An Epic Asian Cup Encounter

Beirut, (October, 18 - 2000)

If one match in the whole of Asian Cup Lebanon 2000 comes even half way towards matching the Iran v Iraq clash at Emirates 96 we can all consider ourselves extremely lucky to have seen it.

The game in Dubai on December 5 four years ago, which Iraq won 2-1, was a classic. Full-blooded, passionate, frenetic and yet amazingly fair, it was a match of total commitment from the first few seconds through to the 90th strength-sapping minute.

Needless to say it was as much the political sensitivity of the match and indeed all of Group B that gave it its flavour. Iraq coupled with Saudi Arabia, leaders of the Gulf Coalition that joined forces to repel the invasion of Kuwait and in their first match Iran, with whom Iraq had fought one of the bitterest and bloody wars of the 20th Century.

"Some people were saying maybe there will be fights," recalls Laith Hussein, the Iraqi playmaker now well known in Lebanon as an Al Ansar player. "Other people were warning us 'don't do anything bad'. But the war had been over for six or seven years. We were all staying in the same hotel and before the match we were talking with each other and were friendly with each other. I knew Mohammad Khakpour and Ali Daei, because he played for Al Sadd in Qatar. For the first two days they didn't talk to me much, but after a while everyone was saying hello. We were eating in the same room, at tables next to each other. Of course, after a while you're going to say hi."

The two countries had met twice since the end of their conflict, in a goalless friendly in Kuwait in November 1989 and in the World Cup Qualifying tournament in Doha in October 1993 when Iraq triumphed 2-1. Once more they were meeting on a neutral ground and points as well as pride were at stake.

"After fighting with each other, the Iranian people wanted Iran to win and it was a very important game, for the coach, for the people, the players, everyone" remembers Iran's sweeper that night Afshin Peirovani who was playing against Iraq for the first time.

"This kind of match is vital for the people. Because of that the players were very sensitive about the game" recalls goalkeeper Ahmed Abedzadeh who, frustrated by injury, was to sit out all but the last of Iran's matches in the Emirates. "It was very important to answer the feeling of the people and win. It was very important not to lose. It was essential for us. Our coach paid attention to this point."

In the Iraqi camp the problem was not that their people expected them to win, but imagining that they could. Despite having won the last big encounter, Iraq, in isolation after the Gulf conflict, felt under-prepared.

"The players were saying what will we do against Iran? We haven't played any games. We haven't practiced," says Laith Hussein, who was to play in an attacking midfield role just behind the strikers Qahtan Drain and Husam Naji. "I told them to forget everything and just play. Don't listen to anyone, don't worry, just come with your heart and play. If you lose, okay you lose. It's not the end of the world. The coach Yahya Alwan said forget everything just play the game. If you take the three points you'll forget everything, but if you lose you'll remember." In the build-up Dubai's Al Makhtoum Stadium, close to it's 20,000 capacity, thundered to the shuddering chants of "I-RAN" from the thousands of watching expatriate Persians, echoed by equally passionate chants from the smaller band of Iraqi fans.

The game when it began was played with an intensity that was scarcely believable. Both teams had similar 3-5-2 formations, but Iraq's tactic was to close down every inch of space and deny Iran even a millisecond in which they could settle on the ball.

Hisham Ali Mosa, who now plays for Lebanese club Homenetmen, should have been one of the players doing all the chasing but he hadn't been released by Racing of Beirut, his club at the time.

"I wanted to join the Iraqi team, deeply from the bottom of my heart, but I was stuck in Lebanon and couldn't go. I went with Racing for a training camp and didn't get back in time for the Asian Cup. I wished I was with them. I wanted to play my part, to help them win and to be part of their happiness.

"I watched the game on television in my apartment in Dora with six or seven of my Iraqi friends. It was a perfect game. It should have been the final. It was a great match, so powerful and quick."

The first 30 minutes were a fascinating struggle as both sides committed to attack. Iran's neat, short passing game opened up space on the flanks and as crosses started to find their way into the box Khodadad Azizi met a ball from Mehdi Mahdavikia only to head straight into the arms of Emad Hassan.

