"I'm sorry and I'll make up for it"... Al-Hamadi Publicly Apologizes to the Public, Iraq's Chairman Apologizes for Cho Yu-min's Strike
"I'm sorry and I'll make up for it"... Al-Hamadi Publicly Apologizes to the Public, Iraq's Chairman Apologizes for Cho Yu-min's Strike
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Iraqi striker Ali al-Hamadi and IFA president Adnan Dirzal, who were sent off for defeat in the match against Korea, eventually apologized to Iraqi fans.
Iraq, where al-Hamadi was at the forefront, was completely defeated 0-2 at the home match of Group B of Asia at the 2026 FIFA U.S.-North Korea World Cup held at Basra National Stadium in the early morning (Korea time) on Sunday. Iraq collapsed by losing points to Kim Jin-kyu at the 18th minute of the second half and Oh Hyun-kyu at the 37th minute of the second half.
The watershed of the match was in the 22nd minute of the first half when Al Hamadi was sent off after VAR by kicking Cho Yoo-min in the face. The exit of Al Hamadi, who took over the front line on behalf of the main gun Ayman Hussein, provided Iraq with the worst condition of numerical inferiority in the match that must be won, and eventually led to a two-goal defeat by South Korea.
For reference, Iraq suffered a crushing defeat of shame at Basra National Stadium, which had been an undefeated holy site for eight years, which was very shocking. It also disappointed Iraqi fans as it failed to advance directly to the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals in North Korea and the U.S.
Al-Hamadi bowed to fans on his social media a day after the match.
``What happened yesterday was very painful. I apologise to everyone, especially the Iraqi people,'' al-Hamadi said. ``Yesterday's situation was a painful experience for myself and an unacceptable one. But I can say with confidence. ``I will make up for it in the next match and share the joy,'' he said.
Dirzal, president of the Iraqi Football Association, was also under fire after the game. Criticism is mounting over whether the Iraqi national soccer team has properly supported the national team.
He is also criticized for making the irrational decision to appoint a new coach in the most important match against Korea after replacing Jesus Casas, who was successful at the 2024 AFC Qatar Asian Cup, during the World Cup qualifying race. Moreover, there was a controversy over his attitude as he was caught on video hitting the camera hard at an interview attempt by a local Iraqi reporter to ask questions about the national team.
In an official statement from the Iraqi Football Association, Dirzal said, "We deeply regret that we have not secured a ticket to the World Cup finals. "But we will be determined to win one of the two remaining tickets to the finals in the next round," he said. "In October, we believe we will make that dream come true."
"The defeat should be the driving force for us to move forward. It's not just words, it's a message from the bottom of our hearts. I hope the Iraqi people don't lose their faith in the team and our association," he said. "We will never disappoint. The opportunity to advance to the next World Cup finals is still alive," he said, appealing to his fans with a message of hope. 메이저놀이터
Meanwhile, Iraq will try to advance to the World Cup finals through the fourth qualifying round scheduled in October. The fourth qualifying round, which will take 2.5 tickets, will be divided into two groups, with the level of each group taking tickets to the finals, and the remaining 0.5 tickets will be decided through the Asian Playoffs and intercontinental Playoffs to determine the teams that will advance to the World Cup finals.