In Praise of ... the Iraqi Football Team

So little good news comes out of Iraq that even those who are not football fans should cheer the victory by the country's national team in the final of the Asian Cup. The team, which includes Sunnis, Shias and Kurds, beat three-times champions Saudi Arabia 1-0 in Jakarta - in a match that briefly brought together a country now known only for brutal division. The Lions of Mesopotamia, the national team, did well even to reach the final, which they did by beating South Korea unexpectedly last week. The country does not have a record of international footballing success, having played in only one World Cup, in 1986, when its team lost in the first round. Then Iraq was under the control of Saddam Hussein, and the team was directed his hideous son, Uday, who was reported to have tortured players who did not meet his expectations. Whether that happened or not - and it probably did - conditions are no easier now for the team, or for their supporters.

When Iraq reached the final last week a double car bombing killed 50 fans in Baghdad and at least four people were killed by stray celebratory gunfire. Yesterday afternoon cars were banned from the city, and for safety people were encouraged to watch the game at home. The team have been threatened and players have had members of their families killed. The national stadium is shut, and home games have to be played abroad. Sport will not solve Iraq's problems. But yesterday the country cheered as one, from Kirkuk to Basra, and that was something to cherish.