Despite terror: International football tournament in Iraq sells out stadiums
Created: 10/01/2023 17:31
By: Andreas Schmid
Historic tournament: For many people in Iraq, the first international tournament is currently taking place in their own country.
Iraq had to wait a long time for this.
© Hussein FALEH/AFP
After decades of violence, another major event is taking place in Iraq: The Gulf Cup is the soccer tournament of the Gulf States.
The country has gained stability, but some IS cells are still active.
Basra – The 2022 World Cup caused a lot of criticism in this country.
But some European fans weren't just upset about human rights issues and corruption.
Angered by the Winter World Cup, some even denied football enthusiasm in the Middle East.
The Gulf Cup is currently showing that this is nonsense.
For the first time in 44 years, the football tournament will be held in Iraq - in sold-out stadiums.
For a long time, this was completely unthinkable due to the uncertain political situation.
Ex-Iraq coach Sidka: "The Gulf Cup is like a world championship"
Between 1990 and 2004, Iraq was banned from many international football competitions due to Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait, much like Russia is now after the Ukraine war.
After that, the national team was rarely allowed to play at home.
"That would have been too dangerous," says German coach Wolfgang Sidka.
He oversaw the Iraqi team from 2010 to 2011.
As a rule, Iraq had to play its home games in Qatar or the United Arab Emirates during this period.
A "massive disadvantage" for Sidka, with a view to the lack of support from home fans.
"If we were allowed to play at home, then only in northern Iraq, in the Kurdish part," says Sidka, who lived in Kurdish Erbil during his tenure.
Wolfgang Sidka at the 2011 Asian Championships. The East Westphalian also coached the Bahrain national team and two Qatari clubs.
Today the former Bundesliga professional (1860, Werder Bremen, Hertha BSC) is President of VfB Oldenburg.
© IMAGO/Ulmer
Gulf Cup 2023 (January 6-19)
Participants: Bahrain, Iraq, Yemen, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE |
|---|
Record Winner: Kuwait (10) |
Venue: Basra |
Eight countries will start in two groups at the Gulf Cup.
"The Gulf Cup is like a world championship for them," says the 68-year-old, who has also worked in Bahrain and Qatar.
"Every country in the Gulf States is crazy about football." You could see that in the first games, most of which were sold out.
On Monday, Iraq won its second group game 2-0 against World Cup participants Saudi Arabia.
They opened with a goalless draw against Oman on Friday.
Before that, the host celebrated a 30-minute opening ceremony with 3D visual effects, such as showing a floating palace.
Gulf Cup as an opportunity: “Iraq can show that it has gained stability”
Hosting the Gulf Cup is considered an important geopolitical signal for the Iraqi government.
"After decades of violence and negative headlines, it is the first internationally recognized major event to take place in Iraq," says Lucas Lamberty, head of the Iraq office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation based in Baghdad, to
IPPEN.MEDIA
.
"In this way, Iraq - despite all the challenges that undoubtedly exist - can show that the country has gained stability."
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This is intended to demonstrate security and community to the outside world.
The last few years have been shaped primarily by terror and a declining economy.
In the meantime, however, the security situation has improved, says Lamberty.
"Iraq is slowly returning to normal and the new government of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani now has the opportunity to significantly advance the country's development in the years to come."
An international tournament in Iraq is a "historic moment," said Prime Minister al-Sudani, praising the "fraternity" with the other Gulf states.
Such statements can be understood as a further orientation of Iraq towards countries like Saudi Arabia.
"Iraq's relationship with the Gulf States can generally be rated as good," says Lamberty.
"There are multiple connections in the political, economic, social and cultural areas."
The Basra International Stadium, also known as Palm Trunk Stadium.
© Hussein FALEH/AFP
Gulf Cup in Iraq: IS shaped the country
Iraq has been trying to host the soccer tournament for years.
"Even in my day it was said that the Gulf Cup should take place in the new stadium in Basra," says ex-coach Sidka on the phone.
"That failed due to the uncertain political situation." Basra, which is characterized by the oil industry, is located in southern Iraq.
Here the situation is comparatively relaxed.
In the north, where many Kurds live, terrorist attacks by the jihadist militia Islamic State (IS) have recently increased.
There were also attacks in central Baghdad, shortly before Christmas eight people died in an attack near the capital.
From 2014, the IS militia had proclaimed a so-called caliphate in large parts of Syria and Iraq, in which the jihadists ruled brutally.
In Iraq, three years later, the militia, backed by local forces, was defeated by a US-led international coalition.
Around 2,500 US soldiers are still deployed in the country to support the fight against the jihadists.
Despite this, IS cells are active in several areas of Iraq.
Iraq expert Lamberty says: "The IS still has cells in the country that carry out attacks from underground."
According to the latest UN data, between 6,000 and 10,000 militia fighters are active in Iraq and neighboring Syria, taking advantage of the porous border between the two states.
According to a United Nations report published in January 2022, IS is still capable of "performing attacks on a regular basis".
© IMAGO/AGB Photo
Lamberty sees other problems in the country, for which Germany is the second largest donor of development aid: “The young democracy in Iraq is fragile and characterized by limited rule of law and rampant corruption.
There is a lack of economic prospects for a rapidly growing young population, which according to forecasts could double from today's 40 million Iraqis to 80 million by 2050.” The effects of climate change aggravated the situation.
The country of 43 million people wants to escape the negative by January 19, as Basra governor Asaad Al Eidani told local media: "The golf cup is a message to the world."
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