أول مباراة دولية على أرض العراق منذ 2003

Hello and welcome to BBC Xtra English!

Football is one of the most popular sports in the world, and even in Iraq, where some security problems still exist, people love to watch football.

Today the Iraqi team will play the first ever international match on Iraqi soil since the 2003 war.

They will play the Palestinian national team in a friendly game in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil.

Many Iraqis love football, and the last international match to be played in Iraq was between Syria and Iraq in 2002.

Iraq won the match 2-1.

The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse said that today's match is full of symbolism.

He says that Iraq wants to show the world that it is moving past violence and insecurity.

Lots of people watching football and having a good time will be a sign that things have changed.

Iraqi supporters will also be hoping that their team will rediscover its form.

It won the Asian cup in 2007 but since then it has not been doing very well.

Maybe this match will be a new start for the Iraqi team!

What do you think of this story? Write to us in English!

ما رأيك في هذه القصة؟ اكتب لنا بالإنجليزية

انقر هنا للاستماع للكلمات

popular
جماهيري

security problems
مشاكل أمنية

international match
مباراة دولية

national team
المنتخب الوطني

friendly game
مباراة ودية

supporters
مشجعي المنتخب

symbolism
رمزية

violence
عنف

insecurity
انعدام الامن

rediscover
يعيد اكتشاف

a new start
بداية جديدة

Raed Althabti, Sanaa, Yemen
I things this match between iraqia and palsetinian it is wohderful after long time from security problem through seven years. All iraqai waiting this match impatentienly. Popular in arab cuntris wating international match on ground iraq national team iraqi was strong from long time . I hope from gad conciliation in friendly game and all matchs. I want from supporter to national team iraqi continue support and leave th violence and insecurty to redisciver to a neww strat

Hmada, Palestine
I share my opinine with you the football si the most popular sports in the world . but the Arabian football is so so week compare with EUROP football or south American football . Inthe other hand the Arabian team have good financial supply to support our team but without use.

Mohammed Hashim, Khartoum, Sudan
This match will show us the mythical ability in taking and moving the violence and insecurity past and showing the serious efforts to make anew iraq

شروط وبنود الاستخدام