Iraq and the fairy tale written at the Asian Cup

The night before the final in Jakarta, coach Jorvan Vieira sat his Iraqi players down at the Bung Karno Stadium after training. “Look around,” he said. “Here, tomorrow, is our game. I don’t think Iraq will ever get to this stage again.”

The Brazilian coach's message was clear: the players must seize the opportunity and win at all costs. When it was time to respond, the team agreed.

Captain Younis Mahmoud (No. 10) celebrates scoring the only goal in the Asian Cup final between Iraq and Saudi Arabia at Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta, Indonesia, on the evening of July 29, 2007. Photo: Reuters

The mood around the team had been very different 22 days earlier, as they prepared for their opening game against Thailand in Bangkok. The team had never been so disorganised, largely because of problems between Vieira and key players. The situation was a microcosm of the civil war at home at the time.

The first thing Vieira did when he met with Iraq Football Association (IFA) Vice President Najeh Humoud was to give him a list of players he wanted to get rid of immediately. A few days earlier, they had lost 0-2 to Uzbekistan in a friendly. After the match, a group of players told their countryman assistant Rahim Hameed that they were willing to pay compensation to get Vieira fired immediately.

The relationship between the coach and the player was so bad that the IFA had prepared for the possibility of calling the U23 team to Bangkok to play in the Asian Cup, instead of the national team. However, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) had set a deadline for finalizing the list of players in advance, so the IFA had no time to make changes. They also wanted to replace Vieira, but could not find anyone suitable as the tournament approached.

Coach Jorvan Vieira (second from right) sends a message to Iraqi players at Bung Karno Stadium, evening of July 28, 2007. Photo: AFP

Against Thailand, Iraq got off to a poor start, conceding a penalty from midfielder Sutee Suksomkit after just six minutes. But the visitors equalised in the first half through a header from striker Younis Mahmoud.

Mahmoud later said that he saw fellow Iraqi fans waving Iraqi flags in the stands, regardless of their political affiliation. He felt a sense of national unity and anger at any force that was dividing the country at that time.

After drawing with Thailand, Iraq met Australia, which had a squad of Premier League stars such as goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, midfielder Harry Kewell, Tim Cahill and striker Mark Viduka. Australia was playing their first tournament in Asia, after joining the AFC, but was considered a candidate for the championship.

If Iraq had lost that match, Vieira would almost certainly have been sacked. But a miracle happened at Rajamangala, as Mahmoud and his team won 3-1. A 0-0 draw with Oman in the final match was enough to keep Iraq top of Group A, allowing them to stay in Bangkok for the quarter-final against Vietnam. Iraq won 2-0, with Mahmoud scoring twice, to set up a semi-final against South Korea.

Striker Saleh Sadir (No. 6) celebrates Nashat Akram's opening goal, during the match between Iraq and Australia at Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand, Group A of the Asian Cup on July 13, 2007. Photo: Reuters

Exactly 27 days before the semi-finals, Iraq had met South Korea in a friendly, also losing 0-3 in the rain in Daejeon. It could be said that Vieira and his team had lost completely, even though South Korea were without star midfielder Park Ji-sung and defender Lee Young-pyo. That defeat forced Iraq to hold several emergency meetings. In one such meeting, midfielder Nashat Akram called on his teammates to stand up and show their determination, or go home.

Iraq fans during the semi-final match against South Korea at Bukit Jalil Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 25, 2007. Photo: Reuters

Iraqi fans were not happy for long, sadness came back home. Two consecutive suicide bombings occurred in Baghdad, killing 50 people, after Vieira's team's victory.

The Iraqi players broke down when they heard the news. Later, a woman appeared on national television, saying that her 12-year-old son, Haidar, had just died in the attack. She vowed that she would not hold a funeral for him until the team returned from the Asian Cup. Seeing her cry, the Iraqi players vowed to win the final for Haidar, and for all Iraqis.

The final was held in Jakarta, and Iraq faced three-time winners Saudi Arabia. The two teams had met six months earlier in the Gulf Cup, with Saudi Arabia winning 1-0 and Iraq being eliminated.

At that time, coach Akram Salman was still leading Iraq, not Vieira. Before the match, Salman held a team meeting and hinted that he had reached an agreement with Saudi Arabia that the two teams would draw, a result that would be enough for them to advance. After the match, three Iraqi players were banned for two years for accusing IFA President Hussein Saeed of match-fixing. Salman was fired, officially for "miscommunication with players".

Iraqi players celebrate winning the 2007 Asian Cup at Bung Karno Stadium. Photo: Reuters

Vieira was appointed as a replacement, after working with Al-Tai in the Saudi League. He was fired by the club after only five months, after a clash with some players. So the Brazilian coach also has a personal relationship with Saudi Arabia in the Asian Cup final.

More than 60,000 spectators packed the Bung Karno Stadium for the final, which took place on the evening of 29 July 2007. Iraq played so well that the players felt it was only a matter of time before they scored. Chants of "Iraq, Iraq, Iraq" rang out from the stands. As midfielder Hawar Mulla Mohammed prepared to take a corner kick in the 72nd minute, commentator Raad Nahi could be heard on Al-Iraqiya Sports saying: "May God bring joy to my heart and to my people."

Hawar crossed the ball, and Mahmoud headed in the only goal of the match. When asked about the goal, Mahmoud said: "All Iraqis scored, not just me".

So, on the day Iraq won the Asian Cup for the first time, they came together as one. The 11 players did what the Iraqi government at that time could not do, which was to unite the nation and bring joy to everyone, instead of tears and suffering.

Xuan Binh (according to Guardian )

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