By David Gold
March 30 – Iraq and Iran will go head to head in the second round of the qualifiers for the London 2012 Olympic men’s football tournament after the draw was made today.
The rivalry between the two nations is fierce as they went to war in 1980, when former Iraqi despot Saddam Hussein launched an invasion into Iranian territory.
The war lasted eight years, and saw hundreds of thousands lose their lives in the longest conventional war of the 20th century.
The American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 complicated the relationship further as Iran was one the actors which supported insurgents responsible for the secterian violence that plagued the country and cost hundreds of thousands of lives until 2007.
Yet the two countries met relatively recently in January’s Asian Cup, when Iran won 2-1.
The country which emerges victorious will be remain in contention to make their fifth appearance in the Olympic football tournament, though Iran have not appeared there since Moscow 1980.
In the pick of the other ties, eight times qualifiers Japan will play Kuwait, and Australia face Yemen.
Asia have 3.5 places at the 2012 Games, with the 12 winners of the second round clashes to be divided into three groups of four teams in the third round.
The three group winners will qualify, whilst the three runners up will meet next March for a three way tournament to decide who wins the right to face an African nation for a place in London.
2nd round draw:
Qatar vs India
Iraq vs Iran
Bahrain vs Thailand
Australia vs Yemen
Japan vs Kuwait
Syria vs Turkmenistan
DPR Korea vs UAE
Korea Republic vs Jordan
Uzbekistan vs Hong Kong
Saudi Arabia vs Vietnam
China vs Oman
Lebanon vs Malaysia
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