Baghdad: The head of the Iraqi Football Association, Adnan Darjal, confirmed that the Iraq-Jordan match cannot be taken out of its sporting context at all. A statement by the Iraqi Football Association stated that "the President of the Iraqi Football Association, Adnan Darjal, received today, Saturday, the Jordanian Ambassador to Baghdad, Maher Al-Tarawneh, and a number of embassy staff to discuss the details of the match between the two brotherly teams, which will be held next Thursday at Basra Stadium, as part of the fifth round of the final qualifiers for the World Cup. According to National Iraqi News Agency, Darjal welcomed the Jordanian Ambassador on behalf of the Football Association and members of the Executive Office, stressing the depth of the relationship between the two countries. He indicated that everyone is working to implement the directives issued by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani to overcome all difficulties that may face the Jordanian public wishing to attend the match. The statem ent confirmed that continuous meetings were held with the sports media and the heads of the mass associations in order not to be drawn in by some voices that seek excitement and interactions, even if they are outside the sportsmanship spirit. Darjal added that the Iraqi Football Association worked early on to develop a strategy to receive the Jordanian brothers and to prepare all necessary means to secure their presence inside the stadium. He called for exploiting the remaining time to determine the numbers wishing to attend to complete other logistical matters accompanying their presence in their second country. For his part, the Jordanian Ambassador Maher Al-Tarawneh expressed his high thanks and appreciation for all the efforts that were made and are being made to ensure the success of the attendance of the Jordanian fans. He acknowledged the contributions starting with President Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, passing through the Ministry of Interior represented by Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari and the rest of the other institutions, and the Iraqi Football Association represented by Captain Adnan Darjal. He added, "Everyone realizes that everyone is a winner in this match, whether the Iraqi or Jordanian team wins, in both cases we feel the win."
