Junior Iraqis hope to emulate seniors

The league meeting between Iraq and Uzbekistan ended goalless but the Arabs did much to secure full points from the only competitive encounter in the tournament so far.

At last year’s Nehru Cup at Kochi, Iraq beat Uzbekistan 3-1 in the final after swamping the Central Asians 6-2 in the league match. However, team manager Dr Yaroub Mohammed, who witnessed that event, discerns the Uzbeks are a side that by nature improve with every outing.

That pattern, by Dr Mohammed’s observation, appeared to emerge at this level as well. He observes, “Uzbekistan played better against India than Iraq and I think theywill provide a stiffer challenge tomorrow.”

The tournament, hit by withdrawals, has been deserted by thousands of Goa’s football loving fans. But an intriguing and keen contest might just pull a sizable crowd tomorrow.

Iraq coach, Najih Hureib, for one, hopes for a high level match that will benefit both teams. He added, “Of course, like any other coach, it is my wish that we win. But it will be an outcome very difficult to predict. Hurieb added, “The Uzbekistan team has power, speed, high technique and fitness but Iraq play well as a team.”

Indeed, the Arab side have shown versatility, best exemplified by the tireless Abbas Zayer who scorches the pitch with awesome runs. His mid-field colleagues, Riyadh Khireebit is virtually an extra striker capable of unleashing power-packed long rangers. Abbas Hasun, Haitham Jasim and Omar Uthman form the strike force likely to stretch the Uzbek defence in which Abdurashkov Abdullakhodja excels in goal.

Uzbekistan hardly seemed perturbed while playing twomatches in as many games and demolished India’s challenge with a fluent display by their strikers — Soliev Anvarjon and Isakov Umid.

Anvarjon, who along with mid-fielder Mataliev Ravshanjon and defender Murtaznev Spartak is most likely to find a place in the senior squad for the Asian Cup. The trio form the core of Uzbekistan challenge.

The Russian influence in the Central Asian’s style of play is apparent and it remains to be seen whether or not the Iraqis find an answer to poaching’ methods employed by the Uzbeks Anvarjon and Umid stay well ahead to seize the opportunity to charge towards the goal.

The strategy may seem outdated but it worked well against India. Iraq though are in a different cadre.

SHOW CAUSE NOTICE: The All India Football federation (AIFF) plans to issue a show cause notice to six players who were among the list of probables for the ongoing Rajiv Gandhi tournament. This information was provided by the Goa Football Association late last night.

Four of those playersturned up 10 days late for the preparatory camp held in Goa while the other two did not attend at all.

A fax message by AIFF president, Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi, instructed secretary KN Maur to go ahead with the notice for the player’s inaction.The players are: A Vinod, J Santhosh Kumar, Kenneth Raj and RC Prakasan (Karnataka); Satish Minz and Radhakrishnan Dubey (Maharashtra).