Sports

Iraq Defeats the Philippines and Qualifies for the Final Stage of the Joint Qualifiers

Iraq Defeats the Philippines and Qualifies for the Final Stage of the Joint Qualifiers

The Iraq national football team, known as the Lions of Mesopotamia, secured a victory over the Philippines with a score of 5-0 today, Tuesday, ensuring their qualification for the third (final) round of the joint qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup and the 2027 Asian Cup.

Ayman Hussein scored the first goal via a penalty successfully converted in the 14th minute, followed by Amir Al-Amari doubling the score in the 30th minute of the first half. In the 36th minute, Ayman Hussein returned to net his second goal and Iraq's third. The fourth goal came in the 61st minute from Zidane Iqbal, marking his first international goal with the Lions of Mesopotamia while playing in the Dutch league. Zaid Taha scored the fifth goal in the 77th minute.

This marks Iraq's fourth consecutive victory, placing them at the top of their group with a perfect score of 12 points, thus guaranteeing their advancement to the third (final) round of the joint qualifiers for both the 2026 World Cup and the 2027 Asian Cup. The Philippines, on the other hand, remains at just one point in last place, while Indonesia holds second place with 4 points and Vietnam is in third with 3 points.

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