The Iraqi national football team continues to await a meeting of the local football federation to finalize the appointment of a new head coach after the official dismissal of the Spaniard Jesús Casas.
The Iraqi Football Association decided last Thursday to formally sack Casas due to the national team’s poor results in the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Coach Faisal Aziz told the press: “The Iraqi Football Association has not heeded the views of former coaches and players—myself included—who repeatedly pointed to negative indicators in the team’s performance, whether in the qualifiers or at the Gulf Cup (Gulf 26) in Kuwait. We stressed time and again that Jesús Casas is a weak coach without a clear tactical vision.”
He added: “The federation does not trust a local coach, and I believe this lack of confidence has diminished their chances. Frankly, I rule out appointing a local coach to succeed Casas, because the Iraqi FA wants to appease the fans right now. According to statements, they are looking for a coach on a long‑term contract, not just a temporary appointment for the matches against South Korea and Jordan, which I don’t think will happen.”
Aziz continued: “What happened against Palestine was a major setback in Iraqi football history. No coach in the world changes seven players between one match and the next, but with Casas we saw all kinds of oddities. The Spanish coach tried over a hundred players and still couldn’t settle on a consistent 25‑man squad, which proves his failure to manage the team and build a strong lineup for the national side.”
He added: “Striker Ali Al‑Hammadi was strangely sidelined by Casas, despite being one of Iraq’s best professional players in Europe. Sadly, due to Casas’s style of play, he failed to utilize players who were properly developed—because it’s the eye and the mind that make a footballer, not the electronic tools the coach uses.”
Iraq currently sits third in Group B of the World Cup qualifiers with 12 points, one point behind second‑place Jordan and four points behind group leaders South Korea.
