Sudan 0-2 Iraq Highlights, FIFA Arab Cup: Lions of Mesopotamia Seal Late Win Over Minnows

Good evening, football fans! This is the start of our live blog for Iraq’s clash against Sudan in Qatar. With Iraq aiming to consolidate the top spot and Sudan fighting to keep their hopes alive, this clash promises intensity and drama under the lights. Stay tuned for pre-match updates and line-ups as they are released.

• Fixture: Sudan vs Iraq, Group D Matchday 2

• Venue: Stadium 974, Doha, Qatar

• Date: Saturday, December 6, 2025

• Time: 9:30 PM IST

• Live Streaming: Alkass YouTube channel, Shoof app/website

Starting XI: Mohamed Abooja; Mohamed Saeed Ahmed, Mustafa Karshom, Yaser Jobak, Ahmed Tabanja; Walieldin Khidir, Ammar Taifour, Salaheldin Alhassan; Abdelrazig Omar, Mohamed Abdelrahman (c), John Mano.

Bench: Monged Elneel (gk), Altayeb Abaker, Mazin Fadl, Musa Kante, Abdelsamad Manan, Yasir Mozamil, Al Gozoli Nooh, Awad Zaid.

Starting XI: Ahmed Basil (c); Maytham Jabbar, Akam Hashem, Ahmed Maknzi; Hussein Al Saedi, Sherko Karim, Karar Nabeel, Zaid Ismael; Mohammed Jawad, Hasan Abdulkareem, Amar Muhsin.

Bench: Jalal Hassan (gk), Fahad Talib (gk), Amjad Attwan, Aymed Hussein, Ali Jasim, Sajjad Jasim, Meme, Saad Natiq, Mustafa Saadoon, Ahmed Yahya, Manaf Younis.

Tonight's fixture will be the first-ever match played between Sudan and Iraq.

The referee blows his whistle, and Iraq get tonight's Group D fixture underway in Doha. Stay tuned for live updates from the game.

As expected, Iraq have been threatening going forward in the early stages of the match. Maknazi played a beautiful ball into the box, with a number of Iraq players attacking, but Saeed did well to put it behind for a corner.

Drama!! Rahman made a dashing run into the box but went down after at tumble with Kareem. The Sudanese players surround the referee and ask for a penalty, but he waves play on. Lucky break for the Iraqis!

Much better, this, from Sudan. Abdelrahman cut inside from the left and had a powerful shot with his right. It beat the stretched arm of the goalkeeper but hit the side netting.

How did Sudan not score that?! The best chance of the game so far. A long ball from the right was flicked by Robia towards Rahman, but the skipper could not connect properly and blasted his shot way over the bar.

Surprisingly, Sudan have been, by far, the better side in the first half. The Falcons of Jediane put incredible pressure on the Iraqi goal in the closing stages of the half, but Iraq somehow hold on for a goalless draw.

The referee blows his whistle, and Sudan get the second half underway. Can the underdogs convert their first half dominance into something tangible? No half-time changes for either side.

Iraq have improved in the second half, with more forays into the Sudanese box. Hussein Ali tried to test the goalkeeper with a shot from just outside the box, but it hit the side netting yet again.

Substitute Mohanad Ali is the latest to try and test Abooja, but not for the first time, the Iraqi forwards have managed to find the side netting from a promising position.

Is that a goal?! No, says the referee!! A brilliant ball from Iran's half found the run of Sayyid, whose exceptional first touch took the defender out of the game. He then passed it for Mohanad to poke it into an empty net. While the Iraqi forward wheeled away celebrating, the referee had called it back for a foul on Yousif, and the goal is overrulled.

Another massive chance for Iraq, nad it goes abegging. Mohanad did well to get behind his marker before having a shot from the edge of the box, but it was well wide of the near post and hits the side netting, yet again.

The chances are flowing for both sides, but agonisingly, none of them have been able to take it. Nooh is the latest one to head the ball wide from close range, and the wait for the opening goal continues...

Finally...!! The game looked destined to be a stalemate, but Mohanad 'Mimi' Ali breaks the deadlock with a terrific finish. A left-footed free-kick is cleared by Saeed but only into the path of the Iraqi forward, who finishes past Abooja with some finesse.

Attwan doubles Iraq's lead with a superb finish!! Manen played the ball from the right into the midfielder's path, who held of pressure from the defenders to hit it low and quick past Abooja. The match is surely done now.

Iraq could have scored one, or maybe more, goals in the last time minutes. Mohanad missed a great chance from close range, but overall, it has been a terrific performance from the Lions of Mesopotamia in the final quarter of the match. Sudan, meanwhile, are out of contention for progressing to the knockouts.