in a forthcoming documentary about the case.

Her withdrawal compelled the court to either appoint a new judge in her place or to retry the entire case from scratch.

On Thursday, the judges decided the latter, effectively turning the clock back on all proceedings in the case that accuses Maradona’s medical team of failing to provide adequate care for the soccer star in his final days.


‘Al-Ittihad fans will be influential against Al-Qadsiah’ in King Cup final, says Laurent Blanc

Updated 29 May 2025
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‘Al-Ittihad fans will be influential against Al-Qadsiah’ in King Cup final, says Laurent Blanc

  • ‘Al-Qadsiah are a strong rival, and I know how dangerous they are,’ says French coach
  • Michel Gonzalez expresses happiness to play in King Cup final against Al-Ittihad on Friday

JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad head coach Laurent Blanc confirmed the team’s full readiness, predicting that Al-Ittihad fans will be influential against Al-Qadsiah when they meet on Friday in the King Cup final at Al-Inma Stadium in Jeddah.

Blanc spoke to the press on Thursday ahead of the King Cup final, saying: “Al-Qadsiah are a strong rival, and I know how dangerous they are. Of course, they have ambitions to win the title. They have distinguished players, and they have speed, but my team are fully prepared for this match and will be ready to fight, enjoy and win.

“Al-Ittihad fans in Jeddah are important for the team. We must focus mentally.

“I am proud of the players after they had an exceptional season, and tomorrow our team will be ready to fight for victory. I have 22 players ready for the match, I know my team well, and I am happy with the players’ readiness.”

His countryman Karim Benzema, the captain of Al-Ittihad, explained that Al-Qadsiah have good players and a good coach, but playing the match in Jeddah will be in their favor.

He said: “Al-Qadsiah have a good coach and players, but we have full confidence in tomorrow’s match. As everyone knows, finals are won, not played. Today, we have a final training session in preparation for the final. This season, we were able to win against all teams, and tomorrow we have the home advantage and the fans.

“So, it’s job done in the Saudi Pro League, fantastic, and we’re happy to win the title. But tomorrow is a different game, a final, and we want to win at any cost.”

On the other side, Al-Qadsiah’s head coach, Michel Gonzalez, expressed his happiness to play in the King Cup final against Al-Ittihad, on Friday, at the end of the sports season.

“I am very happy with what we have achieved by reaching this great final, thanks to the players’ efforts,” Gonzalez said on Thursday during a press conference in Jeddah.

“We were able to secure an advanced position in the Saudi Pro League, in addition to qualifying for the final match of the King Cup.

“We had a real and strong desire to perform well since the beginning of the season, and all the club’s fans are happy with what the team have achieved. Everyone knows that we have performed at a high level this season … On the final night, we will face a very strong team, which recently won the Saudi Pro League.

“I promise the fans to do everything we can to beat Al-Ittihad for the first time this season and win the Cup title.”

Al-Qadsiah’s defender Nacho Fernandez expressed his confidence in his team’s ability to win the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup title against Al-Ittihad in the final match.
He said: “We are happy to be here after the great effort we put in this season. We came to compete and give our best. I like the quality of these matches because they are finals and we have respect for the opponent, the league champions.”


Riyadh to host WWE SmackDown in June

Updated 29 May 2025
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Riyadh to host WWE SmackDown in June

  • Tickets for SmackDown, Night of Champions now available through Webook
  • Riyadh Season, WWE co-organizing events, sponsored by Esports World Cup

RIYADH: Riyadh is gearing up to host two World Wrestling Entertainment events at the Kingdom Arena: its first-ever SmackDown on June 27, and Night of Champions the following day.

The events are being organized jointly by Riyadh Season and WWE, and are sponsored by the Esports World Cup.

Wrestling fans will be eagerly anticipating the events with the confirmed appearance of global icon John Cena.

SmackDown will feature a star-studded lineup including Cody Rhodes, Omos, Bianca Belair, and Charlotte Flair, in a show to be broadcast live on USA Network in the US.

Night of Champions will stream exclusively on Peacock in the US, while fans in Saudi Arabia and most international markets can watch both events live on Netflix, as part of WWE’s new partnership with the platform.

Tickets are now available for purchase through the Webook platform.

Both events mark major highlights of Riyadh Season, which was launched in 2019 and has rapidly grown to become one of the largest entertainment festivals in the world, attracting millions of visitors to premier sports, entertainment, and music events.


Bayern sign Germany defender Tah until 2029

Updated 29 May 2025
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Bayern sign Germany defender Tah until 2029

  • “I want to take on responsibility here and work hard every day so that we’re successful as a team,” Tah said
  • “In Jonathan Tah we’ve acquired a player with international experience and quality,” said sporting director Christoph Freund

MUNICH: Bayern Munich have signed German international defender Jonathan Tah on a free transfer from Bayer Leverkusen, the Bundesliga champions announced on Thursday.

The 29-year-old has signed a four-year deal which will keep him in Munich until 2029.

“I’m very happy to be at Bayern. I want to take on responsibility here and work hard every day so that we’re successful as a team and win lots of trophies together,” Tah said in the club statement.

Tah spent a decade at Leverkusen, winning an unbeaten league and cup double in 2023-24. He told Leverkusen he would not be extending his contract beyond 2025 and was given a big farewell at his last home game in May.

Bayern were linked with signing Tah in the summer of 2024 with one year remaining on his contract, but the Bavarians refused to meet Leverkusen’s asking price.

Bayern needed to sign a center-back after Eric Dier departed for Ligue 1 side Monaco at the end of the season.

“In Jonathan Tah we’ve acquired a player with international experience and quality, who won’t need much time to establish himself in our defense,” said sporting director Christoph Freund.

“He’ll be a good and important addition for us with his technical qualities as well as his manner and the way he leads.”

The Hamburg-born defender, who was also linked with a move to Barcelona where he would have joined former Germany coach Hansi Flick, has played 35 games for the national team since making his debut in 2016.

Tah has since established himself at the heart of the Germany defense. He has started all but one of the international games for which he was available since September 2023.

He is a member of Julian Nagelsmann’s squad to play in the Nations League finals next month.

The hosts face Portugal in the semifinals in Munich on June 4 with the winner taking on either
France or Spain in the final at the Bayern home ground three days later.

Bayern also tried to sign Tah’s club teammate Florian Wirtz but the midfielder now appears likely to move to Liverpool after Leverkusen admitted this week that there is “concrete interest” from the Premier League winners.