0:00:02 > 0:00:04They are the unlikely sporting heroes
0:00:04 > 0:00:06in a country ripped apart by conflict.
0:00:06 > 0:00:07WHISTLE BLOWS
0:00:12 > 0:00:15Syria is in the midst of a bloody civil war,
0:00:15 > 0:00:17but the national football team is trying to send
0:00:17 > 0:00:21a message it hopes can transcend political and religious differences.
0:00:28 > 0:00:29CROWD SINGS
0:00:30 > 0:00:33I'm following the team as they compete for a place
0:00:33 > 0:00:36in football's biggest tournament, the World Cup.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40Some Syrians refuse to support the team,
0:00:40 > 0:00:43because it's associated with the Assad regime.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47But for others, even those who fled Syria in fear of their lives,
0:00:47 > 0:00:49the team is a symbol of national pride.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02The team has defied the odds by beating some of Asia's
0:01:02 > 0:01:04biggest and best.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06THEY CHANT: Syria! Syria!
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Now they're on the road again,
0:01:09 > 0:01:13competing for so much more than just football glory.
0:01:26 > 0:01:32CROWD CHANTS: Syria! Syria! Syria!
0:01:40 > 0:01:44It's Friday afternoon in Damascus and the weekend is under way.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51Prayers in the morning...
0:01:52 > 0:01:55..and, like so many places around the world,
0:01:55 > 0:01:56football in the afternoon.
0:01:58 > 0:01:59Very nice to meet you.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01'It's here that I meet Tarek Jabban,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04'assistant coach of Syria's national team.'
0:02:04 > 0:02:05SYRIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM PLAYS
0:02:07 > 0:02:10I'm joining him as he watches a low-key fixture in
0:02:10 > 0:02:11Syria's Premier League.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Which is also attempting to carry on despite the conflict.
0:02:16 > 0:02:17DRUMBEAT AND CHANTING
0:02:19 > 0:02:23Syrian football fans have much to cheer about right now.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27Their national side has performed beyond expectations as they
0:02:27 > 0:02:30try to qualify for next year's World Cup in Russia.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Economic sanctions mean the country and therefore football
0:02:36 > 0:02:38has little money.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41What cash there is comes from the Assad government, keen to use
0:02:41 > 0:02:46football to give the impression of a united, functioning state.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Syrian players need somebody to
0:02:49 > 0:02:50support him,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53our federation, our government.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55Now our equipment,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58our condition is not we want.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00DRUMBEAT AND SINGING
0:03:00 > 0:03:05Syrian government officials are keen to show us that football is flourishing.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Let's go meet the man. We can learn more about this...
0:03:09 > 0:03:13'It's half-time, and Tarek introduces me to his boss,
0:03:13 > 0:03:15'the head coach of the national football team,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18'and the man responsible for their recent good results.'
0:03:18 > 0:03:22You beat China 1-0, you drew with South Korea.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25There's a real opportunity here for Syria to go to a World Cup.
0:03:42 > 0:03:43Do the players now believe?
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Do they have the belief in their hearts that they can qualify
0:03:47 > 0:03:48for the World Cup?
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, wants the perception to be
0:04:06 > 0:04:08that his country is returning to normal,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10and sport helps with that aim,
0:04:10 > 0:04:14but regardless of his intentions it's clear that sport,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17that football coming back to Syria provides the people with
0:04:17 > 0:04:21a chance to forget about their worries, at least for 90 minutes.
0:04:24 > 0:04:25After six years of war,
0:04:25 > 0:04:29more games are being played and fans are slowly returning.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34But football is only possible in government-held areas and not
0:04:34 > 0:04:37in large swathes of this country outside the regime's control.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44This season is interesting, because all the Syrian people want to
0:04:44 > 0:04:48come back for stadiums, want to support the teams.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53And it is 2-2 at the moment. We'll see if anyone can get a late winner.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57I think this first time in this field, two teams score four goals,
0:04:57 > 0:05:02because all games in this field, finishing 1-0.
0:05:02 > 0:05:03CHEERING
0:05:06 > 0:05:09- There's another one.- 3-2.- 3-2.
0:05:09 > 0:05:14We saw all games in this field finishing 1-0, 0-0, 1-0, 0-0.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17- It's the first time maybe... - Five goals?- Five goals.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21- Because maybe you are coming this time.- It's BBC's fault. RICHARD LAUGHS
0:05:21 > 0:05:22We should come every week.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24DRUMMING AND CHANTING
0:05:32 > 0:05:36What looks like normal life does go on in President Assad's Damascus.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40And you'd be forgiven at times for thinking there is no war.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43That's how Syria's leader wants it.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Here on the east side of Damascus, we're at a football field
0:05:50 > 0:05:54that's been hit in the past by mortar fire.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Very few of the national team play in Syria,
0:05:57 > 0:06:02but five star players are here training with their local club side.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05For a variety of reasons they've stayed in Syria,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08their career choices complicated by the war.
0:06:08 > 0:06:09PLAYERS SHOUT INSTRUCTIONS
0:06:11 > 0:06:15Every so often, you can hear the sound of an aerial artillery
0:06:15 > 0:06:17shell going off somewhere in the distance.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20We're very close here to one of the front lines, even as we are in
0:06:20 > 0:06:24the centre of Damascus, but the players, they're not fussed.
