Hot stepper: A bare-footed Iraqi soldier has no trouble controlling the ball during the 3-all draw against Australia in Iraq. Photos by Capt Michael Brooke

AUSTRALIA has held Iraq to a thrilling 3-all draw in a friendly soccer match celebrating the first anniversary of Al Muthanna being granted Provincial Iraqi Control.

Soldiers from Overwatch Battle Group (West) 3 were spurred on by the Socceroos’ recent defeat at the hands of the Iraqi national team to produce a gutsy effort and draw with the soldiers from the Iraqi 2 Bde’s 2 Bn.

Cpl Sam Clarke was the hero of the day for the Australians, scoring a hat-trick of goals.

Fierce competitiveness between the teams was the main feature of the game, with the Australians playing hard to restore damaged national pride after the Socceroos lost 1-3 to the Iraqi national team in the Asia Cup, which Iraq went on to win after scoring a 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in the final.

The Australians’ grim determination was matched by the toughness of the Iraqis, many of whom played bare-footed on a rock-hard desert pitch.

The game was played early in the morning on July 18 at the Eastern Barracks near the provincial capital of As Samawah, well before the temperature reached the midday peak of 47C.

The match was part of the celebrations held to mark the progress over the past 12 months since Al Muthanna was granted the status of Provincial Iraqi Control on July 13, 2006.

Brig Salim Jaber, Commander 2 Bde, thanked the Australians for the match and for their support helping with the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Iraq.

“The first anniversary is a time to reflect on the important things the local people have achieved with coalition support since Provincial Iraqi Control was granted by the Multi-National Force-Iraq,” he said.

Commander OBG(W)3 Lt-Col Jake Ellwood said Al Muthanna was a success story of which local people could be proud. “Al Muthanna under Provincial Iraqi Control is a model for other provinces about how the local people and the coalition can work together to build peace and prosperity.”

Lt-Col Ellwood said as part of his plan of investing in the future of Iraq by investing in the welfare and educational requirements of children, the Australian military would fund the refurbishment of a school in Al Furgan.