Arnold names 26-man Iraq squad for Gulf Cup

Aymen Hussein leads Iraq at the Gulf Cup.

BAGHDAD, Sept 17: Iraq coach Graham Arnold has announced a 26-man squad for the 27th Gulf Cup in Jeddah, with Captain Aymen Hussein among the selections.

Iraq, four-time Gulf Cup champion and winner of the 25th edition, has been drawn in Group A alongside Kuwait, Oman, and host Saudi Arabia.

Defending champion Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Yemen make up Group B.

Arnold, who led Iraq to qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, has selected several players with international and World Cup qualifying experience.

The squad includes Hussein Hassan, Mohammed Salah, Ahmed Basil, Ahmed Yahya, Mustafa Saadoun, Haitham Jabbar, Zaid Tahseen, Akam Hashim, Youssef Al-Imam, Merchas Doski, Mohammed Dawood, Ibrahim Bayesh, Zidane Iqbal, Bassam Shakir, Zaid Ismail, Amir Al-Ammari, Haider Abdul-Kareem, Abdul-Razzaq Qasim, Karrar Nabil, Mohammed Qasim, Ahmed Qasim, Ali Jasim, Aymen Hussein, Saif Rashid, Ali Al-Hamadi and Youssef Al-Nasrawi.

The Gulf Cup kicks off in Jeddah next week, with Iraq set to face strong competition in Group A as they seek another title.