Iraq suffers shock defeat to Palestine in AFC World Cup Qualifiers
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – In a stunning turn of events, Iraq fell to Palestine in a dramatic 2-1 loss during the AFC World Cup Qualifiers on Tuesday at Amman International Stadium in Jordan.
The result places Iraq in third place in Group B, jeopardizing their automatic qualification hopes for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Iraq took the lead in the 34th minute when Aymen Hussein headed in a well-placed cross from Ibrahim Bayesh.
However, Palestine responded in the dying moments of regular time, with Abou Ali finding the back of the net to level the score. Just when the match seemed destined for a draw, Ameed Mahajneh sealed a historic victory for Palestine with a powerful header off a corner seven minutes into injury time.
The loss is a major setback for Iraq, as only the top two teams from each of the three remaining six-team groups will qualify automatically for the 2026 World Cup.
South Korea and Jordan currently occupy the top two spots in Group B with 16 and 13 points, respectively, while Iraq must now fight to keep their qualification hopes alive in the remaining matches.
The teams who finished third and fourth go to a subsequent playoff round in hopes of earning spots in the tournament the following year.
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