Friday, August 03, 2007
Asian Cup Iraqi football champions fear for their lives
Sport
(AP) - Iraq anxiously awaited the arrival of its Asian Cup soccer champs Friday, but most Baghdad residents would be barred from the homecoming celebration because of security. Iraq's soccer team, which hasn't played a home game in 17 years, was due to land at Baghdad's international airport Friday afternoon. Iraqi officials, led by the minister of sport and youth, would receive them, ministry spokesman Hassan Qassim said. The team would then go to meet Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki at his office in the heavily fortified Green Zone, said Yassin Majid, al-Maliki's media adviser.
But three players - team captain Younis Mahmoud, Nashat Akram and Hawar Mulla Mohammed - would not be with them. Mahmoud, who scored the winning goal in Iraq's 1-0 Asian Cup final win over Saudi Arabia, had said he feared for his life if he returned to Iraq to celebrate the stunning victory. Qassim said a welcome-home celebration would be held in a Baghdad hotel in the Green Zone, home to the U.S. Embassy and the Iraqi government headquarters.
"I wish the celebration would take place in al-Shaab stadium, but that is impossible for security reasons," said Mohammed Kadhom, 35, who works at the country's oil ministry. Al-Shaab is a huge, Saddam Hussein-era facility on the capital's east side. "It is sad that we can't receive our national team in a public celebration as others do, I myself fear for their safety," Kadhom said.
Vehicles were banned from Baghdad's streets for four hours coinciding with prayer services on Friday, for a regular weekly curfew on the Muslim holy day. Several rings of security around the Green Zone would prevent ordinary Iraqis from welcoming the team, which has already had celebrations in Dubai and Amman en route back from Indonesia, where the winning match was played.
But three players - team captain Younis Mahmoud, Nashat Akram and Hawar Mulla Mohammed - would not be with them. Mahmoud, who scored the winning goal in Iraq's 1-0 Asian Cup final win over Saudi Arabia, had said he feared for his life if he returned to Iraq to celebrate the stunning victory. Qassim said a welcome-home celebration would be held in a Baghdad hotel in the Green Zone, home to the U.S. Embassy and the Iraqi government headquarters.
"I wish the celebration would take place in al-Shaab stadium, but that is impossible for security reasons," said Mohammed Kadhom, 35, who works at the country's oil ministry. Al-Shaab is a huge, Saddam Hussein-era facility on the capital's east side. "It is sad that we can't receive our national team in a public celebration as others do, I myself fear for their safety," Kadhom said.
Vehicles were banned from Baghdad's streets for four hours coinciding with prayer services on Friday, for a regular weekly curfew on the Muslim holy day. Several rings of security around the Green Zone would prevent ordinary Iraqis from welcoming the team, which has already had celebrations in Dubai and Amman en route back from Indonesia, where the winning match was played.
Labels: Asian Cup final, football, Green Zone, Hawar Mulla Mohammed, Nashat Akram, soccer, vehicle ban, Younis Mahmoud
Monday, July 30, 2007
Iraq wins Asian Cup final
Sport
(RFE/RL) - Iraq's soccer team has won the Asian Cup final for the first time, beating Saudi Arabia 1-0 in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta. The victory prompted thousands of Iraqis, including members of the security forces, to celebrate with barrages of gunfire, in defiance of a strict government curfew. Captain Yunis Mahmud was the hero as Iraq stunned three-time champions Saudi Arabia 1-0 with a goal in the 72nd minute to claim the Asian Cup title for the first time.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called the victory "a lesson in how to triumph over the impossible to realize victory" and announced that each player on the Iraqi team would receive $10,000 for their achievements. Baghdad security officials had imposed an overnight vehicle curfew in order to prevent car-bomb attacks, and ordered police to arrest anyone who took part in the traditional celebratory gunfire.
The decision came after at least 50 celebrating fans were killed by car bombs in Baghdad on July 25, following Iraq's semifinal victory over South Korea. However, large crowds did gather today at some road junctions, waving flags. Members of security forces were among those firing in the air in the capital. Civilians also shot from the roofs of buildings. At least four people were reported killed by the gunfire.
The Iraqi team's success in the tournament has been a rare source of shared national celebration in a country torn apart by violence and rifts between the Sunni and Shi'ite communities.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called the victory "a lesson in how to triumph over the impossible to realize victory" and announced that each player on the Iraqi team would receive $10,000 for their achievements. Baghdad security officials had imposed an overnight vehicle curfew in order to prevent car-bomb attacks, and ordered police to arrest anyone who took part in the traditional celebratory gunfire.
The decision came after at least 50 celebrating fans were killed by car bombs in Baghdad on July 25, following Iraq's semifinal victory over South Korea. However, large crowds did gather today at some road junctions, waving flags. Members of security forces were among those firing in the air in the capital. Civilians also shot from the roofs of buildings. At least four people were reported killed by the gunfire.
The Iraqi team's success in the tournament has been a rare source of shared national celebration in a country torn apart by violence and rifts between the Sunni and Shi'ite communities.
Labels: Asian Cup final, football, Iraq, Jakarta, Nouri Al-Maliki, Saudi Arabia, soccer, Yunis Mahmud
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Iraq beats South Korea in 14th Asia Cup of nations semi-finals
Sport
(Reuters) - Iraq's soccer players dedicated Wednesday's dramatic Asian Cup semi-final win over South Korea to the people of their war-torn country. Iraq reached their first Asian Cup final with a 4-3 penalty shootout victory after a fluctuating match finished 0-0 at the end of extra time.
