Iraq seeks to host an Asian World Cup qualification group
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Football Association (IFA) has officially requested to host one of two groups in the fourth round of Asian qualifiers for next year's World Cup in North America.
Iraq will finish third or fourth in Group B in the third round, with 12 points before its final encounter against Jordan in Amman on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
In a statement on Facebook, the IFA announced that it had sent a letter to the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) requesting the highest levels of openness and impartiality in the process of selecting the host country or countries for the fourth round of Asian qualifiers.
The IFA has said that it is fully prepared to handle all organizational, security, and financial responsibilities pertaining to hosting matches, with assistance from the Iraqi government and state agencies.
In the fourth round of qualifying, the six teams that finished in third and fourth place in their respective groups during the third stage will be divided into two groups.
The team that wins each group will qualify directly for the World Cup finals. Meanwhile, the two teams that finish in second place will compete in a playoff to decide which team will represent Asia in an international playoff.
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