The Australians dug deep despite Iraq twice taking the lead, with Alexander Badolato then netting the winner with a stunning shot from just outside the Iraqi penalty box.
“Everybody knew it was a big match,” said Morgan. “We expected to show the character and quality that we did, and we’re happy in the end because we achieved the win. But this match was a big learning experience for us.
“Sometimes, you have to be prepared for different situations. When you’re ahead, you need to protect the lead, but when you’re behind, you have no choice but to fight back.”
Luka Jovanovic’s dipping free-kick gave Australia an immediate response to Iraq’s early opener, while Panagiotis Kikianis’ equaliser in the second half and Badolato’s winner showcased the team’s composure and attacking depth.
The victory secured Australia’s place in the FIFA U20 World Cup Chile 2025 and kept their AFC U20 Asian Cup™ title ambitions alive with either Japan or Islamic Republic of Iran their semi-final opponents.
“The most important thing for us was to stay calm and patient. That’s why we were much happier in the second half when we took control.
“We had the opportunity to rotate our squad more, which gave us freshness. This is a great group of boys with strong self-belief. What was most impressive was their willingness to push forward, and the equalising goal created the momentum we needed,” said Morgan.
For Iraq, the defeat was painful but not without pride with head coach Emad Mohammed acknowledging his team’s high level of play.
“Before the match, I said it would be a big one, as both teams are excellent in both attack and defence,” said Mohammed. “It was an open, attacking match from both sides. In my opinion, Australia are a strong team, and we are proud of our players for the level they showed.
“This was our best performance so far, but unfortunately, we lost. In the group stage, we did not perform at the required level against Jordan and DPR Korea, yet we avoided defeat. Today, we played at the level we aimed for – creating chances and scoring goals – but still lost.”
Emad, however, remained optimistic about Iraq’s future, citing the young squad as the future of the U23 team.
“We have built this team, along with the previous U20 squad, for the future. They will form the core of the U23 team, with around 50 players available to compete in the next two editions of the AFC U23 Asian Cup™.”
