Iraq FA confirms it will hire a foreign coach amid Mosimane links

The Iraq Football Association (IFA) has confirmed it will hire a foreign senior national football team coach, amid reports that South African Pitso Mosimane is on its radar.

IFA spokesperson Ahmed Al-Moussawi said the new coach will be handed a four-year contract with a target of securing 2026 World Cup qualification.

“A foreign trainer will lead the national team in the next four years, and that the main goal of it will be to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, in addition to entering the continental and Gulf competitions,” Al-Moussawi told the association’s website.

He added that “the federation’s decision came after listening to the opinions and viewpoints of the technical committees, advisors and experts, and decided to enter into a contract with a qualified foreign trainer to achieve the dream of the football fans.”

IFA’s statement has coincided with Mosimane’s agency MTSports dropping two strong hints that ‘something is loading’ on the former Al Ahly mentor.

The former Mamelodi Sundowns coach has also been linked with Morocco’s Wydad Athletic who won the CAF Champions League after beating Mosimane’s Al Ahly 2-0 last month before he threw in the towel.

“Something is loading,” the agency tweeted on Thursday morning while capturing Mosimane and members of his backroom staff posing, seemingly ready for a new challenge.

The agency issued another update on Thursday by posting a picture of Mosimane and his staff at the departure longue which looks like that of OR Tambo International.

According to Iraq media, Mosimane, former Cameroon’s Portuguese mentor Antonio Conceicao and Frenchman Bernard Cosoni are the front runners for the job.

Mosimane resigned from Al Ahly coaching job last month soon after surrending the CAF Champions League title to Wydad.

He is now back home conducting some coaching clinics through his foundation with an aim of empowering the next generation of coaches.

The former Bafana Bafana mentor resigned weeks after admitting that the job at Al Ahly was too demanding he had at time had to battle high blood pressure.

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