Graham Arnold’s 10-man Iraq beaten 2-0 by South Korea in FIFA World Cup qualifier

Former Socceroos coach Graham Arnold remains confident he can guide Iraq to next year’s FIFA World Cup despite tasting defeat in his first game in charge of the Lions of Mesopotamia.

Iraq, who had striker Ali Al-Hamadi sent off in the first half, suffered a 2-0 home loss to South Korea in an AFC third-round Group B qualifier on Friday morning (AEST).

Second-half goals to substitutes Kim Jin-gyu and Oh Hyeon-gyu not only secured victory for the South Koreans but also sealed their World Cup qualification.

Also qualifying from Group B is Jordan, who beat Oman 3-0 in Muscat on Friday morning.

Arnold’s Iraq, who meet Jordan in Amman on Wednesday morning, will finish in either third or fourth place in Group B.

That will ensure Arnold’s men have another chance to reach the World Cup through the fourth-round of AFC qualifiers, which involves the nations placing third and fourth from each of the three third-round groups.

“We have a real chance to qualify through the playoffs,” Arnold said after Iraq’s loss.

“I’ve done it before with the Australian national team (to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar).”

Arnold said striker Al-Hamadi’s 26th-minute dismissal for a high boot to the face of South Korean defender Cho Yu-min “affected” Iraq a “lot”.

“We were playing very well until the red card,” he said.