Nashat Akram was 19 years old when he was called up to join the Iraqi U-23 squad for the 2004 Olympic Games.
Even though he was young, he already had some international experience with the U-20 squad at the 2001 World Cup and had been capped by the senior team. Akram quickly saw that the preparation was far from appropriate.
"We had to fly from Baghdad to Athens in a military plane", recalls Akram, "The team had mismatched clothing – some Nike, some Adidas, Jack Jones – a plethora of brands that the players brought with them, since we never actually had a proper official team kit". Did he feel that Iraq could do something in the games? "When we got there, it wasn’t as if we were turning up to represent an entire nation at the world’s most popular sporting event, it felt more like a Sunday league match".
The situation that the Iraqis left behind back home was horrible. It was over a year after the United States invaded Iraq. The country was on the verge of civil war, as the ethnic diversity created tensions between Shias, Sunnis and Kurds. Terror was determining day-to-day life, with suicide bombings taking place every day. Akram's memories from these days, just make the preparations for the Olympics sound even more complicated.
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24 hours before the opening ceremony, Iraq played their first match in the Olympic tournament. Their first opponents were Portugal, who had players such as Raul Meireles, Hugo Almeida and José Bosingwa. Their squad was strengthened by the over-aged Luís Boa Morte and by a 19 year-old talent, by the name of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The match took place in the stadium in Patras. Everyone thought that Portugal would imitate Argentina’s 6-0 win against Serbia, which had been played at the stadium earlier.
Early in the match, that seemed to be the case, as Portugal scored first in the 13th minute through an own goal by an Iraqi defender. The Iraqis didn’t give in, and scored twice in the 16th and 29th minute. Just before half time, Portugal equalised, so after 45 minutes, the scoreboard showed 2:2. The second half completed the sensational match. Continued Iraqi dominance saw them score twice, with the Portuguese defence looking helpless. The match finished with a shocking and easy 4:2 win for Iraq.
This match was the first step in a surprising journey for Iraq in the tournament. While in Iraq itself, 100 civilians were killed in a terror attack, the national team defeated Costa Rica and lost to Morocco, but finished top of the group. They had a great performance against Australia in the quarterfinals, during which fans from the Iraqi diaspora were cheering for them all over Greece. Their great run ended with two defeats - in the semi final against Paraguay and in the bronze medal match against Italy.
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No matter what happens in Iraq, football unites this country. In the match against Portugal, no one cared who the scorers were, although Iraqi religious and ethnic diversity was reflected on the scoreboard; Emad Mohammed the Shiite, Hawar Mulla Muhamed the Kurd and Younis Mahmoud the Sunni. That night they were all Iraqis, fighting together for one mission and for one country.
12 years later, new heroes are going to try to write another chapter in the Iraqi football. The tensions in Iraq are still there, as IS terrorism is present, Kurdish autonomy is moving towards independence, and so on. Football, however, keeps progressing in Iraq and, more than that, it blurs any difference between the players, no matter where in Iraq they come from.
When Iraq defeated Qatar in the decisive match for the Olympic spot, people from all over Iraq celebrated. Even though the Kurds don’t feel part of the Iraqi nation, Sherko Karim, the Kurdish player of Grasshoppers, will be part of the Iraqi team in this year’s tournament.
Iraq’s superstar is Ali Adnan, who is nicknamed the "Iraqi Gareth Bale". He is a role model in the country and the first ever Iraqi to play in the Italian Serie A. After a season at Udinese, he will be the man to watch in this team. More than a football player, Adnan supported Iraqi soldiers in their fight against ISIS. A success in Rio will officially mean that Adnan can now be a real national hero.
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The Iraqi team is ready for their new journey. After their goalless draw against Denmark, they will face Brazil, who drew 0-0 with South Africa. In front of the local crowd at Mané Garrincha in Brasília, Ali Adnan will look straight into Neymar’s eyes, as some of the Iraqi players did against Cristiano Ronaldo in 2004. Maybe that will revive the magic of Patras. Inshallah.
Many thanks to @hassaninmubarak and @SoccerIraq for their knowledge and help in writing this piece. They’re two of the greatest sources around for Iraqi football. Make sure that you follow them.