Haaland praises World Cup victory, but league warns: "We need to play better"

Norway striker Erling Haaland scored two goals on his World Cup debut this Tuesday (16), to lead his team to a 4-1 victory over Iraq in Group I.

The 25-year-old was in the spotlight long before the match began and lived up to expectations in his first game on football's biggest stage as the Norwegians return to the tournament after a 28-year absence.

After a cautious start, Haaland, who scored 16 goals in the Qualifiers, opened his account in the 29th minute. He broke away from his marking and first timed David Moller Wolfe's low cross at the far post.

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"It's not easy to debut, you get nervous, and to win on a day when we didn't play so well is great," Haaland told reporters. "To win 4-1 on a just so-so day is huge for all of us. It's fantastic and I'm proud of everyone."

"This is the hardest thing you can do. The next games will be much more difficult than this one. We need to play even better," he added.

The task would already be difficult for Iraq, who returned to the World Cup for the first time in 40 years after clinching the last available spot for the tournament by beating Bolivia in the intercontinental play-off in March.

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But the team arrived strengthened and remained calm, achieving a surprising equalizer ten minutes later. Aymen Hussein, whose goal against the Bolivians guaranteed qualification for the World Cup, rose higher than three Norwegians inside the box and headed into the net after a cross from Amir Al-Ammari.

The Iraqi joy, however, was short-lived when Haaland pounced on a weak back pass to goalkeeper Jalal Hassan.

The archer hesitated before trying to clear the ball, but ended up hitting the attacker, and the ball bounced off his knee before entering the goal.

Iraq refused to give up and repeatedly came close to scoring in stoppage time of the first half. The pace dropped a little after the break, but Norway scored again in the 31st minute of the second half, securing the victory with a header from defender Leo Ostigard. In the final stoppage time, Hussein ended up scoring against his own team.

"I think three points will be enough to advance to the next stage," said Iraq coach Graham Arnold. "We still have two more games to go. I thought the boys did exceptionally well in the first half, but some mistakes really hurt us."

"But what a great occasion this was for Iraq and for so many fans present here. It's a special night", he concluded.

The Norwegians now face Senegal, who lost 3-1 to France in their debut. Iraq, on the other hand, will face the French, champions of the 2018 World Cup, in their second group stage match.

See the ranking of the most valuable squads of the World Cup

Source: CNN