Iraq U20 footballers begin Asian Cup journey
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq will open their AFC U20 Asian Cup qualifying campaign against Turkmenistan in Chonburi, Thailand, on Monday, with head coach Ahmed Salah targeting a place at the 2027 continental finals.
Salah told a pre-tournament news conference on Sunday that all four teams in Group F can compete for qualification and urged his players to approach every match with full concentration.
Iraq enter the qualifiers after an unbeaten three-match training camp in Thailand, beating Kuwait 1-0 and Indonesia 2-1 before drawing 0-0 with Iran.
Group F also includes the United Arab Emirates and hosts Thailand. Iraq face the UAE on September 3 before completing their campaign against Thailand on September 6.
The AFC’s new two-tier qualification system offers 15 places at the 2027 AFC U20 Asian Cup finals in China. Five-time Asian champions Iraq finished runners-up in 2023 and reached the quarter-finals in 2025, where they twice led Australia before losing 3-2. Australia went on to win the tournament, while the defeat denied Iraq a place at the 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup.
