In World Cup 2026 qualifier, Iraq and Kuwait end up with a controversial 0-0 draw

Iraq and Kuwait played to a 0-0 draw on Tuesday in their World Cup 2026 qualifier, a match overshadowed by several controversial refereeing decisions. Played as part of the second round of the Asian qualifiers, the game saw Iraq's Rebin Sulaka sent off in the 7th minute after fouling Kuwaiti striker Youssef Nasser. 

A lengthy VAR review confirmed the red card, a decision that sparked outrage among Iraqi fans on social media, many of whom criticized the referee’s performance as poor.

"The Sulaka's foul denied Nasser a clear goal-scoring opportunity," Referee expert, Jamal Al-Sharif, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, The New Arab’s Arabic-language sister publication.

 According to Al-Sharif, Nasser was heading directly toward goal with no other defender able to challenge him, making the red card a fair judgment.

Ahmed Sangawi, a Kurdish sports journalist, agreed, noting that Sulaka pushed Nasser with both his hand and foot.

"The referee's decision was one hundred percent correct," Sangawi said in an interview with The New Arab. 

Despite the setback, Sangawi remained optimistic about Iraq's chances in future qualifiers, pointing to the depth of professional and young talent in the squad.

He highlighted Iraq's impressive performance, playing with ten men for almost the entire match, and predicted tough challenges for future opponents like Palestine and South Korea.

Iraq created several scoring opportunities despite their numerical disadvantage but failed to convert.

Towards the end of the first half, Iraqi players appealed for a penalty, claiming a handball by Kuwaiti defender Khaled Ibrahim. The referee, after reviewing the incident, decided against awarding the penalty. Al-Sharif backed the decision, explaining that the ball had deflected off Ibrahim’s leg and onto his hand, making it an unintentional handball.

Another VAR intervention occurred in the 48th minute, when the referee initially awarded a penalty to Kuwait for a suspected handball by Iraq's Ahmed Yahya. Upon review, the referee overturned the call, determining that the ball had struck Yahya's body rather than his hand.

Following the match, Iraq's head coach, Jesús Casas, expressed his disappointment with the red card decision, calling it harsh. Despite this, he praised his team for their resilience and noted they still had chances to win. 

Iraqi Football Federation President Adnan Darjal echoed these sentiments, acknowledging the red card’s impact but commending the team’s tactical discipline. Darjal remained optimistic, promising improved performances in the future.