The remarkable has happened at the Asian Cup - Iraq won, beating Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the final. I saw the match last night with a few friends at a friend's place. I'm glad that the Iraqis won. And deservedly so, as they were the better team in the final against the under-par Saudi Arabia team, who impressed in the run-up to the final but was a bit subdued in the final. Iraq were more motivated & up for it than the Saudis, & in the end it proved decisive. It capped a great tournament for Iraq.I have nothing against the Saudis at all, & I do appreciate the Saudi contribution to the tournament. However, my support for Iraq in the final was simply out of sympathy for the people in Iraq who have suffered from all the turmoil & violence that has plagued their war-ravaged country for years. My only regret is that Iraq's run to Asian Cup success has brought about a considerable number of deaths from bomb attacks & gunfire celebrations, both after the semi-final & after the final. Apparently, the deaths after the semi-final motivated the Iraq team to achieve victory, as they had those victims in their minds when the team took the field in the final.
Iraq's fairytale Asian Cup success is all the more remarkable considering how under-prepared the squad had been, the difficulties in getting their players together & having to train outside Iraq for safety reasons. The Iraqi squad is drawn from the domestic Iraqi league as well as players attached to clubs in Qatar, Lebanon, Jordan, Cyprus, & even Iran & Saudi Arabia. Talented & capable they may be, one player plays in Europe, as opposed to several other sides in the Asian Cup. But that didn't stop Iraq from taking the trophy. And surely, it will be a matter of time before a few of them get snapped up by European clubs. Watch out for players such as star midfielder Nashat Akram, forward Younis Mahmoud (captain, & goal scorer in the final), young midfielder Karrar Jassim & the left-back Basem Abbas. I may have missed the names of some others, but I will certainly keep an eye out for the Iraq team in the future!
Their success would undoubtedly have brought about much joy in Iraq, & the achievement goes beyond football. There is also the "human" side, given all the trouble happening in Iraq. All of that trouble will not be healed up by one glorious night on the football field. But at least football managed to achieve what politicians & leaders so far could not have done - bring some unity to a group of people draw from different ethnic backgrounds (Arabs, Kurds, etc). The Iraq football team is reflective of that multi-ethnicity & together as a group, it achieved wonders. The Iraqi football supporters unite & celebrate their team's great achievement. It will hopefully encourage the Iraqi people that whatever their ethnic differences, together they can unite, together they can overcome problems, together they can achieve good things. And at least there is some hope for a more positive future for that country. Ahh, such is the positive influence of football.
And, what of the Iraq team coach, Jorvan Vieira? The Brazilian was only with Iraq for some 6 weeks before the Asian Cup kicked off. Yet in that short space of time, he turned a bunch of talented but dispersed players into champions. What an achievement, no doubt one which will look so good on his CV. He left the team after the final, deciding not to stay on, & is rumoured to be coaching South Korea next (incidentally, the Koreans were beaten by Iraq on penalty shoot-out in the semis). But what a way for Mr Vieira to sign off. He left the Iraq football team in good shape, & Iraq football supporters & people back home with much to cheer about & perhaps a brighter future to look forward to.
No comments:
Post a Comment