Playoff due to take place in Mexico this month
Country’s airspace is closed for duration of war
Iraq has made a formal request to have the World Cup playoff game postponed after rejecting a proposal from Fifa that the squad should make a 25-hour road journey to Turkey before flying to Mexico to fulfil the fixture.
The Guardian revealed last week that the playoff against Bolivia or Suriname, that is scheduled to take place in Monterrey on 31 March, is in doubt after the Iraqi Transport Ministry informed the Iraqi football association that the country’s airspace will remain closed for the duration of the war.