Iraq's coach, Jesus Casas, described the Gulf Cup tournament "Gulf 26" as a friendly tournament that benefited him from his team's experience.

About two years ago, the Spanish coach celebrated his leadership of Iraq to the title, but he bid farewell to the competitions in Kuwait in the first round after losing 3-1 to Saudi Arabia on Saturday. He was content with obtaining 3 points in the tournament and lost to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Casas told a press conference, “It is difficult to rely on one lineup, especially when you play a match every two days, and there are players who are tired and others who have suffered injuries.”

He added, “It is not possible to play with one squad throughout the tournament, and if we do not try in a friendly tournament, when will we try?”

Iraq entered the match with no alternative but to win to reach the semi-finals, and after the first half ended in a goalless draw, Casas took a risk.

The Spanish coach said, "We took risks in the second half, which is what you must do if you want to win. Football depends on mistakes, and the Saudi national team's goals came from a penalty kick, a player's shot, and a counterattack."

He continued, "I benefited from the tournament by watching some of the young men, especially since there were experienced players who did not participate with us."