|
| |||||||||||||||||
| www.dayafterindia.com |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||
|
|
|
|
Joseph S. Blatter was a keen spectator at the final of the 14 th edition of the AFC Asian Cup in Jakarta on Sunday, 24 July, and he aptly said, "I witnessed an exceptional victory," remarked the FIFA President afterwards, while paying homage to the winners and the excellent quality of football on display Iraq ended the era of the 'big four' on the continental stage by defeating Saudi Arabia 1-0 in Jakarta on Sunday to win the 14th edition of the AFC Asian Cup. The tournament had been dominated by Korea Republic, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Japan since its inception in 1956, but it was the Iraqi skipper Younis Mahmoud who headed home the only goal of the game to mark a new beginning for the West Asians. The Al Gharafa striker, who also scored the winner in a 2-1 victory over the Saudis three years ago in the group stage, renewed his acquaintance with the three-time Asian champions and sealed yet another memorable win with a pinpoint header off a Hawar Mohammed corner in the 71st minute. The victory was also important because of the exceptional circumstances under which the Iraqis had trained and participated in the Cup. "I know they weren't able to train in the best conditions," Blatter had added. "Their coach's work was all the more remarkable because of that. He succeeded in building a team composed of Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds, and on Sunday night the unity and attitude of those players was fantastic. They showed how it's possible to be united on the pitch for a common goal, thanks to football!" Referring to the 60,000 fans who braved the intense heat in the stadium to watch the final, he went on: "Deep down, I think the spectators found themselves supporting the Iraq team because they felt how united they were on the pitch." The President also expressed a wish that this historic victory will have a positive influence in the long term, in particular on the future of the country. "I hope football can contribute to building a better future thanks to its incredible power to unite people and its extraordinary popularity," he concluded. No one could have anticipated this outcome when the Iraqis, who began their campaign as underdogs in Group A, snatched a 1-1 draw with co-hosts Thailand in their opener courtesy of Mahmoud's equaliser. But Iraq stunned the watching world by beating favourites Australia 3-1 and then securing top spot in the pool thanks to a scoreless draw with Oman. Thereafter, Mahmoud scored both goals in a 2-0 reverse of Vietnam in the last eight, before Iraq eliminated Korea Republic on penalties after their semi-final had ended scoreless on Wednesday. With everyday violence ongoing in their war-torn homeland, the achievement was all the more precious for the Iraqis, who saw more than 50 of their compatriots killed by car bombs while celebrating their side's penalty shootout win over the Koreans. Their Brazilian coach Jorvan Vieira was quick to praise his players for overcoming this harsh reality. "The players are fantastic and you have to understand the difficulties," the 54-year-old said. "They have had this situation for the past years and they have fantastic power inside themselves." Consequently voted Player of the Tournament, Mahmoud stood on the podium to receive the coveted trophy from AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam and FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter, as the Iraqi players celebrated winning the continental title for the first time and clinching a place at the FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009. Meanwhile, Korea Republic claimed the bronze medal after defeating neighbours Japan 6-5 in their third consecutive penalty shootout of the tournament. The Koreans had eliminated their old nemesis Iran in the quarter-finals, before losing to eventual winners Iraq on penalties in their semi-final. |
The
victory of Iraq over the Asian power house Saudi Arabia has been
welcomed all over the word not just because of the quality of football
and the spirit of sport displayed by a bunch of Iraqis. It was welcomed
because it reunited the warring Shias and Sunnis, at least on the
football pitch giving hope of what might happen off it.
