WAFF championship to kick off Tuesday in Iraq
Iraqi national football team players take part in a training session ahead of their friendly match against Saudi Arabia. Photo: HAIDAR MOHAMMED ALI / AFP
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The ninth edition of West Asian Football Federation Championship will kick off Tuesday in Iraq for the first time since FIFA lifted a ban on competitive international soccer matches in the country.
According to Kuwaiti news agency (KUNA), matches are to be played at two stadiums; Karbala International Stadium in Karbala governorate, south of Baghdad, and Franso Hariri Stadium in Irbil governorate, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region.
Held between July 30 and August 14, the event will witness the participation of nine national football teams of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, in addition to hosts Iraq.
Iraq will host the tournament for the first time in its history after the security situation improved in the country.
The West Asian Football Federation Championship is a competition consisting mainly of West Asian countries and territories held since 2000. The Iranian team has the most titles with four wins.