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Iraqis celebrate soccer team's victory
Iraqi community celebrated in the streets on Saturday night after their Olympic football team beat Australia 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the competition.
- Indo-Asian News Service
- Updated: February 25, 2007 09:08 AM IST
Read Time:2 min
Athens:
Members of Athens' Iraqi community celebrated in the streets on Saturday night after their Olympic football team beat Australia 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the competition. The Iraqi team had already exceeded their greatest expectations by reaching the quarterfinal stage of the Olympic football competition. Spirit and determination But on Saturday night in Crete, the side showed spirit and a level of determination that will invigorate their fellow countrymen in Iraq. Emad Mohammed's 64th minute goal was be enough to see Iraq reach the semifinal stage and now Olympic Gold is more than just a distant dream. As the final whistle blew at the Pankritio Stadium in Crete, members of the Iraqi community in Athens rose to their feet to begin the celebrations that continued into the night. Defying expectations When the Olympic football qualifying competition began, few had expected Iraq to reach the Summer Games considering the current climate on their home soil. But now the Olympic football team's exploits will give hope to the people of Iraq. Iraq will now face the winner of the Athens Olympic Games' fourth quarterfinal between Paraguay and South Korea in the semi-finals on August 24. The celebrations promise to get even bigger and better if Iraq carry on their amazing Olympic run. (AP)Topics mentioned in this article
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