France coach: Iraq are no easy World Cup opponent

Shafaq News- Philadelphia

France coach Didier Deschamps warned his players against underestimating Iraq before their World Cup Group I match, as the “Lions of Mesopotamia” are not the weak opponent some may expect.

According to French media, Deschamps told his players that “Iraq should not be considered a small team, because that is not the case,” pointing to Iraq’s recent results, including a 2-1 win over Bolivia in the World Cup playoff in Mexico and a 1-1 friendly draw with Spain before the tournament.

Against Norway in their World Cup opener, he noted, Iraq were still trailing only 2-1 in the 75th minute before conceding twice late in a 4-1 defeat. His message to the squad focused on humility and concentration as France prepare for their second group match after opening with a 3-1 win over Senegal.

Graham Arnold’s side does simple things well, plays with discipline, and remains dangerous on the counterattack, he explained.

France themselves needed a second-half response to beat Senegal in their opener. The 57-year-old coach later acknowledged that his team made several mistakes before the break, before Kylian Mbappe scored twice and Bradley Barcola added a late goal.

Iraq enter the game under pressure after the Norway defeat, but their first-half display, Aymen Hussein’s equalizer, and recent results against Bolivia and Spain have given France enough reason to approach the match with caution.

The match is scheduled for Tuesday at 00:00 Baghdad time at Lincoln Financial Field.