Lebanon and football happiness.

Day -951. WorldCup2018.

Football, if it matters, carried on this weekend. Football stadiums, and other sport stadia, can be a gathering place for collective emotions. It can't replace, but maybe it can help repair.

Europe has not started World Cup qualifying. France, after their players spent a night in the Stade de Frace with their German opponents, have decided to go ahead with their friendly in England on Tuesday. The players were given the option of pulling out. All said they wanted to go.

On the day of the terrible double suicide bombing in Beirut, Lebanon, beat Laos 7-0 for their first home points. The match was played south of Beirut, in Sidon, at 5pm. The bombings were reported to have happened at 6pm. For those supporters in Sidon their apprehension was probably only about whether Lebanon would get 3 points and possibly overtake Kuwait who have been provisionally suspended by Fifa. In the end, at around 7pm, was there any joy?

On Friday, 26 people were killed in a suicide bombing and roadside blast in Baghdad.  According to the Ney York Times "attacks in Baghdad have taken place almost daily". Iraq did not play this weekend. They play in Chinese Taipei. Iraqis, sadly, have become used to football matches being targets of attacks. Yet it seems, nothing can dampen the supporters enthusiasm. After a suicide bomber killed 30 fans celebrating Iraq's semi-final win against South Korea, a new anthem became popular amongst supporters: "With our blood and soul, we will sacrifice for Iraq" (from www.thenational.ae). For some, football is their outlet from the misery.

http://www.thenational.ae/sport/football/20150715/football-in-times-of-crisis-iraqs-love-of-the-game-refuses-to-waver-in-face-of-violence

And in Africa the supporters of Gabon, Uganda, Zambia, Morocco, Congo DR and Guinea have good reason to be happy, if only for a short while and if only as a distraction from daily life, as they won to move on the next round of qualifying.