A Sports Crime has been Committed against an Assyrian Player in the Iraqi Team, few days before the world cup starts!

[ASHOOR]

Really disheartening news about Peter Giwargis being left out of Iraq’s final World Cup squad. For many of us in the Assyrian community, this wasn’t just another selection decision — there was genuine hope seeing one of our own possibly represent Iraq on the biggest stage in football.

You can imagine how devastated he must feel after being so close, and how much this means to the diaspora who were looking forward to that moment of pride and visibility. Instead, it’s disappointment all around, and honestly the community is not taking it lightly.

At the end of the day, squad decisions are football decisions - but it doesn’t make the emotional impact any smaller for a community that’s been waiting for moments like this. To put it into prospective, he scored 19 goals and provided 4 assists for his club in the Iraqi league. On the other end, another player named Ibrahim Bayesh, who has done virtually nothing for Iraq of late, and only scored a single goal in the entire season, has been chosen. To say Iraqis - not only Assyrians - are upset and outraged over this swap, is an understatement. They never liked Bayish, but after this snub of a great player to choose him, it has gotten worse and many are hoping Iraq loses big time
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[Crocodile Bani]

I never realised that was the reason he was left out. Bizarre but Australia has a similar situation with Martin Boyle being left out for Christian Volpato who until recently said he wanted to play for Italy.

Unfortunately, selections will always be debated forever. Look at Romario's exclusion from 2002 World Cup.

Iraq's friendly form has been great though. Very impressive. of course the real stuff starts next week.

I wasn't excited about this world cup but now it has hit me. I see Iraq's final group match is in Toronto. Surely you are going to that match.