Iraq consider Graham Arnold dismissal after Gulf Cup exit

The Iraq Football Association is moving towards ending Graham Arnold’s tenure as national team manager after the “Lions of Mesopotamia” were eliminated from the Gulf Cup, according to sports broadcaster Hisham Mohammed.

Speaking on the Al Rabia Sports programme Gulf Time, Mohammed said there was a strong and serious push within the federation to terminate the Australian coach’s contract following Iraq’s disappointing tournament campaign and a wider run of frustrations dating back to the World Cup qualifiers.

Younis Mahmoud, president of the Iraq Football Association, is currently in Jeddah and has held a series of urgent meetings with board members to discuss Arnold’s future. Mohammed said a clear majority of those involved believe the manager should be dismissed because they see little benefit in continuing with him.

Arnold has faced intense criticism over his team selections and what has been described as uncertainty in his management of decisive matches. Those issues became particularly evident during the Gulf Cup, where Iraq’s performances and results left the side in an increasingly difficult position.

The federation, however, faces a significant timing problem if it decides to make a change. There is limited time before Iraq begins its formal preparations for the 2027 Asian Cup finals, which will be held in Saudi Arabia.

Iraq’s elimination from the Gulf Cup came after a particularly painful sequence of results. The team would have progressed by avoiding defeat against Saudi Arabia or if Oman had failed to win. Instead, Oman defeated Kuwait while Iraq lost to Saudi Arabia, leaving the teams level and sending qualification to a draw.

That draw ultimately ended Iraq’s campaign and confirmed their elimination from the competition.

Al Rabia Sports published details of the federation’s discussions in a post on X on 30 September 2026, alongside a clip from Gulf Time featuring Hisham Mohammed.