Arnold Announces Squad Changes to Counter Fatigue and Heat

National team coach Graham Arnold confirmed Friday his team's eagerness to achieve victory in its anticipated match against Kuwait, expressing full confidence in player capabilities and readiness. At a press conference for the match, Arnold stated, "The encounter will be very good, and we anticipate it with great passion. We are all confident of achieving victory tomorrow." He noted the team "has done excellent work, with training proceeding at a high level," adding the Gulf Cup is "an ideal opportunity to test new elements and work towards a better football future for our national team." The coach clarified the current squad comprises "50 percent of players who participated in the World Cup, and 50 percent new faces ready to demonstrate their skills." He highlighted that the technical staff "closely monitors the work and effort of the Kuwaiti team," commending Kuwait's squad for its "large group of distinguished young players." Regarding preparations, Arnold revealed "the technical staff will make some changes to the lineup to deal with fatigue and extreme heat," emphasizing the significant responsibility on "26 players to represent the Iraqi people." He stressed the team's "strength" despite previous frustration, expressing "complete confidence in player abilities and the Iraqi spirit to fight and achieve victory." Concerning climatic conditions, Arnold explained the team "has fully adapted to the climate and hot weather after sufficient acclimatization time," affirming "everyone is fully prepared to perform optimally and achieve the best possible result against Kuwait." On injuries, he attributed them to "elevated grass length on the pitch in the previous match," hoping "the pitch will be ready and in ideal condition tomorrow."