Hanwha Engineering and Construction said Sunday that it would sponsor the Iraqi national soccer team while they are in Seoul in preparation for a World Cup qualifying match against Japan later this month.

The Iraqi squad arrived in Korea on Saturday and the construction unit of Hanwha Group plans to fund all expenses during their stay here, officials said.

Hanwha has built a friendly relationship with Iraq as it signed an $8 billion contract in May to build a housing complex in Bismayah, a planned satellite city of Baghdad ― the largest-ever overseas construction order for a Korean builder.

Hanwha chairman Kim Seung-youn held a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki at the premier’s official residence in Baghdad on July 29 to discuss the building project and future business plans.

At the time, Kim proposed for the Iraqi squad to carry out adjustment training in Korea ahead of their qualifying match against Japan, as Korea shares similar weather conditions with Japan.

The Iraqi team, consisting of 25 players and 17 coaching staff, will stay nine days in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, and hold a practice game with a Korean professional team. They are scheduled to leave for Japan on Sept. 9.

“Hanwha will do our best to earn the trust of the Iraqi people by completing the Bismaya project successfully and supporting other rebuilding activities in the country,” said Ko Kang, a company executive.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)