"Only happiness in our camp... everyone is very happy and we have reason to be happy. This victory is for the Iraqi people because they deserve that," Iraq coach Jorvan Vieira told a news conference. "There is only happiness in our camp and our boys worked very hard to achieve it," the Brazilian added. "We are in the final and it is very difficult for me to tell you how I feel now."
Iraq goalkeeper Noor Sabri saved Korea's fourth spot-kick and was named man of the match. "I would like to congratulate all my people in Iraq for this great victory," he said. "We know the current situation in Iraq and the difficulties. "We know we are struggling inside Iraq and we have to struggle on the field," Noor added. "This is a very modest thing we can give to our people."
Noor said he was proud to get the better of Korean goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae, Korea's hero in their quarter-final shootout win over Iran. "Last week they called the (Korean) goalkeeper the king of penalty kicks, but I managed to overcome him," Noor said. "In penalties so much depends on luck but we managed it."
"Only happiness in our camp... everyone is very happy and we have reason to be happy. This victory is for the Iraqi people because they deserve that," Iraq coach Jorvan Vieira told a news conference. "There is only happiness in our camp and our boys worked very hard to achieve it," the Brazilian added. "We are in the final and it is very difficult for me to tell you how I feel now."
Iraq goalkeeper Noor Sabri saved Korea's fourth spot-kick and was named man of the match. "I would like to congratulate all my people in Iraq for this great victory," he said. "We know the current situation in Iraq and the difficulties. "We know we are struggling inside Iraq and we have to struggle on the field," Noor added. "This is a very modest thing we can give to our people."
Noor said he was proud to get the better of Korean goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae, Korea's hero in their quarter-final shootout win over Iran. "Last week they called the (Korean) goalkeeper the king of penalty kicks, but I managed to overcome him," Noor said. "In penalties so much depends on luck but we managed it."
Labels: 14th Asia Cup of Nations, football, Iraq, Japan, Jorvan Vieira, Kuala Lumpur, Mahmoud Yunus, Noor Sabri, soccer, South Korea, Taeguk Warriors
Monday, July 23, 2007
Soccer unites Iraq in Asian Cup quarter final win against Vietnam
Sport
(AP) - One Sunni man drove 30 minutes through the dangerous streets of Baghdad to watch the soccer game with his Shiite friends whom he hadn't seen in months. A 40-year-old Shiite couldn't contain his tears when he joined three Sunni friends who used to play on a local soccer team with him in a local coffee shop to watch Iraq face off against Vietnam in the Asian Cup quarterfinals on Saturday.
They weren't disappointed as Iraq won 2-0 to advance to the semifinals for the first time since 1976, causing hundreds of people from across the sectarian divide to overcome fears of violence and take to the streets in a spontaneous celebration. Men of all ages waved Iraqi flags and did a jig in the streets, while others jumped on top of cars and rode around, horns honking.
On a negative note, five people, including two children, were killed and 25 were wounded in celebratory gunfire, according to health officials in Baghdad, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of security concerns. Iraqis said Sunday the jubilation over the victory - albeit brief - showed they can come together despite the past years of spiraling violence between Sunnis and Shiites that has made Baghdad a maze of concrete barriers and largely confined people to their own neighborhoods.
Many expressed regret that Iraqi political factions couldn't emulate the soccer team, as the Shiite-dominated government's failure to bring minority Sunnis into the mainstream has been blamed for fueling the insurgency and retaliatory violence. "None of our politicians could bring us under this flag like our national soccer team did. I wish that politicians could take a lesson from our team, which is made up of Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds who worked together regardless of their backgrounds and won," Abdul-Rahman Abdul-Hassan said.
Marwan Ahmed, a 23-year-old Sunni tailor in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, called Saturday "the most beautiful day in Iraq over the past four years." He said people from a variety of religious backgrounds gathered in a casino to watch the game and the revelry went well past midnight, which he pointed out "was very rare in Basra. All the people at the casino congratulated each other, even those who didn't know each other. I felt like this team helped clean our hearts from hatred as all were thinking only of Iraq and nothing else."
They weren't disappointed as Iraq won 2-0 to advance to the semifinals for the first time since 1976, causing hundreds of people from across the sectarian divide to overcome fears of violence and take to the streets in a spontaneous celebration. Men of all ages waved Iraqi flags and did a jig in the streets, while others jumped on top of cars and rode around, horns honking.
On a negative note, five people, including two children, were killed and 25 were wounded in celebratory gunfire, according to health officials in Baghdad, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of security concerns. Iraqis said Sunday the jubilation over the victory - albeit brief - showed they can come together despite the past years of spiraling violence between Sunnis and Shiites that has made Baghdad a maze of concrete barriers and largely confined people to their own neighborhoods.
Many expressed regret that Iraqi political factions couldn't emulate the soccer team, as the Shiite-dominated government's failure to bring minority Sunnis into the mainstream has been blamed for fueling the insurgency and retaliatory violence. "None of our politicians could bring us under this flag like our national soccer team did. I wish that politicians could take a lesson from our team, which is made up of Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds who worked together regardless of their backgrounds and won," Abdul-Rahman Abdul-Hassan said.
Marwan Ahmed, a 23-year-old Sunni tailor in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, called Saturday "the most beautiful day in Iraq over the past four years." He said people from a variety of religious backgrounds gathered in a casino to watch the game and the revelry went well past midnight, which he pointed out "was very rare in Basra. All the people at the casino congratulated each other, even those who didn't know each other. I felt like this team helped clean our hearts from hatred as all were thinking only of Iraq and nothing else."
Labels: Asian Cup quarterfinals, football, soccer, Vietnam
