Iraqis arrive in Australia ready to play banned match

 World football supreme Joseph Blatter suspended Iraq on Monday, giving Baghdad a Thursday deadline to rescind a government decree dissolving all the nation's official sports bodies.

 The Iraqi government has until Thursday night to relent. Iraq coach Adnan Hamad said he was confident the impasse would be broken. "This is very important for us, for our people in Iraq and we hope we play that match," he told reporters in Brisbane.

 Blatter, speaking earlier in the week in Sydney in advance of the FIFA Congress, predicted Baghdad would back down. "I'm optimistic," Blatter said. "I think they will play in the end."

   Cancelling Sunday's match with the Asian champions would cost Football Federation Australia (FFA) an estimated 3 million Australian dollars (2.8 million US dollars) in lost gate receipts. The compensation would be an easier passage to the 2010 finals in South Africa.

DPA