Sporting Witness
Sporting Witness
Football glory unites Iraq
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August 8, 2019
9 minutes
Available for over a year
In 2007, the Iraqi football team sparked wild celebrations throughout the country after winning the Asian Cup in a tense final against Saudi Arabia in Jakarta. The Iraqi players were semi-professionals who were forced to prepare the tournament in Jordan because of a security crisis at home that was claiming tens of thousands of lives every year. Their shock semi-final victory over South Korea was marred by a suicide-bomb attack on celebrating supporters in Baghdad which kills dozens. Steve Hankey talks to Iraqi defender, Haider Hassan, and football journalist, Rafeq Alokaby. The programme is a Whistledown Production.
PHOTO: Iraqi captain, Younis Mohmoud, celebrates (AFP/Getty Images)