Iraq coach delighted with victory against Saudi Arabia 

(MENAFN - Muscat Daily) A jubilant Iraq coach Hakeem Shaker refrained from labelling his side as the favourite on Monday after his team cruised to a 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia in a Group B match at the Khalifa Sports City Stadium on Sunday night.In a clash between the former Asian Cup champion and the three-time Gulf Cup winner, Iraq's defender Salem Shaker put his side ahead in the 18th minute before an own-goal from Saudi captain Osama Hawsawi in the 72nd minute sealed the verdict.Hakeem Shaker, who recently replaced Brazilian legend Zico as Iraq coach, said, ''In football, it's hard to make predictions and wishful thinking is not advisable. As in previous tournaments, there could be an unexpected winner. An unfancied team could emerge. We just don't know. It's only in the second round (semifinals) where you can really judge a team's capability.''Hopefully, we have taken a big stride. Any win against a team like Saudi Arabia at this level of competition is an achievement.''Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's coach Frank Rijkaard admitted that the better team won.''We tried hard to equalise after the early goal, but Iraq didn't give us much of a chance and defended well,'' said the former Barcelona coach. ''They played better than us. We failed to give the finishing touches to the few chances that came our way. We have to put this result behind us and look ahead.''