Shafaq News- Basra

Iraq’s Basra province will host a four-team international friendly tournament in November featuring Iraq, Lebanon, Iran and Palestine as the teams prepare for their upcoming competitions, the Iraqi Football Association (IFA) said Monday.

The tournament will run from Nov. 9 to 17, with Iraq facing Lebanon in the opening semifinal and Iran taking on Palestine in the other.

The semifinal winners will meet in the final for the tournament title, while the losing teams will play for third place, giving each team two matches in the competition.

The tournament will be part of Iraq’s preparations for the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, with the national team also set to take part in a series of training camps and friendlies. Preparations will continue in Doha, Qatar, where Iraq will begin a training camp on Jan. 1, 2027.

Iraq will face Vietnam in a friendly on Jan. 4 before traveling to Riyadh two days later for the Asian Cup.

The Lions of Mesopotamia will open their campaign against Tajikistan on Jan. 10, followed by a match against Australia on Jan. 14. Their final group-stage game will be against Singapore on Jan. 19.