Iraq's 'Stadium of Horrors' in Ruins, but the Game Goes On
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15 Sports Sunday, October 25, 2020 Iraq’s ‘stadium of horrors’ in ruins, but the game goes on Bullet-riddled stadium was caught up in deadly battles MOSUL: Mohamed Fathi, coach of Mosul’s football to the first division a decade ago. With thousands of club in northern Iraq, hardly recognizes the ruined roaring fans passionately backing their team, locals soccer stadium once used by Islamic State group dubbed it the “stadium of horrors” for visiting teams. fighters to fire rockets and lob mortars from. Piles of But that ominous label would take on a more sinister rubble lie alongside a pitch of bumpy sand. The high meaning with the arrival of IS militants. “I used to fol- concrete stadium tiers surrounding it - with all seats low soccer matches here, and suddenly out of torn out - look dangerously close to collapse. “After nowhere convoys of IS militants decked out with this was destroyed, there’s no other stadiums in the guns would show up,” recounted Omar al-Mosuli, a city to play football,” Fathi said, waving his hand at resident in his thirties. “It was a frightening scene, the crumbling building. “The impact of the destruc- and I used to walk away quietly.” tion is enough to tell you everything that happened Islamic State’s austere and terror-ridden reign here.” was marked by beheadings and shootings. Like so Jihadi fighters from the Islamic State (IS) group many other facets of daily life, football changed. seized Mosul in 2014, later expanding its so-called Soccer disappeared as a professional pursuit - and “caliphate” to over a third of Iraq and into neighbor- violence became established a past-time instead. ing Syria. In 2017, Iraqi and coalition forces forced “Under the stands, IS fighters transformed the space the hardened insurgents out in a grinding urban bat- into a massive weapons depot,” Mosuli said. “They tle that left ancient Mosul in ruins. The bullet-riddled set up launchpads inside the stadium to fire rockets 20,000-seater stadium, home to Mosul Sports Cub, during the battle to liberate the city.” He recalled how was not spared, caught up in the deadly battles for the extremists forced people to play in long shorts control. Two other smaller stadiums in town were that reached below their knees - and there was a also damaged. strict ban on anyone donning jerseys of their favorite MOSUL: Mohamed Fathi (right), coach of Al-Mosul FC, speaks with his team players at the ravaged international teams or players. Football matches Al-Idara Al-Mahalia stadium, which was once used by Islamic State group fighters as a weapons Football ‘brings life’ would be abruptly halted for prayer time, he added. depot, near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. -—AFP “Sadly the central government doesn’t realize that football is what brings life back to a town, its people ‘Plenty of talent’ and its youth,” Fathi said. “So things have stayed the Amid Mosul’s disfigured landscape, its committed International’s Corruption Perceptions Index. Younis, the 34-year-old coach of the aptly-named same.” Mosul Sports Club was once a solid perform- players still train on the stadium’s dusty pitch a cou- “A foreign aid agency started reconstructing amateur team Al-Mustaqbal, or “The Future”. He ing club that produced some of the country’s best ple of times a week. Mosul SC stadium, but the province’s sports authori- urges his young players to train hard, as they prac- players. They include Hawar Mulla Mohammed, who There are no other suitable fields to play on. ty reassigned the site two years ago to a business- tice in a dusty field in Mosul’s al-Bakr neighborhood led Iraq to its historic 2007 Asian Cup championship, “We are forced to train here now,” Fathi, the man,” Mosul-based sports journalist Talal al-Ameri in front of a small but loyal following of fans. It is a far and who played professionally in Europe. Decades coach, explained. “The club’s president and some of told AFP. The businessman sat on the project — a cry from the cheering thousands who once watched earlier, Iraq’s national squad made its only World Cup the staff even pay for the equipment out of their own common occurrence in Iraq. When a respected for- in Mosul’s centerpiece stadium, but it is the best they appearance in Mexico in 1986. pocket,” he added. mer captain of the Iraqi national squad became can do for now as they wait for football to flourish Mosul’s own son, skilled midfielder Haris But the lack of a proper place play for the team is sports minister, Adnan Darjal, he reviewed the file. again. For now, hopes of a return to the glory days Mohammed, ably led his country to the rare interna- also a reflection of the rampant corruption Iraq “Due to corruption allegations, the new minister the club has seen remain a dream. “We have plenty of tional honor. Founded in 1947, Mosul SC played 18 struggles with. The country is consistently ranked as has suspended everything,” Ameri added. talent,” Younis said. “But without a stadium, it’s hard seasons in Iraq’s premier league, before its relegation one of the worst performers on Transparency But the lack of stadium has not deterred Maytham for them to get noticed.”