Iraq team due in Mexico for playoff final on 31 March
Middle East crisis has made travel plans uncertain
The intercontinental World Cup playoffs are in doubt with officials from the Iraq Football Association (IFA) in crisis talks with Fifa over concerns they may be unable to take part in the final scheduled for Mexico later this month.
The Guardian has learned that the IFA received a letter from Iraq’s national airline, Iraqi Airways, and the Ministry of Transportation informing them that the country’s airspace will remain closed for “at least four weeks”, which would leave around 40% of the squad unable to travel.
The coach, Australian Graham Arnold, is currently in Dubai and also grounded. The only alternative to flying is an arduous 25-hour journey by road from Baghdad to Turkey through northern Iraq, although that route may be discounted on safety grounds. In addition, a number of Iraq’s players and backroom staff have yet to receive visas for Mexico or the United States, where the IFA had planned to hold a training camp in Houston.
