Iraqis find hope ahead of Spain clash

By Brendon Hanley Jun 16, 2009, 14:16 GMT

Bloemfontein, South Africa - The day after Egypt lost to Brazil 4-3 only on a last-minute penalty kick, two of Iraq's key players said the Asian champions were taking inspiration from the Pharaohs ahead of their Group A match-up Wednesday with mighty Spain.

'It is a good motivation for us,' said captain Mahdi Kareem at a press conference at Bloemfontein's Free State Stadium. 'Egypt showed that things are possible against even the best teams in the world, which Spain certainly is.'

Forward Emad Mohammed insisted that the Lions of Mesopotamia were trying for a full three points against the world's number one ranked team.

'Of course we will be trying to win,' he said. 'Spain are very good, but so are we. We are playing for our reputation against a world-class team. The Egypt and Brazil match enhanced our morale and we are determined to get a good result.'

Experienced coach Bora Milutinovic was slightly more cagey about the contest, saying: 'You need to know who you are, and who you are playing. The game against Spain is important, but the next one is more important because if we beat New Zealand we can go through.'

But he brushed off the idea that he was conceding the contest against La Furia Roja.

'Actually I am very happy that my team is playing Spain,' he said. 'It's a great challenge for us, but it's a big chance as well. We are lucky to be playing at this tournament and lucky to have these opportunities.'

Having been criticized for playing defensive football in their scoreless opener against the hosts South Africa on Sunday, Milutinovic was not concerned.

'I will be happy to play even more negatively if we can get a point,' he said with a laugh.

The coach, who is the only person to lead five teams at a World Cup, said that his side's greatest strength was their determination and that would be the key to getting a result against the Spanish.

'My team always give their best and when you play against a side like Spain or another big team, you have to be right mentally and challenge yourself to deal with it.

'You need to have confidence and believe in yourself if you want a good result,' he said. 'You must stay organized, have good spirit and control your emotions.'

When asked what a result against the European champions would mean to the war-torn country of Iraq, Mohammed, who plays his club football in Iran, said it was foremost on the mind of the players

'We are here to play football and bring happiness to our fans in Iraq,' he said. 'The people are of course very interested in this tournament, so this is our chance to bring them pleasure.'

'We respect Spain a lot,' concurred Kareem. 'But we've already learned a lot from Bora, and we just hope that he can lead us further so that the people in Iraq can have something to get excited about.'