Iraq deny interest in Maradona

Buenos Aires: The Iraqi Football Association on Friday denied it is negotiating with Argentine great Diego Maradona to take over as coach of the national team.

Deputy IFA head Abdul Khaliq Masoud told The Associated Press that the association isn’t in talks with Dubai’s Honorary Ambassador of Sports “and doesn’t have any intention to hire him.”

Masoud’s comments came a day after an Argentine agent was quoted saying Maradona was a leading candidate to take over as Iraq coach. Hernan Tofoni said the former Al Wasl boss wanted to take the country to the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.

He said Maradona was awaiting the outcome of a meeting of the Iraqi Football Association to be held on Friday to discuss the Argentine’s candidacy for their vacancy.

“Diego is really enthused and phones us every day. He doesn’t just want to coach [Iraq] for the next six months but long term,” said Tofoni, who is heading up talks with Iraq for the Argentine company World Eleven.

“He is excited by the fact that it’s a challenge and that he’d be going to replace Zico,” added Tofoni, referring to the Brazil great who quit as Iraq’s coach last month.

Tofoni, a registered Fifa agent, said he put Maradona’s name on the table when Iraq approached World Eleven looking for an Argentine coach and “they liked the idea”.

Maradona’s last coaching job was at Dubai’s Al Wasl, where he worked for a season before leaving in July.

Iraq have played at one World Cup finals, in 1986 in Mexico, where Maradona led Argentina to their second title.

The Middle Eastern nation are third in Group B in the fourth round of Asian World Cup qualifiers. Japan lead with 13 points from five matches, while Iraq are equal on five points with second-placed Australia, who have a match in hand, and Oman.

The 52-year-old Maradona, one of the greatest players in history, previously led Argentina to the World Cup finals in South Africa in 2010, before his side lost 4-0 to Germany in the quarter-finals.