In a nation used to mourning, even celebrations prove to be deadly

DEFYING orders from authorities, revellers fired celebratory gunshots and poured into the streets after Iraq beat Saudi Arabia to clinch their first Asian Cup soccer championship last night.

Mosques broadcast calls for an end to the shooting, which killed at least four people and wounded 17. Security forces enforced a vehicle ban in an effort to prevent a repeat of car bombings that killed dozens celebrating Iraq’s progress to the finals on Wednesday.

The Iraqi team, known as the Lions of the Two Rivers beat three-time champions Saudi Arabia 1-0 in their first appearance in the Asian Cup final.

Facing opponents appearing in their sixth final in the last seven Asian Cups, few people had given Iraq any chance of winning the tournament after haphazard preparations brought about by the war at home.

Iraq were forced to train and play qualifiers in neutral countries and coach Jorvan Vieira only had two months to mould a team that included Shi’ite, Sunni and Kurdish players.

None of the Iraqi players have been untouched by the war and although they have tried to mask their grief, there were constant reminders of the violence at home.

At least three players in the squad have lost relatives in the past two months and the players wore black armbands during the final in memory of the 50 people killed by suicide bombers after Wednesday’s semi-final win.

Iraqi captain Younis Mahmoud, who scored the goal and was named player of the tournament, said one of the tragedies of the war was that the team would not even be able to return to Iraq with the trophy. “I wish we could go, but you just don’t know who will kill you,” he said.

Iraqis welcomed the victory as a chance to show the world they can come together and expressed frustration that their politicians couldn’t do the same.

“Those heroes have shown the real Iraq. They have done something useful for the people as opposed to the politicians and lawmakers who are stealing or killing each other,” said Sabah Shaiyal, a 43-year-old policeman in Baghdad. “The players have made us proud.”