Former Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has taken Iraq a step closer to FIFA World Cup qualification with a 1-0 win over Indonesia.
Iraq’s win on Sunday morning, secured by a 76th-minute goal from Zidane Iqbal, means Arnold’s men will reach next year’s World Cup with a win over Saudi Arabia on Wednesday in Jeddah.
A draw or a loss against the Saudis would not end Iraq’s qualifying hopes as the victory over Indonesia was at very least enough to secure Arnold’s team a spot in the fifth-round of the AFC’s World Cup qualifiers.
“The game against Saudi Arabia will be completely different, both in performance and in the players we use,” said Arnold, who was appointed Iraq’s coach in May after resigning as Socceroos coach in September last year.
“We rested key players (against Indonesia), so the