The Iraqi national team's delegation suffered a strange administrative error following their match against Palestine at Amman International Stadium.
The Iraqi national team bus left Amman International Stadium without 'Lions of Mesopotamia' player Akam Hashim. Viral videos showed the player searching for the bus that had transported his teammates, only to be surprised when it left the stadium, leaving him alone without transportation.
The player had no choice but to return to the stadium and await new arrangements to return him to the team's residence.
The incident sparked controversy, with observers questioning how such an administrative error could have occurred, especially since it is common for selected players to be late for doping tests after matches. This incident comes in the wake of the Iraqi national team's 2-1 defeat to Palestine in the dying seconds of their match on Tuesday, in the eighth round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Iraq's tally remains at 12 points, remaining in third place in Group B of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, making it difficult for them to qualify for the global football event, especially since they will face their direct competitors for the two automatic qualification spots in the final two rounds: South Korea and Jordan, respectively.
Palestine, on the other hand, increased their tally to six points and moved up to fifth place, surpassing Kuwait, who lost at home to Oman by a single goal.
The "Feda'i" team revived their hopes of competing for third or fourth place, which would qualify for the fourth round of the qualifiers.
