IFF president describes Iraq’s group in confederations cup as ‘easy’

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The president of the Iraqi Football Federation Hussein Saeed on Monday described the group A of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, which contains Iraq, Spain, New Zealand, and South Africa, as easy. Speaking to the UAE al-Eitehad newspaper, Saeed said “our group is easier than the group B, but the level of south Africa is almost the same of us and both of us far from Europe’s champion Spain, which is nominated to top the group and win the championship.” Iraqi will face the host South Africa in the opening match on June 14, 2009. On Fifa’s latest rankings, Spain are the top-ranked team, obviously, in the group ahead of New Zealand (60), Iraq (75) and South Africa (80). The heavyweights in group B are all ranked inside the top 25. That group is led by second-ranked Italy, joined by Brazil (6), Egypt (24) and the United States (24). The US rose as high as eighth in 2005. New Zealand’s coach Ricki Herbert described drawing Iraq as “perfect”. New Zealand will face the fifth-ranked Asian team in a home-and-away playoff next November for a spot in the 2010 World Cup, also in South Africa. SH (P)/SR 1