Gunfire is **t unusual in Baghdad but the salvos that rang out across the city Friday were fired by thousands of fans celebrating the Iraqi football team's win over Iran. At a time when many would have been in mosques for Friday prayers, men massed in cafes to watch Iran come from behind twice in extra time before being edged 7-6 in a penalty shootout. "Football is the only thing that brings Iraqis together and erases the Shiite-Sunni division," said Ahmed Mussa, a 22-year-old pharmacy employee waving a flag out of his car window. The crowds that transformed the security-obsessed city also saw Iraq's performance against the fancied Iranian squad as a boost to the country's fight against jihadists.
01-23-2015, 09:01 PM
Baghdad erupts in joy after win over Iran
Gunfire is **t unusual in Baghdad but the salvos that rang out across the city Friday were fired by thousands of fans celebrating the Iraqi football team's win over Iran. At a time when many would have been in mosques for Friday prayers, men massed in cafes to watch Iran come from behind twice in extra time before being edged 7-6 in a penalty shootout. "Football is the only thing that brings Iraqis together and erases the Shiite-Sunni division," said Ahmed Mussa, a 22-year-old pharmacy employee waving a flag out of his car window. The crowds that transformed the security-obsessed city also saw Iraq's performance against the fancied Iranian squad as a boost to the country's fight against jihadists.
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