wardivided syrians unite over football spot
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

in Asian play-offs

War-divided Syrians unite over football spot

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today War-divided Syrians unite over football spot

Syria football fans watch the FIFA World Cup 2018 qualification football match
Damascus - Arabs Today

Syrian government backers and rebel supporters alike roared with joy on Tuesday when Omar Al Soma scored a 93rd-minute goal, giving their national team a 2-2 draw with Iran.

The goal secured a spot for Syria in the Asian play-offs towards a possible qualification for the World Cup 2018 and sparked rare celebrations at home, where a brutal six-year war has killed hundreds of thousands.

Syria has never yet qualified for the World Cup.

An upbeat mood spread from regime-held Damascus to the nearby rebel stronghold of Eastern Ghouta and as far as the northwestern town of Binnish in Idlib province, now largely controlled by jihadists.

"I cannot describe my happiness... I hope that peace will prevail across Syria," said Lara Hanna, 35, who watched the game in a Damascus coffee shop with her husband and their daughter.

In Eastern Ghouta, a group of football fans gathered in a farm to watch the game while others followed from home.

"Of course we wanted the national team to win," even if Syria is divided into "the opposition and the regime", said 30-year-old Abu Badr.

"The team represents all of Syria and we hope they will win in the play-offs and go on to qualify for the World Cup," he said.

Both regime backers and their foes said Monday's equaliser, which placed Syria in third place in Group A, tasted like a victory.

Syrian soldier Saeed Ereiji, 34, who wore the national team's shirt over his military trousers, could hardly contain his joy.

- 'Tastes of victory' -

"We are so happy with the team's performance" at the away game in Iran, he said.

"Although we are allies in politics with Iran, this is football and they (Syria) gave the best they had," he added.

In the town of Binnish, Omar Hajj Hamdan, 21, watched the game with his friends in an ice cream shop.

"We are very happy today. The draw tastes of victory," he said.

"There is no link between politics and sports. It's wrong to say that we should not back the national team because it represents the regime," he said.

"The national team plays for Syria, not for Bashar," he added, referring to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Many had complained online that the team represented the Assad regime, which brutally repressed peaceful anti-government protests at the start of the conflict in March 2011.

Six years on, the conflict has spiralled into a complex civil war that has killed more than 330,000 people and forced millions from their homes.

Hours before the game began, the streets in Damascus went silent, with no cars or passersby in sight.

Most stores were shuttered as football fans flooded to coffee shops and restaurants to watch the game, which state television broadcast live.

At Al-Jalaa stadium in western Damascus, more than 3,000 people gathered to celebrate, many wearing the team's red and white colours, shouting "Syria... Syria".

Hundreds more fans watched the game on a big screen in the capital's Ommayad Square, among them university student Amjad al-Hariri.

"The most beautiful thing is to see Syria united and doing well," he said.

Source: AFP

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

wardivided syrians unite over football spot wardivided syrians unite over football spot

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

wardivided syrians unite over football spot wardivided syrians unite over football spot

 



GMT 15:06 2017 Wednesday ,23 August

DGSN: More than 28,000 People Arrested in August

GMT 23:31 2018 Friday ,05 January

King receives Premier, Crown Prince

GMT 03:03 2017 Saturday ,10 June

May22nd-June21st

GMT 12:38 2013 Thursday ,25 July

Beauty and history of Al-Muwahideen mosque

GMT 06:56 2017 Wednesday ,20 September

Western powers warn Suu Kyi on Rohingya before speech

GMT 17:07 2017 Thursday ,29 June

Souq Okaz to introduce ‘Narrator’s Tent’

GMT 07:06 2017 Tuesday ,29 August

Israeli navy targets fishermen boats in Gaza waters

GMT 14:03 2016 Tuesday ,23 August

Turkmen president blasts sports chief

GMT 15:41 2017 Monday ,09 October

Poland head to World Cup, perfection for Germany

GMT 14:28 2016 Saturday ,31 December

Fog blankets northern parts of Oman

GMT 23:09 2017 Wednesday ,26 July

1 more Jakarta attack`s victims dead

GMT 08:24 2017 Friday ,27 October

Ezzat Abu Ouf frustrated for terrorism in Egypt

GMT 17:25 2014 Tuesday ,23 September

A Thousand Splendid Suns

GMT 19:03 2018 Sunday ,07 October

"Al-Dirdiri" We Agreed With USA on Dialogue

GMT 16:11 2018 Friday ,28 September

Four militants killed near Pakistan border
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday