Syria saves World Cup qualification bid with late equalizer
TEHRAN, Iran — Syria scored deep into stoppage time at Iran to keep alive its hopes of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time amid an ongoing civil war at home.
With Syria facing elimination from Asian qualifying, Omar al-Soma marked his return to the team after a five-year absence to clinch a 2-2 draw and a place in the playoffs.
Players, with “Syria” rather than names emblazoned across the back of their red jerseys, sank to their knees on the turf in Tehran. From the bench, members of the team’s staff with flags streamed onto the field.
Back home, the pursuit of a place at the World Cup in Russia has provided a flicker of joy in parts of a country divided by six years of war. Big screens were erected in public squares the Syrian capital Damascus for public screenings and fans also packed into coffee shops and sports halls to watch the broadcast from Iran.