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Iraqi footballers win on return | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
The Iraqi football team has celebrated a victory in the first international football match to be held in Iraq since the US-led invasion of 2003. | |
The final score in the match played in the northern town of Irbil against a Palestinian team was 3-0. | |
The game has been hailed as a symbol of the promise of better times ahead for Iraq, and players released a number of white doves before kick-off. | |
The last time Iraq played at home was in 2002 in a 2-1 win over Syria. | The last time Iraq played at home was in 2002 in a 2-1 win over Syria. |
Since then the team - one of the best in the Asian region - has led a nomadic existence. | Since then the team - one of the best in the Asian region - has led a nomadic existence. |
The country celebrated when Iraq's players won a notable victory in the Asian Cup tournament in 2007, beating Saudi Arabia in the final by one goal to nil. | The country celebrated when Iraq's players won a notable victory in the Asian Cup tournament in 2007, beating Saudi Arabia in the final by one goal to nil. |
The players have since struggled to rediscover that championship-winning form, although they put in a creditable performance in the recent Confederations Cup in South Africa. | The players have since struggled to rediscover that championship-winning form, although they put in a creditable performance in the recent Confederations Cup in South Africa. |
During that competition, which pits the champion nation from each continent against each other, Iraq drew with New Zealand and South Africa - the hosts of the upcoming 2010 World Cup - and lost narrowly to European Champions Spain. | During that competition, which pits the champion nation from each continent against each other, Iraq drew with New Zealand and South Africa - the hosts of the upcoming 2010 World Cup - and lost narrowly to European Champions Spain. |
Nevertheless, the BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse in Baghdad says a win at home is a rare and welcome good news story. | |
The Palestinian players are themselves no strangers to conflict. | The Palestinian players are themselves no strangers to conflict. |
But the very fact the game took place inside Iraq, speaks of a country desperately trying to move beyond violence and insecurity, our correspondent says. |