India, March 12 -- Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has begun granting visas to players from Iraq's national team ahead of the World Cup intercontinental qualifier scheduled March 31 in Monterrey.

The Iraqi team is facing logistical issues because of disruptions caused by the Iran war. "On March 8, some players were processed at the Mexican Embassy in Saudi Arabia, and tomorrow other people are scheduled to be processed at the Embassy in Qatar," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported in a statement late Monday. The government did not specify the names or how many players were granted visas. Iraq is set to face the winner of the match between Suriname and Bolivia for a spot in the World Cup - to be in the group with France, Norway a...