Beware of the Revival of the Spirit of Iraqi Football
Football is a force to bring unity and peace in Iraq.
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Indonesian defender, Asnawi Mangkualam (center), fights for the ball with Iraqi player, Merchas Ghazi Salih (left) during the AFC World Cup FIFA 2026 qualifying football match between Iraq and Indonesia at the Basra International Stadium, Basra, Iraq, on Thursday, November 16th, 2023.
Iraq has made football the main force against all odds and bringing unity and peace for his nation.
Thursday (2/5/2024) evening will be the betting moment for the U-23 Indonesian Football Team to secure a golden ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics. After losing against Uzbekistan, the next opportunity for Indonesia is to play against Iraq to win third place in the 2024 U-23 Asian Cup.
Iraq is not an easy opponent for Indonesia. Since first meeting in 1968, the "Garuda" team has fought against the "Lion of Mesopotamia" team 13 times. From those encounters, Indonesia has only managed to defeat Iraq twice, draw three times, and suffer eight defeats. In total, Iraq managed to score 27 goals against Indonesia's goal, while Indonesia was only able to score 11 goals against Iraq's goal.
The first meeting on January 16, 1968 apparently became Indonesia's first victory against Iraq. At that time, Indonesia defeated Iraq 2-1 in the qualifying round of the 1968 Mexico Olympics (Kompas.id, 29/12/2023). However, that first victory also became the last for the next 32 years. Indonesia was only able to defeat Iraq again on September 2, 2000, in the final match of the Independence Cup with a score of 3-0.
Apart from the meeting records, Iraq's superiority over Indonesia is also clearly evident from their FIFA ranking. As of April 4, 2024, Iraq is ranked 58th with 1,420 points, while Indonesia languishes at 134th position with 1,102 points. Iraq's best achievement in history was reaching the 39th position in October 2004, while Indonesia's highest ranking was stuck at 76th position achieved in September 1998.
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Iraqi supporters raised the Palestinian flag during the AFC World Cup FIFA 2026 qualifying match between Iraq and Indonesia at the Basra International Stadium in Basra, Iraq on Thursday, November 16, 2023.
The British built the foundation
The strength of Iraqi football in the international arena cannot be separated from the strong foundation that has been built for more than 100 years. Hassanin Mubarak, author of the book Birth of the Lions of Mesopotamia: The early years of football in Iraq, explains that the modern history of football in Iraq began in World War I ended in 1918.
At that time, Iraq, which had just been freed from the Turkish Ottoman occupation, was under British control as the League of Nations mandate holder. Britain then built several air bases for the purpose of securing the Iraqi territory, including the provinces of Mosul, Baghdad, and Basra.
In addition to enforcing security, the British army is also responsible for facilitating and instructing the newly formed Iraqi security forces. On the other hand, the British army brings their love for football from their hometown into their daily routines at the base in Iraq. The intense interaction with the British army eventually led the Iraqi security forces to also develop an interest in the sport played by their mentors.
Mubarak mentioned that the first and oldest football club in Iraq, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (meaning Air Force), was founded by a group of Iraqi air police at the Hinaidi airbase. The club was officially inaugurated on July 4, 1931 and still remains a top team in the Iraqi Premier League. Al-Jawiya's first match was marked by a victory against another airbase team consisting of British soldiers. This victory over a group of British soldiers eventually boosted the club's popularity and football in the wider Iraqi society.
In addition to military bases, it turns out that England is also building the foundation of Iraqi soccer through educational institutions. This is mainly done through physical education in Iraqi schools. Mubarak explained that British officers appointed as supervisors of Iraqi education often directly train soccer, even giving jerseys free of charge to Iraqi students.
Furthermore, it is also mentioned that the Ministry of Education in Iraq during the period of 1930-1940 often recruited coaches and physical education teachers from Europe to train Iraqi students. One of the well-known ones was George Sidney Reynor, a professional football coach from England who successfully brought Sweden to win the gold medal in the 1948 Olympics and advance to the final stage of the 1958 World Cup.
Osama Rashid from Iraq scored his team's third goal in the AFC World Cup FIFA 2026 qualifying match between Iraq and Indonesia at the Basra International Stadium in Basra, Iraq, on Thursday, November 16, 2023.
The founding of the Iraqi Football Association in 1948 seemed to open the door for Iraq to make its mark on the world football scene. Since 1954, a number of Iraqi national team players have attracted the attention of European clubs. Youra Eshaya becomes the first Iraqi footballer to be recruited to play abroad. He played from 1954 to 1955 for Bristol Rovers FC in its third grade team and as a reserve.
With experienced players in the international arena, military-style discipline training, and a systematic sports education, Iraqi football is finally able to dominate the Middle East. Since 1964, Iraq has won the FIFA Arab Cup four times and the Arab Teruk Cup four times. Not only that, the brilliant achievements of Iraqi football also extend to the continental level. This is proven by the gold medal at the 1982 Asian Games. The success of Iraqi football is further complete with its successful qualification for the 1986 Mexico World Cup.
