Iraq national coach Bernd Stange has called for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to clear his team for 2004 Olympic qualifiers after they were denied the chance to play Vietnam because of the war in the country.

The German said he "well understood" the AFC/FIFA decision earlier this month to postpone home-and-away qualifiers with Vietnam in April without setting alternative dates.

But he said in an interview in Dubai that he still hoped they could be played.

"I think we have a strong chance of convincing the AFC to have the qualifiers played some time in June this year," he said.

"The spread of the SARS virus in south-east Asia makes our case to the AFC for a fresh date even stronger.

"Hopefully, the AFC will relent and our team will be able to play and qualify for the Athens Olympics."

Stange, who signed a four-year contract with the Iraq Football Association last year, said he had more pressing problems.

"I don't know how many of my players have survived the war, the hunger and thirst. Many of my players were from the Army Club and they had to go and fight when the coalition forces entered Iraq. What happened to them I don't know.

"All I know is that a few officials like Hussain Saeed, Amu Baba and Raad Hammoudi have survived. I also had a chance to speak to my captain (Bassem Abbas) on Saturday.

"Things don't look too cheerful but we have to make a start from somewhere."

Meanwhile, Stange, a top-rated coach in East Germany during the 1980s and a former trainer of Oman national team, said he intended to lobby some of Europe's top clubs to help with an all-star charity match in the UAE for Iraqi children.

He added: "We want to find friends who will help in re-building Iraqi football."