At the same time Iraq were finding space behind the Iranian defence by utilising the speed of Husam Naji and Qahtan Drain. In the 36th minute they made the first breakthrough. Iran cleared from defence, but only as far as the stopper Samir Hassan who sent the ball straight back into the box and to the feet of Husam Naji. The striker was just a few yards from the goal line, but from a seemingly impossible angle he unleashed a ferocious shot.

"Husam Naji shot from the right, but I still don't believe he scored," says Laith Hussein. "From the angle he had the goal was closed. Afterwards he couldn't breathe. He was so shocked."  At the start of the second half Iran came out to attack. Naturally they looked for the head of Ali Daei, who was engaged in an epic tussle with his marker Samir Hassan. Meanwhile Iraq had problems. Laith Hussein had been knocked unconscious just before half time and, though he started the second period, he had to be replaced by Mohamed J. Mahdi. 

"After 45 minutes I hurt my head. Hamid Reza Estili kicked me in the head. I couldn't see. I could hardly talk. I told the coach I couldn't see, but he begged me to stay on. He told me nobody else could play in my position. He told me to try for 15 minutes, but after a few more minutes I felt very bad. When Khalid Sabbar scored (in the 68th minute) from 20 metres. I tell you I couldn't believe it. Once the game started I though maybe we'd get a draw, perhaps we'd lose, but we wouldn't win. We were such a young team."

The second goal was the decisive blow as Husam Naji and Qahtan Drain combined on a break down the left flank. The ball was eventually laid back for Khalid Sabbar, who had come on 20 minutes earlier as a midfield substitute for Ali Shaniyn. His powerful shot found the back of the net.

Back in his flat in Beirut Hisham Ali and his friends went crazy.

"We were so happy, we couldn't control ourselves. We started screaming, shouting and hugging each other. We called all the neighbours. They were just staring at us trying to work out what was happening. We were overwhelmed emotionally. We were with the team physically and emotionally, from the bottom of our hearts."

Naturally, with a two-goal lead, Iraq tried to slow the pace ofthe game down, but Iran were relentless. Fighting until the end, they finally broke through when Ali Daei won and converted an 89th minute penalty.

The victory, in one of the hardest fought, most compelling matches you could ever hope to see, belonged to Iraq. "I have a video cassette of the game at home. I watch it all the time," says Laith of a match that must have literally been a blur for him.  " The game, I tell you, was different. We hadn't played for so long. We just played football, very good football. The players were disciplined and all wanted to win. The three points were so important in the group. After the game everyone was so happy, but I had to stay in my room. I watched TV with the doctor, because of my head injury."

He must have been one of the few subdued Iraqis on the planet, because for all the others the full time whistle was a signal for a massive party. "Back home in Baghdad, they were celebrating in the streets," says Hisham Ali. "People were shooting into the air. Everyone expressed their happiness. Everyone was out in their cars beeping their horns, or they were in the parks and public gardens."

The mood in the Iranian camp was of course entirely different, but defeat perhaps did them a favour. While Iraq went out in the second round to the hosts, Iran recovered their composure remaining unbeaten in normal play for the rest of the tournament. Convincing wins over Thailand (3-1)and the Saudis (3-0) in their other group matches were followed by a sensational 6-2 thrashing of Korea Republic. It was only a semi-final penalty shoot-out that defeated them in their second match against the eventual champions. Iran defeated Kuwait to finish third, Ali Daei ended the tournament as the top scorer and Khodadad Azizi was judged the MVP at Emirates '96. Both earned their transfers to German clubs on the basis of their performances. It must have been hard to imagine while in the depths of despair after losing to Iraq, that for most of the Iranian players the tournament was about to change their footballing lives for the better.

"We knew that the people were angry with us, against us even, but they knew that we had tried our best and we did everything that we could," says Ahmedreza Abedzadeh. "We didn't have an alternative to change this atmosphere. We had to make it up to the people. We tried and we tried and we achieved our goal and made the next phase.

"In football, sometimes, you lose and sometimes you win," Afshin Peirovani adds. "After losing to Iraq no-one thought that Iran would go any further. Everyone was saying that Iran were not a strong team but after our win over Saudi it pushed the loss to Iraq into the background. It made everyone realise that the Iran team was a good side and that we could take the title. They realised that we were a strong team."