The lions roar

Friday’s match between Iraq and Jordan was much more than a friendly football game

Supporters of the Iraqi national teal wave their national flag during the international friendly football match between Iraq and Jordan at Basra Sports City in Basra. Haidar Mohammed / AFP

International football returned to Iraq for the first time in four years last week, when the Lions faced Jordan in Basra on Thursday. The match was settled by Alaa Abdul-Zahra’s 14th minute strike, a goal that would have sent the vast majority of the 65,000 crowd home happy. Certainly, pictures from the event recorded a stadium packed with smiling, flag-waving fans. It clearly was a night to savour.

The role of sport and football, in particular, is often overstated by those who seek to romanticise and amplify the healing powers of the so-called beautiful game. This was, after all, just the first part of a long journey towards full rehabilitation – Iraq’s national team is still on probation with Fifa, the sport’s governing body – and a night of football is unlikely to ease the pain and suffering caused by extremist attacks earlier in the week in Baghdad.

But it is a start and it does indicate a return to normalcy is possible after years of violence and disruption. For that, we should all hope that this is not a one-off event.