Iraq prepares for Asian Cup final amid violence at home

FE Team | Published: July 28, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

JAKARTA, Jul 27 (AP): Iraq goes into Sunday's Asian Cup final knowing that victory will almost certainly trigger wild celebrations in the war-ravaged nation.
They will also be all to well aware of the spectre of suicide bombings, which marred celebrations of the team's semi-finals win Wednesday.
Around 50 people were killed by blasts in Baghdad, where thousands took to the streets after the Iraq soccer team beat South Korea on penalties in its first Asian Cup semi-final appearance since 1976.
The team's successful run in the Asian Cup has brought rare joy to the country, with many people holding up the mixed makeup of the team as an example of unity between the country's rival ethnic and religious factions after years of sectarian violence and foreign occupation.
Iraq next faces regional soccer powerhouse Saudi Arabia, which overcame a slow start to now look a formidable outfit after beating three time winner Japan 3-2 on Wednesday to set up an all Middle Eastern final.
Iraq topped Group A following a 3-1 win over pre-tournament favourite Australia and reached the semi-final with a comfortable 2-0 win over Vietnam.
The team, whose members play at clubs all over the Middle East, has had success at several major events in recent years, including a semi-finals appearance at the 2004 Olympics and the final of the Asian Games at Doha last December.
Each Iraq victory in this year's Asian Cup has been greeted by street parties and volleys of celebratory gunfire in the troubled nation.
While at least five people have been reportedly killed and many others injured by the celebratory gunfire, the car bombings following Wednesday's semi-final were the first reported violence.
The first bombing took place near a well-known ice-cream parlour in Baghdad's western neighbourhood of Mansour. About 45 minutes later another bomber struck in the midst of dozens of vehicles filled with revellers near an Iraqi army in the east of the city, officials there said.
The barbarity of Wednesday's bombings will be remembered for what they abruptly ended.
Qusai Bilal, a 35-year-old Sunni grocer from Ghadeer, was watching the unusual sight of a street party outside his store.
Young people danced and waved flags when tragedy struck. "A huge blast occurred and, in a second, converted the glorious scene to a black one," he said.