Iraq in rare show of unity as football dreams dashed

A young Iraqi supporter is held up wrapped in the country's flag as he waits for the start of the men's football final between Iraq and Qatar at Al-Sadd Sports Club during the 15th Asian Games in Doha. Iraqis joined forces in a rare display of national unity to cheer their national side in the football final of the Asian Games, despite murderous sectarian violence ravaging their country.

Iraqis joined forces in a rare display of national unity to cheer their national side in the football final of the Asian Games, despite murderous sectarian violence ravaging their country.

At 4:00 pm (1300 GMT), Iraq ground to a halt from the top down to crowd round television sets to watch their national team compete, then lose to hosts Qatar in the football final at the end of the Asian Games in Doha.

Iraq President Jalal Talabani cleared his diary to watch the match tucked up in the presidential palace as 22-year-old Mohammed Sabti joined more than two dozen other humble hotel employees to root for victory in downtown Baghdad.

"The national team brings happiness to a country where there is so much sadness. We forget the differences," said Razaq Hussein, whose mother is a Sunni and whose father is a Shiite, as he gathered with others in the hotel lobby.

Iraq's Ahmed Mohammed(L) and Iraq's Jasim Haji console each other after their loss to Qatar in the men's football final at Al-Sadd Sports Club during the 15th Asian Games in Doha. Iraqis joined forces in a rare display of national unity to cheer their national side in the football final of the Asian Games, despite murderous sectarian violence ravaging their country.

Iraq's football squad is an increasingly rare example of unity in a country tortured by murderous sectarian violence, and has provided rare glimmers of joy amid the daily bombings, kidnappings and shootings.

Fourteen Shiites, four Sunnis Arabs and a Kurd make up the 19-man team managed by a Sunni Arab and a Christian assistant coach.

"Everyone in the team is a friend," said captain and star player Yunis Mahmud, a 23-year-old Sunni, who was suspended for the final.

"We care only for the interests of the Iraqi game."

"When we win we are defeating all our sectarian problems," said Alaa Abdel Zahra, a Shiite and one of only two team members who plays internationally, in his case with Iran's Mes Kerman Club.

Back at the Baghdad hotel, Kurd, Shiite and Sunni alike were rooting for a national triumph before sharing in national defeat.

Iraqis follow the Asian Games men's football final between Iraq and Qatar on the TV at a barber shop in Baghdad's Sadr City. Iraqis joined forces in a rare display of national unity to cheer their national side in the football final of the Asian Games, despite murderous sectarian violence ravaging their country.

"We are going to win 1-0," boasted Sabti before kick off and before Iraq lost 0-1 in a 90-minute battle largely dominated by their opponents.

Mohammed Kamal, a waiter who abandoned any pretence of working in the hotel restaurant during match time, said: "I don't like football but I support the national team. The whole country is together."

Kitchen hand Ghanem Mowayed jumps in: "It's a duty to support the national team and the flag."

Kurd Issam Korgakos adds that "the team brings joy."

Yet football is no haven of peace in war-shattered Iraq. Two team managers resigned over death threats and the squad has been forced to move its training base to the comparative security of Arbil in the Kurdish region.

With travelling so dangerous the Iraqi league has also been divided into three regions -- a potentially ominous development for a country desperately trying to hold itself together.

Iraq's Haeder Hantosh(front) clashes with Qatar's Bilal Mohammed Rajab in the men's football final between Iraq and Qatar at Al-Sadd Sports Club during the 15th Asian Games in Doha. Iraqis joined forces in a rare display of national unity to cheer their national side in the football final of the Asian Games, despite murderous sectarian violence ravaging their country.

"We don't have tournaments anymore. The players don't train normally," mutters 40-year-old Rahim Abed, confronting defeat after Qatar scored in the 64th minute, taking aim at the referee and the hosts.

"Qatar is petrol, petrol, dollars, dollars. They buy everyone," he said in a subtle reference to the fact that most of the people on the Qatari team only recently received their citizenship.

As the whistle signaled the death knoll for Iraqi dreams, no celebratory gunfire and no whoops of joy rang out in stark contrast to the team's romp to the final against South Korea, Uzbekistan and Malaysia.

But Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki was determinedly upbeat, congratulating the players who had battled the odds to get so far and equating their achievement with efforts to rebuild the war-shattered nation.

"We congratulate all the people of Iraq who stand united behind their sons, the players in the Iraqi team, who gave their all to raise up Iraq's name in international competitions," said a statement from his office.

"We came second. That's fine," says Abed. "When the situation improves, we'll win, God willing," he adds.