Newswire: Iraq upset China 2-1 in Asian Cup qualifier

A little news every Iraqi can celebrate!



Iraq goalscorer Hawar Mohammed celebrates bagging the winner against China

AL AIN, UAE: Mahdi Kareem and Hawar Mohamed scored in either half as Iraq pulled off a stunning 2-1 win over China in a Group E match of the AFC Asian Cup 2007 qualifying round on Wednesday here.

The win at the Khalifa Bin Zayed Stadium helped Iraq avenge their 3-0 ouster in the quarterfinals from the 2004 edition of the AFC Asian Cup by eventual finalists China.

Mahdi Kareem bulged the net on 16 minutes to give Iraq the lead but Akram Salman’s men couldn’t impose themselves on their rivals. The first half was equally poised and Zhu Guanghu’s team poured forward for the equaliser but failed to find it before the break.

A defensive lapse in the 54th minute saw Munich 1860 midfielder Shao Jiayi’s cross being miscleared and the ball trickling to Tao Wei who made no mistake from near the penalty spot.

However, Hawar Mohamed re-established Iraq’s lead with a fierce left-footed freekick in the 67th minute which brushed the underside of the bar and rushed in past Chinese goalkeeper Li Lei Lei.

From then on, Iraq defended well to walk away with three points.