The update says Qasem adds another midfield option while Naamo strengthens the back line.
That matters for Iraq. International tournaments are often decided by depth rather than star power alone. A coach needs players who can step into different game states: one when the team has the ball, another when it is under pressure. A midfielder and a defender give Arnold two separate solutions.
Arnold has managed at World Cup level before, and that experience usually sharpens squad-building more than headline tactics. Tournament football is about balance, recovery, and reliability.
Even if neither arrives as an automatic starter, that is not the point. Better internal competition can lift the level of the entire group.
Reports also place Iraq in a demanding section alongside France, Norway and Senegal.
Against that kind of opposition, squad depth stops being a luxury. It becomes part of survival.
The next storyline is whether Qasem and Naamo move from new eligibility to genuine selection contention. As Arnold shapes his plans, every extra option could matter once Iraq begins preparing for one of the toughest groups in the tournament.