— AFP Rennes lose to Angers as fans Mohsen helps Ahly try to beat curfew secure comfortable RENNES: Rennes sent 5,000 fans racing home to passage to CAF final beat a curfew on Friday ruing another wasted lead after their team lost 2-1 at home to Angers in Ligue JOHANNESBURG: An early Marwan 1. A spike in Covid-19 cases in the region brought Mohsen goal set Al Ahly of Egypt on their the introduction of a curfew from midnight on way to a 3-1 home victory over Wydad Friday. That gave fans barely an hour to get home Casablanca of Morocco on Friday and a place after the match or risk a 135-euro ($160) fine. in the CAF Champions League final. Mohsen Rennes could have moved to the top of Ligue 1 struck after five minutes. Hussein el Shahat with a victory, instead, they suffered their first added a second midway through the first half defeat of the season as, for the fourth time in four as Ahly doubled their aggregate advantage games, they blew a lead. This time they did not having won the first leg of the semi-final 2-0 even gain a draw. RENNES: Stade Rennais’ Moroccan defender Nayef Aguerd (left) vies with Angers’ Malian midfielder Lassana last weekend. The home team started well. After 18 minutes, Coulibaly during the French L1 football match between Stade Rennais and Angers on October 23, 2020. — AFP Yasser Ibrahim scored a third goal for Paul Bernadoni, Angers record signing, failed to record eight-time African champions Ahly hold a tame volley from Flavien Tait. Adrien Hunou header. The victory lifted Angers into the top six. before substitute Zouhair el Moutaraji pulled pounced on the loose ball to slide it in from close “For us, it’s an exploit,” said Angers coach one back eight minutes from time. Ahly quali- range. Angers quickly hit back. In the 27th minute, Stephane Moulin adding that the Champions Matches on TV fied 5-1 overall and must wait until November former Southampton player Sofiane Boufal’s shot League had taken a toll on Rennes. “They used a 1 before knowing whether they will face fel- from the edge of the box took a small deflection off (Local Timings) lot of energy on Tuesday evening.” low Egyptians Zamalek or Raja Casablanca Steven Nzonzi and a bigger one off Damien Da Angers had conceded 10 goals over their last of Morocco in the single-match final five Silva before flying past Alfred Gomis. two away games. “We had to close the floodgates days later. Zamalek were due to defend a 1-0 In the 57th minute, Angelo Fulgini chasing a and I liked the way we did it,” said Moulin Rennes ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE first leg lead over Raja on Saturday in Cairo, long punt forward wriggled past Da Siva and manager Julien Stephan made five changes to the Southampton v Everton 17:00 but the match was postponed when eight of stretched out a toe to lob the ball over Gomis to starting lineup from the club’s Champions League beIN Sports HD 1 the Moroccan squad tested positive for give Angers the lead. Almost at once, Gomis atoned debut against Krasnodar on Tuesday when they Wolverhampton v Newcastle 19:30 coronavirus. with a spectacular save from a point-blank Boufal squandered a lead and drew 1-1 at home. — AFP beIN Sports HD 1 On Friday, Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane Arsenal v Leicester City 22:15 from South Africa made one enforced change beIN Sports HD 2 important game for us and a from the first-leg line-up with veteran full- back Ahmed Fathy replacing injured Tunisian Bamford hits hat-trick as Leeds deserved triumph. We scored first SPANISH LEAGUE Ali Maaloul. Argentine-born Wydad coach and were a little bit lucky they Real Valladolid v Deportivo Alaves 16:00 Miguel Gamondi recalled fit-again Ivorian end Villa’s winning start didn’t score some of the chances beIN Sports HD 3 they had,” Bielsa said. Cadiz CF v Villarreal 18:00 centre-back Cheick Comara, who was missed BIRMINGHAM: Marcelo Bielsa in his rise, the Leeds boss said his For Villa, their four-game win- beIN Sports last weekend with replacement Yahya Jabrane insisted Patrick Bamford deserves player’s renaissance was down to ning run came to a halt as they Getafe v Granada 20:30 blamed for both Ahly goals.