Iraq one step closer to emulating 2007 Asian Cup fairytale

Free-scoring Iraq hope to emulate their heroes of 2007 by going all the way at the Asian Cup after storming through the group stage with three wins from three.
Having sprung a shock by beating Japan, Iraq celebrated finishing top of Group D with a last-minute 3-2 win over 10-man Vietnam, who were already eliminated.
Aymen Hussein netted twice including the winner deep in stoppage time in a frantic match and is the leading scorer in Qatar with five goals. Japan finished second in the group after a 3-1 win over Indonesia, who look unlikely to progress as one of the best third-placed teams.
Iraq’s perfect nine points in the group phase trumps the five they picked up at the same stage in 2007 on the way to their first and only continental title. They defeated three-time champions Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the final in Jakarta, the fairytale triumph sparking huge celebrations back in deeply fractured Iraq. The current crop of players remembers it well.
“I was watching this game at the time with my family,” midfielder Osama Rashid said in Qatar when asked about the historic win. “We were very happy and went outside to celebrate with friends. Many people speak about these moments,” said Rashid, who scored in the 3-1 win over Indonesia in Doha.
The Spaniard Jesus Casas was named coach in late 2022 and Iraq promptly won the eight-team Gulf Cup on home soil. Rashid said that meant the players “know the feeling of winning a cup and how they can make the Iraqi people happy”.
Upsetting the odds once again in Qatar would make “a lot of people – 40 million Iraqi people – very happy”, said Casas, a former assistant to Luis Enrique with Spain’s national team.
Having already topped the group, Iraq rested players for match with Vietnam at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. Vietnam thought they had secured the lead in the 17th minute when Iraqi defender Zaid Tahseen’s attempt to clear Vo Minh Trong’s cross inadvertently resulted in the ball going into his own net but an intervention from VAR saw the scoreline being restored to 0-0.
However, the Golden Star Warriors broke the deadlock in the 40th minute when an unmarked Bui Hoang Viet Anh sent a perfect volley into the middle of the Iraqi net, from striker Khuat Van Khang’s free-kick. That would be Khuat’s last attacking involvement – he was sent off in first-half stoppage time for a second yellow card.
Determined to take advantage of the situation, Iraq began the second half with forwards Ali Jasim and Aymen Hussein replacing Bashar Rasan and Ahmed Abas respectively.
The 2007 AFC Asian Cup champions were rewarded almost instantly as Jasim wasted no time in helping the Lions of Mesopotamia back into the game when his corner kick two minutes into the second half was headed into the Vietnamese goal by Solaka, earning the defender his first international goal.
Rejuvenated by the equaliser, Iraq continued to apply pressure and got their second in the 72nd minute when Husein received a beautiful cross from Jasim and made no mistake in heading the ball past Vietnamese goalkeeper Filip Nguyen for his fourth goal of the campaign.
With less than 10 minutes left on the clock, Iraq had another golden opportunity to further their lead when Bui Hoang Viet Anh’s tackle gifted the West Asians a penalty but the talismanic Hussein saw his spot-kick being denied by the woodwork.
However, Vietnam restored parity through substitute Ngyuen Quang Hai in the first minute of stoppage time but a last minute penalty conceded by Vo Minh Trong saw Hussein score Iraq’s winner.