The nadir of Iraqi football
Although their achievements may seem magnificent, the state of Iraqi football once hit rock bottom. It all started when Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein appointed his eldest son, Uday Hussein, as the president of the Iraq Football Association and the Iraq National Olympic Committee in 1984.
In the book Baghad FC: Iraq's Football Story, a Hidden History of Sport and Tyranny by Simon Freeman, Uday is said to be very corrupt and cruel towards athletes. Much evidence shows that Iraqi athletes, including footballers, are often detained and tortured for days if they fail to produce satisfactory results.
Sharar Haydar, a defender for the Iraqi national team, admitted that he was tortured by hitting his legs 20 times every day. He can also only drink a glass of water and eat a piece of bread. He said that he was first held captive by Uday in 1993 after Iraq lost 2-0 to Jordan. Haydar finally decided to flee Iraq in 1998.
A former volleyball coach from Iraq, Issam Thamer al-Diwan, said that Uday greatly hated athletes because they were loved and known by the Iraqi people more than him. As a result, the impressive achievements of Iraqi footballers were no longer driven by sportsmanship and love for the sport, but solely by the demand to survive. Under Uday's regime, defeat meant torture or even death for athletes.
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The Iraqi Special Units celebrated their success in reaching the banks of the Tigris River in the Old City of Mosul, Northern Iraq, which was previously under the control of the Islamic State militia in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in a photo dated July 9, 2017. The emergence of ISIS in Iraq is inseparable from the country's failure to adopt a modern democratic political culture, following the invasion of US forces that overthrew Saddam Hussein's regime.
Iraqi football is falling deeper into the dark void with the outbreak of the Iraq-Iran war in the mid-1980s. Only two years later, Iraq was hit by a severe conflict with the outbreak of the Gulf War against a US-led coalition in 1990-1991. The peak of the conflict that plagued Iraq occurred in 2003 with the US invasion that resulted in the downfall of Saddam Hussein.
However, behind the ruins of the war, the US invasion apparently opened up opportunities for change in Iraqi football. In July 2003, Uday, along with his brother Qusay Hussein, was killed in a US military raid. Thus ended the terror regime that had haunted Iraqi athletes for around two decades.
Although Saddam Hussein was successfully overthrown, it did not mean that Iraq immediately enjoyed a stable political and social situation. Many groups then took advantage of the power vacuum to vie for influence over Iraq. Undoubtedly, sectarian conflicts erupted in various parts of the country. The peak of the conflict occurred throughout 2006-2008, with a civil war breaking out between Sunni and Shia groups.
Miracles in Jakarta
In the context of the chaotic and uncertain situation, Iraq's soccer scene faces its most challenging test. Ali al-Shouk, a senior reporter from Iraq for The National, reported that many players of the national soccer team lost family members in sectarian conflicts. Even Iraq's winger, Hawar Mullah Mohammed, admitted that he had to bring a machine gun when going to practice for security reasons.
Struggling, the Iraqi national team still tried to compete in the 2007 AFC Asian Cup which was collaboratively held in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Jorvan Vieira, a coach from Brazil, was appointed only two months before the tournament. He had to face players who were mentally shattered. Many even called Iraq a "hopeless team". Although very difficult, Vieira diligently tried to unite the team members and ignite their spirits to become champions.
The result was that Iraq slowly but surely defeated all of its opponents. The 3-1 victory over Australia became the starting momentum for the rise of the Iraqi people's hopes in witnessing their national team's journey towards the peak. The "Lion of Mesopotamia" team bravely devoured Vietnam 2-0 in the quarterfinals and ravaged South Korea through a penalty shoot-out in the semifinals.
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Iraqi defender, Zaid Tahseen (left), guards Japanese striker, Mao Hosoya, during the semi-final match of the 2024 U-23 Asia Cup between Japan and Iraq at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, on Tuesday (30/4/2024) early morning WIB.
Ahead of the final match, the jubilant Iraqi people were shocked by a suicide bomb attack in Baghdad which killed 50 civilians and injured 135 others. Security forces said the attack targeted crowds celebrating Iraq's victory in the streets. Hearing the sad news, some team members felt reluctant to continue the competition because they were worried about a more deadly attack in their hometown.
However, the unwavering support from the people of Iraq finally helped to strengthen the determination of the players to advance to the finals. The long-awaited moment for the people of Iraq finally arrived when Younis Mahmoud Khalaf's header in the 72nd minute plunged into the goal of Saudi Arabia. That solitary goal finally became the determinant for Iraq to win the Asia Cup for the first time.
Suddenly, on the night of July 29, 2007, the people of Iraq put down their weapons and were swept away in collective euphoria. As commentator Simon Hill revealed, "Football has succeeded in doing what politics failed to do," which is to unite a divided nation and bring happiness to its people.
Since then, Iraqi football has continued to transform and develop. The dark history seems to be a catalyst for encouragement for Iraqi football players to provide the best results for the sake of the unity and integrity of their nation. Maybe, this is also what Indonesia needs right now. In the midst of divisions between community groups and politicians after the last election, hopefully football can bring hope and unity to all Indonesian people. (R&D COMPAS)
