Gulf News - The Iraqi national football team will play their first match, after the recent conflict, against Iran on Wednesday in the LG Middle East and Africa Peace Cup 2003.
The event will be hosted in Tehran from August 13-15 with Cameroon and Uruguay battling the second semifinals on the opening day.
The winners of the semis play the Final on 15th. The champion recieves $50,000, runner up $30,000 and third place get $ 20,000.
Making an announcement at a press conference yesterday at the Dubai Dusit Hotel with the attendance of M.B. Shin, President LG Electronics Middle East and Africa Operations, Hamad Malik, Senior Marketing Manager LG Electronics Middle East and Africa, German coach Bernd Stange, Iraq national team coach, Mohammed Hamida, Commercial manager Iraq national team and some of Iraqi team members.
M.B. Shin said in his speech on behalf of LG that the LG Cup began first in Tunisia in 1997 and since then they organised the tournament in UAE, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria and Iran.
"We are thrilled to announce that the Iraqi national team has accepted our invitation to play in the LG Cup and with the recent turmoil in the region we decided this year's competition should be called " The LG Middle East and Africa Peace Cup" to honour Iraq's participation.
Bernd Stange thanked LG for inviting Iraq to take part in the LG Middle East and Africa Peace Cup.
"We have a long road ahead of us and the journey will be difficult, but tournaments like this will help us rebuild a proud nation's football team to relive former glories," said the Iraqi national team coach.
Stange added that the Iraq national team was currently training in sub-standard facilities in northern Iraq and whilst the Iraqi Football Association has premises to operate.
Stange added that Germany would invite Iraq in the coming weeks to hold a three-week training camp and play friendly matches with German clubs.
"It will be a good preparatory period for the Asian Cup qualifiers and the coming tournaments. After the LG Cup in Iran we will leave for Germany, then play against a GCC selection in Saudi Arabia. We will also tour Australia where we will play warm up matches."
Stange said that the Spanish government refusedto give outvisas to the Iraq national team for conducting a camp in Barcelona two months ago. "I think it was a political decision: they asked us to apply for a visa We applied and waited for weeks. They finally refused to grant visas."
Stange said his main objective was to take Iraq to the 2006 World Cup in Germany. "Iraqi players are talented and skillful, they love football and I think they can achieve great results in the coming years," concluded Stange.
The event will be hosted in Tehran from August 13-15 with Cameroon and Uruguay battling the second semifinals on the opening day.
The winners of the semis play the Final on 15th. The champion recieves $50,000, runner up $30,000 and third place get $ 20,000.
Making an announcement at a press conference yesterday at the Dubai Dusit Hotel with the attendance of M.B. Shin, President LG Electronics Middle East and Africa Operations, Hamad Malik, Senior Marketing Manager LG Electronics Middle East and Africa, German coach Bernd Stange, Iraq national team coach, Mohammed Hamida, Commercial manager Iraq national team and some of Iraqi team members.
M.B. Shin said in his speech on behalf of LG that the LG Cup began first in Tunisia in 1997 and since then they organised the tournament in UAE, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria and Iran.
"We are thrilled to announce that the Iraqi national team has accepted our invitation to play in the LG Cup and with the recent turmoil in the region we decided this year's competition should be called " The LG Middle East and Africa Peace Cup" to honour Iraq's participation.
Bernd Stange thanked LG for inviting Iraq to take part in the LG Middle East and Africa Peace Cup.
"We have a long road ahead of us and the journey will be difficult, but tournaments like this will help us rebuild a proud nation's football team to relive former glories," said the Iraqi national team coach.
Stange added that the Iraq national team was currently training in sub-standard facilities in northern Iraq and whilst the Iraqi Football Association has premises to operate.
Stange added that Germany would invite Iraq in the coming weeks to hold a three-week training camp and play friendly matches with German clubs.
"It will be a good preparatory period for the Asian Cup qualifiers and the coming tournaments. After the LG Cup in Iran we will leave for Germany, then play against a GCC selection in Saudi Arabia. We will also tour Australia where we will play warm up matches."
Stange said that the Spanish government refusedto give outvisas to the Iraq national team for conducting a camp in Barcelona two months ago. "I think it was a political decision: they asked us to apply for a visa We applied and waited for weeks. They finally refused to grant visas."
Stange said his main objective was to take Iraq to the 2006 World Cup in Germany. "Iraqi players are talented and skillful, they love football and I think they can achieve great results in the coming years," concluded Stange.