Iran-Iraq match to be fierce
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This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from October 2000.
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soccer In their last group match of the first round of the Asian Cup on Wednesday, the two sides, who once dominated Asian soccer and still export top players to regional and international countries, will be looking for a victory to secure a place in the quarterfinals.
Both teams have four points but Iran enjoys a superior goal difference. The two countries fought an eight-year war that killed 1 million people and mistrust still exists between them.
They last met in the 1996 Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates, with Iraq winning 2-1, and Iran will be looking to avenge that loss. Relations have improved between the two since the 1980-88 war, and were recently capped by a visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi to Baghdad, during which he met Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. While Iraq has never won the Asian Cup, it has been 24 years since Iran took the trophy home.
``Twenty-four years is a long time to wait to clinch the Cup," said Iran's top striker Ali Daei, selected as Asia's Player of the Year in April.
``We are certain to win this year's Cup," said Daei, who plays his soccer in Germany's Bundesliga for Hertha Berlin.
Iran won the Asian Cup title three successive times: 1968, 1972, 1976.
Iraq, on the other hand, has suffered from crippling United Nations sanctions imposed on it since its 1990 invasion of Kuwait and has remained isolated from the international soccer arena.
Its first real test came in last year's Pan Arab Games, when it finished runner-up to host Jordan, losing on penalties after trailing 4-0 with 12 minutes to go. The 12-nation quadrennial championship is the continent's soccer showcase, and the political tension is not limited to Iran-Iraq.
Kuwait, invaded by Iraq in 1990 before a U.S.-led coalition drove its military forces out, has said it will withdraw rather than play against the Iraqis in any of the stages of the tournament.
