Iraqi soccer team wins 1st home match in 7 years with 3-0 victory over Palestinians

Iraqi soccer team wins 1st home match in 7 years

IRBIL, Iraq — Iraq has won its first home soccer game since 2002, defeating the Palestinian national team 3-0 in an exhibition.

Hawar Mulla Mohammed scored in the 20th minute from a corner kick on Friday, and Ahmed Younis made it 2-0 with a header before Louai Salah completed the scoring with a hard shot in the second half.

Jubilant Iraqi fans who filled the Fransou Hariri stadium in Irbil waved Iraqi and Palestinian flags while chanting: “Iraq, Iraq.”

Iraq last played a home game on July 22, 2002, when it beat Syria 2-1 in Baghdad. The country sank into chaos after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, but has made gains in security after years of insurgent attacks and sectarian violence.