On 9 December Syria were drawn in a 2027 Asian Cup qualification group with Myanmar, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Officials at the ceremony in Kuala Lumpur could have had lengthy conversations about how all four’s football fortunes have been damaged and held back by their respective leaders and governments. This time, however, there was even more than usual to discuss. Hours earlier, Bashar al-Assad had fled Damascus for Moscow, ending a dictatorship that had ruled for more than 50 years. As in other fields, there is a sense of uncertainty in football but also an optimism that there may be better times ahead and that the sport can, perhaps, help unite a nation that has gone through so much.
The civil war that started in 2011 has resulted in the estimated deaths of more than 500,000 people and the displacement of many more. During that time football still functioned but reflected the divisions in wider society. “As the nation fractured, so did the national team,” Bernd Stange, Syria’s coach from 2018-19, says. “There were players who fought for certain groups with weapons in their hands, and others who were staunchly opposed to the ruling regime. Unfortunately, as a foreigner, I was not able to focus solely on football and unite the team.”
