Brazil to meet Iraq in friendly

Ex-Brazil international Zico now coaches Iraq

Rio de Janeiro, Sep 18 (IANS): Brazil and Iraq will meet in an international friendly in Sweden next month, Brazil’s football confederation (CBF) announced.

The Oct 11 match in Malmo will pit Brazil against former national idol Zico, who is currently coaching Iraq. Five days later Brazil will meet Japan in Wroclaw, reports Xinhua.

Iraq, ranked 78th in the world by football’s governing body FIFA, has an outside chance of securing a berth at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The team is fourth in Group B of the Asian confederation’s qualifying tournament and needs to finish in the top-two to progress to the next phase.

Zico scored 52 goals from 72 appearances for Brazil between 1978 and 1988. He has been Iraq’s national coach since 2011.