In the end the only thing that matters is football
Iraq unified in celebration as the national selection defeated Uzbekistan 2-1 to advance in the Asia Games.
The spokesman for the Iraqi teams at the Asian Games, Imad Nasser, also referred to the team's broad ethnic mix, noting its player roster has Kurds, Sunnis, Shiites and Christians.
"This is Iraq. It has all these groups. So does the soccer team," he said. "We all play under the Iraqi flag and we all belong to the nation. Religion or ethnicity is something personal."
They face a strong South Korea team next.
The spokesman for the Iraqi teams at the Asian Games, Imad Nasser, also referred to the team's broad ethnic mix, noting its player roster has Kurds, Sunnis, Shiites and Christians.
"This is Iraq. It has all these groups. So does the soccer team," he said. "We all play under the Iraqi flag and we all belong to the nation. Religion or ethnicity is something personal."
They face a strong South Korea team next.