Ali Maali (Dubai)
Great celebrations swept through the Iraqi cities, starting with the Palm Trunk Stadium, with the qualification of its first football team to the “Gulf 25” final held in the city of Basra, which witnessed great celebrations, being the venue for competitions, where Al-Watan Street, the Basra Corniche area and the banks of the Shatt Al-Arab witnessed a mass presence. A huge celebration of the imminent restoration of the “Mesopotamia Lions” to the Gulf title, which has been absent from their stadiums for 35 years.
In Baghdad, fans filled the streets of the capital, Baghdad, while raising flags. The area of Tahrir Square and the Ummah Park, in central Baghdad, witnessed great celebrations. On the outskirts of the capital, the city of Bismayah also witnessed the exit of a large number of celebrants.
And the “Lions of Mesopotamia” team, which won the title three times in 1979 in Baghdad, 1984 and 1988 in Muscat and Riyadh, is only one step away from embracing the absent title for 35 years, if it succeeds in overcoming the Oman national team in the final match tomorrow, “Thursday”.
Iraqi President Abd al-Latif Rashid congratulated the national team players, saying in a tweet to him via Twitter: “I congratulate the Lions of Mesopotamia for their victory and their qualification to the final match of the Gulf 25, and warmest wishes to the heroes of our national team for more successes, and for our people to continue their joy.”
Adnan Darjal, President of the Football Association, called for the support of his country in the final match, saying in an official statement: “The distinguished success achieved by the Lions of Mesopotamia players is a source of pride for all Iraqis, and we must support and support and contribute to encouraging and supporting this football battalion that plays in the name of Iraq.” Hoping to snatch the Gulf title, which has been absent from our coffers for 35 years.
The Iraqi artist, Kazem El-Saher, interacted with the qualification, saying on Facebook: “You made us happy, O Lions of Mesopotamia.”
And the Iraqi team had confirmed its clear Gulf supremacy over its Qatari counterpart in the last 3 Gulf versions by winning with one score (2-1), as the “Gulf 23” in 2017, which took place in Kuwait, witnessed victory in the second round in the group stage, and the same scenario was repeated. In the “Gulf 24”, which was held in Qatar 2019, and was in the first round, and in the current version, “Gulf 25”, the confrontation was in the semi-finals, in the “third time Clacket”, during which the “Mesopotamia Lions” succeeded in achieving an important and exciting victory once morest more From 65 thousand spectators filled the stadium.
The match between the Iraqi and Qatari teams held the number (11) in the history of the Gulf Cup confrontations since the start of its first edition in 1970, and during this long journey, Iraq excelled in 6 matches, Qatar once, and tied 4 times.
