Aleppo football fans cheer first home game in years

AFP, ALEPPO (SYRIA): Syrians cheered excitedly in an Aleppo stadium on Saturday as they watched their first live football match in the war-ravaged city in years.
The Ittihad club beat Hurriya 2-1 in their first match on home turf since rebels took east Aleppo in 2012, dividing the northern city into a regime-held west and rebel-controlled east.
The sixth stage league game comes after the army last month retook Aleppo’s eastern neighbourhoods, regaining control of the whole city.
Police in full riot gear stood by as eager fans wearing winter jackets and woolly hats chanted their encouragements to their team on the dry grass pitch.
A large Ittihad banner draped in the stands featured an image of President Bashar al-Assad.
Fans were delighted to return to the stadium after years of war, despite having lost friends who had been killed or fled Syria during its nearly six-year war.
“The last match I went to was in 2010,” said Mohammed Ali, who appeared to be in his early thirties, his hair slicked back and beard neatly trimmed for the occasion.
“Of course there were a lot more of us then. I was with my friends. Now some of them have travelled and others died,” he said, sporting his team’s red and black jersey. 

Aleppo football fans cheer first home game in years

AFP, ALEPPO (SYRIA): Syrians cheered excitedly in an Aleppo stadium on Saturday as they watched their first live football match in the war-ravaged city in years. The Ittihad club beat Hurriya 2-1 in their first match on home turf since rebels took east Aleppo in 2012, dividing the northern city into a regime-held west and rebel-controlled east. The sixth stage league game comes after the army last month retook Aleppos eastern neighbourhoods, regaining control of the whole city. Police in full riot gear stood by as eager fans wearing winter jackets and woolly hats chanted their encouragements to their team on the dry grass pitch. A large Ittihad banner draped in the stands featured an image of President Bashar al-Assad. Fans were delighted to return to the stadium after years of war, despite having lost friends who had been killed or fled Syria during its nearly six-year war. The last match I went to was in 2010, said Mohammed Ali, who appeared to be in his early thirties, his hair slicked back and beard neatly trimmed for the occasion. Of course there were a lot more of us then. I was with my friends. Now some of them have travelled and others died, he said, sporting his teams red and black jersey.