August 3 – Will they or won’t they? Conflicting reports have emerged over whether Iraq have been withdrawn from the football tournament at this month’s Asian Games in Jakarta.
The Iraq Olympic Committee say they have pulled the team from the event, according to an agency report, while the Asian Football Confederation have apparently conducted a re-draw and added Palestine and the United Arab Emirates after the pair had been left off the original entry list.
Iraq’s withdrawal, if true, means one group – containing China, Timor Leste and Syria – will feature just three countries.
The football tournament at the Asian Games, an under-23 event, begins on August 10 and despite the Iraqi Olympic Committee’s apparent decision, the Iraq Football Association (IFA) appears to be digging its heels and saying it is still competing according to local reports.
Earlier this week, a number of Iraqi football officials were reported to have been fired over selecting overage players for a West Asia Football Federation under-16 event.
Contact the writer of this story at andrew.warshaw@insideworldfootball.com
