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As football fans across the country prepare for celebration,
authorities in Iraq
announced a ban on vehicles and the traditional celebratory gunfire in an
attempt to curb violence during the event that would surely gather thousands on
the streets.
Previous performances of the Iraqi national football team
were celebrated by large crowds on the streets of Baghdad
and other major cities, but regardless of these manifestations extremists
carried out two bomb attacks in Baghdad,
killing at least 50 persons.
A curfew was imposed in the embattled city of Karbala, while the
vehicle ban will go into effect at 10:30 GMT.
The Asian Cup’s final will kick-off in Jakarta
two hours later between Iraq
and Saudi Arabia, two teams
that managed to surpass any expectations and play the last match of Asia's top football tournament.
Sunnis and Shiites form the young team that fought for a
common goal and ousted titled teams like Australia
and South Korea
to set up a standoff with the Saudis. The young men offered people across the
country a motive to celebrate together, regardless of differences or ethnical
appurtenance.
“We are shouldering our responsibility to bring hope to the
Iraqi people. We know that by winning we can make the Iraqi people happy.
Reaching the final is not enough, our ambition is to win the title,” striker
Younis Mahmoud said before the match in a motivating speech.
Also, authorities made an appeal to all persons not to form
large groups that could become targets for terrorist attacks and cast a shade
on a national celebration.
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