São Paulo – Iraq and Bolivia face off at midnight this Wednesday (1) for the final spot in this year’s FIFA World Cup. The tournament will be held from June in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the latter hosting the match between the Iraqis and the Bolivians in the city of Monterrey.
Both teams are in the playoff for the tournament and aim to break long-standing droughts: Bolivia has not qualified for a World Cup since 1994, when the U.S. hosted the event. The Iraqis last appeared in the competition in 1986, in Mexico. On that occasion, Iraq’s coach was Brazilian Evaristo de Macedo.
This Tuesday, the final six spots for the World Cup will be decided. Also facing off for a place in the tournament are Bosnia vs. Italy; Sweden vs. Poland; Kosovo vs. Turkey; the Czech Republic vs. Denmark; and the Democratic Republic of the Congo vs. Jamaica.
If they win, Iraq will enter one of the toughest groups in the tournament, alongside France, Senegal and Norway. The Arab team’s standout is midfielder Zidane Iqbal. Born in England, he is the son of an Iraqi mother and therefore represents the Arab country. His name is inspired by French legend Zinedine Zidane, who retired in 2006.
Among Arab countries, Qatar, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Jordan have already qualified. In Brazil, the match between Iraq and Bolivia will be broadcast on SporTV and CazéTV.
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Translated by Guilherme Miranda
