Two days before the second leg of the Asian qualifier for the World Cup 2026, social media platforms in Iraq are seeing a wave of engagement and welcome for Emirati fans expected to arrive in Basra to support 'Al-Abd' (the UAE team) in the upcoming match against 'Asud ar-Rafidin' (the Iraq team) on Tuesday evening. The enthusiasm was not just popular but also came through an official step that received wide praise; Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani directed the concerned authorities to facilitate the entry of Emirati fans, an initiative that users considered 'reflects the brotherly spirit between the two countries and confirms Iraq's readiness to host major events'.Iraqis shared dozens of clips and posts showing fan preparations to welcome the 'guests' from the UAE, while the Iraqi Fans Association confirmed its readiness to provide all forms of logistical support to the arriving fans, a gesture that found wide resonance among followers who described it as the 'civilized face' of Iraqi sport.On the technical side, cautious optimism prevails in the UAE team after the 1-1 draw in the first leg in Abu Dhabi last week. And the UAE national team coach, Olarion Cosmin, told 'Emirates Today': 'We will fight until the last moment, there is no need to worry'.On the other hand, Iraqi fans expressed their confidence in the team's return and its ability to benefit from the factors of the stadium and the crowd at the Basra International Stadium 'Jnan al-Nahl' (Date Palm Trunk), where many considered that the passionate atmosphere in the stadium is capable of giving the team an important moral boost in the decisive match.
