2024-01-14T09:21:31+00:00
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/ The Iraqi national team coach, Jesus Casas, confirmed on Sunday that he feels great pressure before the team’s first match against Indonesia in the Asian Cup held in Qatar.
“Our first match against Indonesia is difficult, as we will face a developed team with good players,” Casas said in a press conference for the Indonesia match, which was attended by Agency correspondent, noting that “we won against them in Basra in circumstances that were very suitable for us.”
Casas continued: “I feel a lot of pressure and I have to bear the responsibility to make 40 million Iraqis happy,” indicating that “it is impossible for me to promise you that we will win the Asian Cup, but it is not impossible that we will win the match.”
He pointed out that “the national team defender Saad Natiq was absent from training for two days and we will decide tomorrow whether he will participate in the match,” indicating that “some of the players who participated in the last match will join us and our lineup will be different.”
Casas stressed, saying, “We will deal with each match separately,” while pointing out that “if Indonesia plays with the same tactics they used against us at the Basra stadium, we will be able to win and we will put pressure on them throughout the match.”
He concluded by saying, “I think our players are very smart and we are now thinking only about the first match and not about Japan or South Korea,” noting that “I must win two matches and then think about facing the rest of the opponents.”
It is noteworthy that the Iraqi national team will face Indonesia tomorrow, Monday, in the first round of the group stage of the Asian Cup.