BAGHDAD: Saudi Arabia has offered to fund a new football stadium in Iraq, as FIFA prepares to decide whether to lift its ban on Iraq hosting competitive international matches.
The offer came in a telephone call between King Salman and Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi on Monday evening, the prime minister’s office said.
The stadium will be built in a sports city in Baghdad and will fit up to 100,000 spectators, Abadi's office added.
"A government commission has been formed to follow this issue," the head of Abadi's press office Haydar Hamada told AFP.
It follows an international friendly between the two countries in Iraq’s third city Basra on Feb. 28, their first on Iraqi soil in 40 years.
The king described the game, which Iraq won 4-1 in front of a capacity 60,000 crowd, as a “success,” Abadi’s office said.
It was watched by Asian Football Confederation head Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa who said “the time has come” to end the three-decade ban on Iraq hosting competitive international matches.
FIFA is due to decide on March 16.
The country has not played full internationals on home turf since its 1990 invasion of Kuwait.
The ban, covering all but domestic matches, stayed in place after the US-led invasion of 2003 toppled dictator Saddam Hussein.
It was briefly lifted in 2012, but a power outage during an Iraq-Jordan match in the Iraqi Kurdish capital Irbil led FIFA to promptly reinstate it.
Saudi Arabia offers to fund new Iraq football stadium
Saudi Arabia offers to fund new Iraq football stadium
Patrick Reed hits flawless 66 to lead Dubai Desert Classic
- American finished second at Emirates Golf Club in 2023 and in the top 10 last year
DUBAI: Patrick Reed produced a flawless round of 66 to earn a one-shot lead at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
The American has a great track record around Emirates Golf Club, finishing as runner-up in 2023 and in the top 10 last year.
Reed began the second round just four shots adrift of overnight leader Francesco Molinari, but he was soon level with the Italian after two birdies and an eagle on his front nine.
Two more birdies came at the first and third to reach nine under before parring his way home for a blemish-free 66.
He sits one clear of Englishman Andy Sullivan, who carded the joint lowest round of the week with a brilliant seven-under 65.
“The game felt good. Kind of went out there and gave myself a lot of good looks, good opportunities and only missing one green today, that definitely helps,” Reed said.
“You’re able to do that around this type of golf course, you’re able to shoot a number and I was lucky enough to see a couple putts go in early and it just went from there.
“The golf course is definitely a little bit more gettable in the morning, especially a day like today because the greens are a little bit more receptive.”
Reed, starting on the back nine, made his climb with a birdie from the fringe at the 12th and was one shot behind thanks to a 42-foot eagle putt at the 13th.
He left himself seven feet at the 17th for birdie and when he drained the putt, he was co-leader at seven under.
The 2018 Masters Tournament winner hit the front on his own following a four-foot putt at the first, and he stretched his advantage to two with another birdie at the third.
Reed could not improve his score as he closed with six straight pars, with the late-starters on course.
Mikael Lindberg, who has not missed a cut since the Nexo Championship in August, continued his rich vein of recent form by closing the gap on Reed to one.
The Swede birdied three of his first four holes to climb to eight under, but successive bogeys from the first set him back.
He returned to seven under with a birdie at the third, only to drop shots at the sixth and eighth to slip back.
Sullivan kickstarted his tournament with four straight birdies from the third before adding another at the ninth to reach the turn in 30.
A sixth birdie of the day propelled him to seven under, only to go bogey-birdie-bogey from the 12th to stall him momentum.
Another dropped shot at the 16th could have derailed the 38-year-old, but Sullivan birdied the 17th before a stunning second shot into the last set up a closing eagle to jump up to eight under.
Italian pair Molinari and Andrea Pavan were one shot back, while Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard birdied five holes on the back nine for a bogey-free 67 to sit in solo fifth at six under.
Race to Dubai Rankings delivered by DP World leader Jayden Schaper carded a 68 to finish at five under alongside fellow South African Hennie du Plessis, Lindberg and Finland’s Oliver Lindell and defending champion Tyrrell Hatton.
