Baghdad: The Gulf Football Federation has turned down a request from Iraqi national team coach Graham Arnold to add players Mohammed Delawar and Hiran Ahmed to the squad for the 27th Gulf Cup, hosted in Jeddah. This decision comes as a setback for the Iraqi team, which sought to replace injured players.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Iraqi Football Association confirmed that five players would be sidelined due to injuries, impacting the team’s prospects in the 2027 Gulf Cup. The absence of key players Hussein Ali, Peter Korkis, Youssef Al-Amin, Mohanad Ali “Mimi,” and Kamil Saad has been officially announced, leaving the team to compete with a reduced roster. Despite the setback, the Gulf Football Federation’s rules did not permit the inclusion of new players not listed in the initial squad, maintaining the integrity of the competition.