Iraq to play against Indonesia in 2023 AFC Asian Cup
Players of the Iraqi national team celebrating the AFC Asian Cup win in 2007. Photo: AFC
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – In Group D, the Iraqi national team will play Indonesia on Monday to begin their much-awaited 2023 AFC Asian Cup campaign.
Iraq is optimistic going into the competition, having had a successful year under Spanish coach Jesus Casas.
Iraq won the Arabian Gulf Cup in Basra to start 2023. Later, it won the King’s Cup in Thailand and gained experience in friendly matches against Colombia and Russia.
The Iraqi national team is attempting to capture a second continental victory in its history at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, which is held in Qatar between January 12 and February 10.
Iraq signed a contract with Adidas to provide its equipment with immediate effect, replacing their former supplier, Jako, despite having only signed a contract with Jako last year.
Iraq’s 2024 home jersey is green, while the 2024 away jersey is white, with the Adidas logo on both.
After almost 36 years, Adidas supplies the Iraqi national team with shirts once more. Adidas has filled this position twice in the past, in 1978 and between 1986 and 1988.
The squad’s first victory came in 2007, when it defeated Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the final match.
The team ranked 63rd in the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) classification in December 2023, while the best rank attained by the ‘Lions of Mesopotamia’ was 39th in October 2004.
This will be the tenth time that the Iraqi national team has participated in the Asian Cup. It participated in the championship for the first time in 1972 and hasn’t missed the finals since 1996.
The team’s most noteworthy accomplishment was taking home the championship in 2007.