Baghdad, May 10 (IANS) Former Australia manager Graham Arnold has been officially named the new head coach of Iraq as confirmed by the country's football federation ahead of next month’s World Cup qualifiers against South Korea and Jordan.

The Iraq Football Association announced the appointment on social media on Friday, sharing photos of the 61-year-old being greeted in Baghdad by national team officials.

"We are delighted to announce Australian coach Graham Arnold as the new head coach of the Iraq National Team, taking over from Spaniard Jesus Casas ahead of our upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifying matches," the Iraq Football Association said in a statement.

Arnold has more than 20 years of experience in coaching, and most recently managed the Australian national team from 2018 to 2024. He became the longest-serving head coach in Australia’s history and guided the Socceroos to 2022 World Cup qualification. Under Arnold’s management, Australia subsequently recorded their best-ever participation at a World Cup in Qatar where they picked up two wins in the group stage and reached the round of 16.

Arnold holds one of the best coaching records in Australia’s history with a win rate exceeding 61%, and he led their team to a record-breaking 11 consecutive wins in World Cup qualifying.

Prior to managing Australia, Arnold had successful experiences with Central Coast Mariners and Sydney FC, as well as a short stint managing in Japan. As a player, Arnold also played for clubs in the Netherlands and in Belgium.

His first test as Iraq boss will be in Basra as the Lions of Mesopotamia take on South Korea on June 5, before travelling to Amman to face Jordan five days later on the quest for World Cup qualification.

--IANS

ab/