Iraq's number one star "threatens" Vietnam ahead of the showdown.

In the pre-match press conference, Ali Adnan, nicknamed "the Asian Gareth Bale" of the Iraqi national team, asserted that his team had the upper hand against Vietnam.

The Iraqi national team is preparing for their final match in Group F of the 2018 World Cup Asian Qualifiers against Vietnam with considerable anxiety. Having only managed a lucky point against Thailand five days ago, the West Asian team has lost its chance of finishing first in the group and securing early qualification. Furthermore, they risk losing their second-place position if they lose to Vietnam – a team only two points behind Iraq – in tonight's match.

Difficulties piled upon difficulties when coach Yahya Alwan unexpectedly announced his resignation. The hot seat had to be urgently handed over to Abdul Ghani Shahad of the Iraq U23 team - the 15th person to become Iraq's coach in less than a decade.

Facing a storm of pressure, Iraq's star player, Ali Adnan, immediately spoke out to ease the tension within the team. The left-back, nicknamed "the Asian Gareth Bale," affirmed: "The whole team has to cope with the sudden change on the coaching bench with the departure of coach Yahya Alwan. The Iraqi players will strive to adapt to the new coach in order to win."

Ali Adnam - "The Asian Gareth Bale" of the Iraqi national team.

Ali Adnan is undoubtedly the most notable name in the Iraqi national team's lineup, alongside veteran captain Younis Mahmoud. The 22-year-old is a key player on the left flank for Udinese (Italy), having made 21 appearances this season and scored one goal. In the first leg at My Dinh Stadium, although he didn't score directly, Ali Adnan's attacks down the wing caused the Vietnamese defense considerable trouble.

Also at the press conference, Ali Adnan confidently declared that Iraq was significantly stronger than Vietnam, and expressed his determination to win all three points in order to hopefully become one of the four best-performing second-placed teams to qualify for the final round of the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in the Asian region.

Iraq's new head coach, Abdul Ghani Shahad, shared the same sentiment as his players: "Iraq has the right to determine its own destiny, and the whole team will aim for victory. We have good players and are fully capable of overcoming Vietnam."

The match between Iraq and Vietnam will take place at the Ghavamin Stadium (Iran) at 9:00 PM tonight, Vietnam time. Iraq will wear blue shirts and blue shorts, while Vietnam will wear their traditional red kit.

According to Bongdaplus