The Brazil legend has seen his side draw his former team as well as Australia, Jordan and Oman but is confident the 2007 AFC Asian Cup winners can achieve World Cup qualification
Iraq coach Zico is confident his side has what it takes to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil despite being drawn alongside Asian heavyweights Australia and Japan.The 2007 AFC Asian Cup winners will also have to face Jordan and Oman in Group B, but the Brazil legend believes his side can contend with the Socceroos and former side Samurai Blue, who he coached between 2002 and 2006.
“Our Group B has many strong teams,” Zico told a press conference in Baghdad. “But I am not afraid of them and we can get victories against them, even Japan we can win against them."
After the draw on Friday, Zico had said: "I’m very excited about going to Japan. I have a strong relationship with the Japanese people and the players in the team now, some of them I picked for the team for the first time.
“They’re a big team and it will be incredible. I played against Brazil when I was Japan coach at the Fifa World Cup in Germany and now I’m playing against Japan with Iraq – it’s incredible.”
At the press conference in Baghdad, Zico also put forward a preparation program in order to give his side the best possible chance of qualification and says he hopes that the Iraq Football Association take it on board.
“I have made a preparations programme for the team, which includes training camps inside and outside Iraq and some friendly matches,” he said. “I hope Iraq FA will study it carefully.”
Iraq will begin their next step in their qualification campaign when they travel to neighbours Jordan on June 3 before facing Oman just nine days later.
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