Iraq national team player Zidane Iqbal has revealed the details of the clash that involved him and a number of Kuwait players after the second-round group meeting between the two sides at the Arabian Gulf Cup “Gulf 27”. What happened, he stressed, came after he and his family were subjected to abuse during the match.
Iraq edged a thriller 3-2. Iqbal opened the scoring before Saif Al-Rashid and Karrar Nabil added the second and third, while Yousef Nasser scored both of Kuwait’s goals.
Speaking to the media afterwards, Iqbal explained that some Kuwait players and their fans directed offensive phrases at him and his family, mocking his father’s Pakistani origins. He said he raised the matter with Kuwait captain Yousef Nasser.
Iqbal said: “I spoke with the Kuwait captain, and I told him I have no problem with your players, but the players were saying that my father is Pakistani, and this is true. I am a Muslim, praise be to God, and we are all one nation, whether you are from Pakistan or Iraq or anywhere, there is no problem, we all follow Islam.”
“If you are going to describe my father as Pakistani, and say very rude things about my mother, then first make sure you win, because if I win I will celebrate,” he added. “And if I respond to them inside the pitch they will say that Zidane is stirring up trouble, but at the World Cup I did not stir up any trouble, and when we play against other teams I do not stir up trouble.”
Competition on the pitch must stay within the bounds of respect, the Iraq player stressed, saying: “Football is based on respect, and I agree with that one hundred percent, but if you are going to insult my family and diminish their respect, then no problem, but make sure you win, because after the end of the match everything is over.”
Iqbal also addressed his celebration in front of the Kuwaiti fans, pointing to the boos he had heard before kick-off. He said: “I was hearing the Kuwaiti crowd booing before the match, no problem, I will score and then you will see. And when I celebrated by looking at them, they did not say anything, they were just looking at me, so I said: well, excellent, now they will remember the Pakistani boy who scored against Kuwait.”
Iraq captain Ayman Hussein helped calm the situation after the match, taking Yousef Nasser into the Iraq dressing room to settle the dispute between the two sides.
A video clip captured Iqbal during the reconciliation, before the two players embraced and the tension between them ended.
The celebration and the clash that followed sparked controversy among fans on social media. Some followers saw the celebration as a natural part of the competition, while others rejected celebrations that provoke the opponent’s fans.
Other voices agreed on one point: directing abuse at players and their families, or dragging their personal lives into the competition, is out of bounds.
Iraq, holders of the 2025 title, now prepare to face Saudi Arabia next Tuesday in the third and final round of the group stage. They drew 1-1 with Oman in the opening round before beating Kuwait 3-2.
Kuwait, meanwhile, play their final match against the Sultanate of Oman after suffering two defeats to Saudi Arabia and Iraq.