Joy, disappointment, protests: A view from Egypt-Iran World Cup tie

Seattle, United States – There were goals. There were jubilations and heartbreak. There were raucous crowds, confrontations and comradery. There were protests, authorities and Palestinian flags. There was a missed penalty. There was joy. There was disappointment.

Egypt’s 1-1 draw with Iran successful Seattle astatine the FIFA World Cup connected Friday had it all. Iran is inactive successful contention to suffice arsenic 1 of the 8 champion third-place finishers, depending connected Saturday’s results.

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Wild celebrations among the Egyptian fans erupted extracurricular the stadium aft the match, arsenic the state proceeded past the World Cup radical stages for the archetypal time.

“The feeling is outstanding,” Daniel Salib, who was draped with an Egyptian flag, told Al Jazeera.

“After this game, and the game we played against New Zealand, and however we played against Belgium, we perfectly merit it. So, I couldn’t beryllium much arrogant of this state and this team.”

Egypt survived a precocious Iranian onslaught that saw Team Melli, arsenic the Iran squad is known, deed the woodwork and person a extremity chalked disconnected by VAR for offside.

Iran besides had a punishment saved successful the archetypal half, but the full lucifer was action-packed, going blow-for-blow.

Iran protagonist Saeed Nassef said helium was disappointed with Friday’s effect but hopeful that Iran would inactive marque it done to the circular of 32, each depending connected the results of Sunday night’s games.

“The Iranian squad did a beauteous job. They faced a batch of hardship, but we’re truly blessed however they played,” Nassef told Al Jazeera.

Protests

Protesters against the Iranian authorities had gathered extracurricular the stadium, waving US and Israeli flags and holding up photos of Iranian absorption fig Reza Pahlavi.

Nassef, who carried the authoritative Iranian flag, which features the sanction of God, was 1 of respective fans who told Al Jazeera they faced harassment from absorption activists.

“We’re present to enactment the team. We’re present to enactment sports… It’s not chill for radical to travel present and accidental atrocious things due to the fact that we are present to enactment the players. We privation immoderate happiness,” helium said.

After the match, Al Jazeera witnessed a confrontation betwixt antigovernment activists and a protagonist carrying an Iranian flag.

The protesters hurled insults astatine the fan, calling him a “terrorist” and saying helium should permission the country. They besides engaged successful expletive-laden Islamophobic chants.

The fan, who identified himself by his archetypal sanction lone arsenic Milad, approached a antheral starring the chants connected a megaphone and criticising Team Melli fans. He stood inches distant from the protester earlier constabulary officers intervened to propulsion them apart.

“My contented is not political. My contented is: Players, they play for the country, they play for the people. I enactment the people. That’s it,” Milad said.

“Good oregon bad, it doesn’t matter. Our radical went and they tried to make joyousness for different people, and that’s each that matters,” helium added.

But the commotion did small to overshadow the adjacent festivities wherever Egyptians had gathered, singing and dancing astatine their country’s historical moment.

Protesters against the Iranian authorities extracurricular the Seattle Stadium, June 26 [Ali Harb/Al Jazeera]

Electric atmosphere

Inside the stadium, the ambiance was electrical passim the lucifer – not an bare seat, not a quiescent moment.

When the archetypal fractional concluded, respective sets of Iranian and Egyptian fans started taking pictures together.

The players besides showed enactment for each other. After the last whistle, respective Egyptian players consoled their Iranian counterparts, who were visibly upset with the result.

Throughout the 90 minutes, spectators appeared to beryllium alternating successful their chants betwixt “Iran, Iran” and “Misr, Misr”, Arabic for Egypt, alternatively than chanting implicit each other.

There were a fewer pre-Islamic gyration Iranian flags successful the assemblage – featuring a regal lion and sun – but they were acold outnumbered by the country’s authoritative flag.

Some radical waved LGBTQ+ pridefulness flags and rainbow paraphernalia, owed to the crippled being designated the World Cup’s “Pride Match”. But determination did not look to beryllium immoderate problems successful the stadium, contempt the hype astir the issue.

The Egypt supporters boasted their past practice with pharaohs’ headdresses and outfits.

“We’re truthful arrogant to beryllium Egyptian and truthful arrogant of our nationalist team,” said Karim Elshabini, who was sporting a golden and achromatic pharaoh’s headpiece and a reddish Egypt shot top.

“It feels amazing. Everybody’s vibing truly well. People are truly cool. The Egyptian fans, the Iranian fans, we’re each having a truly bully time.”

There were galore Palestinian flags astatine the match, including a mates that were prominently displayed down the goals.

Egypt instrumentality Bilal Ali, who brought a Palestinian emblem to the stadium, told Al Jazeera helium would similar to support authorities retired of football, but with Israeli atrocities continuing successful Gaza and elsewhere, helium could not stay silent.

“I consciousness blameworthy sometimes erstwhile I get to [see] the crippled and our radical successful Palestine conscionable get bombed and killed,” Ali added.

Several Egyptian and Iranian fans shouted “Free Palestine” arsenic they walked past Ali with his flag.

Iranian instrumentality Hameed with his children extracurricular the Seattle Stadium, June 26 [Ali Harb/Al Jazeera]

‘Minab 168’

There was much than shot astatine the game.

Hameed, an Iranian instrumentality who wished to beryllium identified by his archetypal sanction only, wore a garment that said Minab 168.

The connection is meant to honour the victims of the schoolhouse successful confederate Iran that was bombed connected the archetypal time of the US-Israel warfare connected the country.

“I conscionable privation to punctual the satellite that the plight of these kids who were bombed, either intentionally oregon not intentionally, should not beryllium forgotten,” Hameed told Al Jazeera.

“This is wherefore we should not person wars.”

He added that determination indispensable beryllium a credible probe into the incident.

“Politics aside, humanity needs to survive, and the lone mode to bash it, whether the kids are being blown up successful Palestine, in Lebanon, successful Iran, successful Sudan, successful Congo, we’ve got to support them,” Hameed said.

Political statements, flags and protests aside, astatine the last whistle, the infinitesimal belonged to Egypt with a historical sporting achievement.

“Seeing your state aft each these years of cheering them, each the highs and lows, yet putting successful each the high, bully effort and getting bully results is simply a surreal feeling,” said Rafael Youssef, who had the colours of the Egyptian emblem painted connected his cheek.

“I’m precise blessed for them, precise blessed to beryllium present with them.”