Iraq veterans’ football team plays friendly against Najaf counterparts ahead of Gulf Veterans Cup

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq’s veterans’ football national team faced a Najaf veterans’ squad in a friendly match on September 25 in Baghdad as part of its preparations for the Gulf Veterans Cup. The game, played at the University of Baghdad’s Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences pitch, was arranged to assess the team’s technical condition, the technical staff said. The squad was led by coach Abbas Ubayd, with Shakir Mahmoud serving as assistant coach and Karim Naam as goalkeeping coach. Players are being evaluated on their technical and physical level through the series of friendlies, according to the coaching staff. Iraq is preparing for the second edition of the Gulf Veterans Cup, scheduled for September in Saudi Arabia. Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Yemen have entered veteran teams for the tournament. Iraq enters the competition as defending champion after winning the inaugural edition, which was held in Kuwait last year. Further details on the team’s pre-tournament schedule have not been announced.