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Iraq's hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup were dealt a heavy blow today after they suffered a 3-2 defeat against South Korea in a crucial qualifier match.

The game, held in South Korea, marked Iraq's fourth match in Group B of the Asian qualifiers. South Korea, the group leaders, solidified their position with this victory, leaving Iraq's chances of advancing to the World Cup hanging by a thread.

In a show of national support, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani earlier announced an early end to the workday at 1:00 PM for all government employees, encouraging citizens to rally behind their football team. Yet despite the widespread support, Iraq could not overcome the formidable South Korean side.

The game began with South Korea taking the lead through Oh Se-hun in the 41st minute.

Iraq responded early in the second half with an equaliser from Ayman Hussein in the 49th minute.

However, the momentum shifted back to South Korea when Oh Hyun-gyu scored the second goal in the 74th minute, followed by Lee Jae-sung's third goal in the 83rd minute.

Ibrahim Bayesh managed to score a consolation goal for Iraq in stoppage time, bringing the final score to 3-2.

Iraq ball 🥶 🥶

— Marwan🇸🇩🇵🇸 (@marwan_gmfc1973)

Under the leadership of coach Jesús Casas, Iraq ended their October training camp with mixed results, having secured a victory against Palestine before this loss to South Korea.

The team will resume its World Cup qualifying campaign in November, when they host Jordan on November 14, 2024. The match will kick off at 6:15 PM Baghdad time (4:15 GMT).

Despite the defeat to South Korea, Iraq remains second in Group B with 7 points from their first four matches, having won two games, drawn one, and lost one.

However, their path to qualification has become more challenging, and the upcoming match against Jordan will be critical for their World Cup aspirations.