Music, fireworks and a few rounds of gunfire broke out across Iraq’s capital Baghdad on Wednesday after the national team qualified for its first World Cup in decades.
The “Lions of Mesopotamia” cemented its first World Cup appearance since 1986, when the tournament took place in Mexico, with a 2-1 victory over Bolivia on Tuesday night.
The lead up to the match had been marred however by the outbreak of the Middle East war since late February, when US and Israel launched attacks on Iran which quickly pulled Iraq into the conflict.
At least 100 people have been killed in Iraq since the fighting broke out.
The war was not far from people’s minds on Wednesday, but supporters nonetheless gathered in their thousands along one of Baghdad’s main commercial streets to cheer on their team as the sun rose.
“This victory is very dear to our hearts while the war is still ongoing,” Ahmed, 22, said outside a cafe in the central Karrada district.
“The Iraqi people are standing together from all sects,” he said, noting that the win brought back memories for Iraqis of their victory in the 2007 Asian Cup when sectarian violence had reached its peak.
Waving Iraqi flags, the normally busy street was at a standstill as thousands of men on top of cars and trucks cheered, some moved to tears.
Tea sellers along Baghdad’s bumpy pavements, who scrape by selling tiny cups of steaming black liquid, shouted out “tea for free! Tea for free!” as they fell prey to the euphoria.
“Our national team won despite the tough economic conditions and the war,” Ali al-Muhandis told AFP.
“We Iraqis are good at exceptional situations,” he said, his voice hoarse from shouting.
“We’re living in a war that is not ours, but it’s between Iran and America and Israel.”
His country has also been drawn into the fighting, with attacks on US interests in Iraq and strikes on pro-Iran armed groups within his nation.
The war has ripped through a period of relative peace that Iraqis were experiencing after decades of violent insecurity.
National holiday
Last week the Iraqi team made the arduous three-day journey to Mexico — others had little choice but to travel some parts of it overland after Iraq stopped air travel, because of the war.
But stat, there was no sign of fatigue as the squad raced to glory with players Ali Al-Hamadi and Aymen Hussein each hitting a goal.
State television broadcast jubilant scenes around the country, while the government congratulated the team. Before the match, authorities announced that they would pay the players if they won and declared a two-day holiday.
Iraq will now compete in World Cup Group I with France, Senegal and Norway.