0:06:24 > 0:06:25They haven't even raised an eyebrow.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28This is the sound of war, it's something they've grown up with.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32Omar Al Midani is one of the younger members of the national team.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58Does this team really believe it can go on and qualify for Russia?
0:07:21 > 0:07:23The training looks familiar.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27But that's where similarities between the game here and in other countries ends.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31The difference is not just the conditions,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34but the hopes and expectations that are placed upon this team.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46There is no part of life in Assad-controlled Syria untouched by the regime.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Every facet of society, especially where there is success,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55such as with the national football team,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57is presented as a sign of a functioning state.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01But the illusion is easily shattered.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07We were filming at a market,
0:08:07 > 0:08:09when we heard a very loud explosion nearby.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12There are reports that a number of people have been killed,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15so we're going now to see if we can find out what's happened and
0:08:15 > 0:08:17see what damage has been caused.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23Two devices have detonated.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27One by the roadside, another by a suicide bomber targeting
0:08:27 > 0:08:30mainly Shia pilgrims visiting from Iraq.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34All of a sudden, I'm a war reporter.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37- BBC NEWS ANCHOR:- Our correspondent Richard Conway is at the scene.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40This is the largest attack to hit Damascus in some time.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44A suicide bomber detonated his device in this commercial
0:08:44 > 0:08:47district in the centre of Damascus, killing at least 40 people,
0:08:47 > 0:08:49injuring dozens more.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Working as a sport correspondent means you simply don't see
0:08:55 > 0:08:56devastation like this.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02The number of people killed rose over time to 74.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05The experience is a shocking and a harrowing insight into the
0:09:05 > 0:09:08painful realities of life in Syria.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14What before had been just words about the conflict,
0:09:14 > 0:09:18war and bombings was now very real in my mind.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23I'd come to Syria to find out how football could possibly
0:09:23 > 0:09:26thrive and matter in a time of war.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32But right now that question seemed more difficult to answer than ever.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39OK, this is important medals from my life.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42This is for the Asian Cup under-19s.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45'Tarek has devoted much of his life to Syrian football.'
0:09:45 > 0:09:47We won 2-1.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50'And in this box are the medals that prove it.'
0:09:50 > 0:09:51This is you, yeah?
0:09:51 > 0:09:54- With the captain's armband. - Number 5. Yes, number 5.- Yeah.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56'But that was before the war.'
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Now, there is many players now in our national team, but I am...
0:10:00 > 0:10:02- So, now you are their coach?- Yes.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04So, you've gone from being playing with them to now...
0:10:04 > 0:10:09'Today the majority of the most talented players look to play abroad.'
0:10:09 > 0:10:11There is a big difference, because now, you understand,
0:10:11 > 0:10:16before six years, all Syrian players in the national team was playing in Syria,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19but now we need our players to play outside Syria.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23I think, who play inside, I think his living is not good for future.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Look at that.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32- This is for you and your group. - Oh, that's very kind.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36- You baked us a cake. That's so kind of you. Thank you very much.- Yes, welcome.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40'Tarek is preparing to say goodbye to his family and fly to Malaysia.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43'Sanctions in the war mean this team must play its home games on
0:10:43 > 0:10:45'neutral ground.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49'A 14,000km round trip awaits.'
0:10:54 > 0:10:57The game against Uzbekistan is arguably the most important
0:10:57 > 0:10:59match in Syria's history.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14There is political capital for the Assad regime in the team's success.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21But I can't help but wonder if those forced to flee Syria will be
0:11:21 > 0:11:22supporting the team too.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Nearly five million people have sought refuge abroad from the
0:11:43 > 0:11:44Syrian civil war.
0:11:47 > 0:11:5180,000 of them are here in the Zaatari camp in northern Jordan.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Just a few kilometres from the Syrian border, it's a living,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00breathing testament to the human cost of war.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07'Mohammad Al Khalaf was a professional footballer with
0:12:07 > 0:12:09'the Syrian top-flight club Al Majd.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12'But when his brother was killed by a shell which hit their house,
0:12:12 > 0:12:17'he, together with his family, escaped over the border to Jordan.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19'Like many here, he is angry.'
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Mohammad is beginning to get his football career back on track.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49And still supports the national team.
0:13:11 > 0:13:17Issam Al Masri is just 22 and considered the best player in camp.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21The medals he has here are all from playing football inside Zaatari.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28He was a young talent with professional side Al Shula
0:13:28 > 0:13:29in the city of Daraa.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31But in 2012 he fled with his family.
0:13:33 > 0:13:34WHISTLE BLOWS
0:13:34 > 0:13:38Like Mohammad, he is trying to resurrect his career.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41He coaches the children here in the camp.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47He admits to me, like many, it's hard for him to talk openly.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12The guarded language used even here in the refugee camp makes it
0:14:12 > 0:14:16clear just how fearful people are of talking about politics.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21But still, like Mohammad, Issam supports the national side.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36CHILDREN SHOUT
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Life here in camp is tough,
0:14:38 > 0:14:42but the people here are safe, having escaped from the war.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Now, football's one of the central activities that kids get to enjoy.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47It's fun, it gives them a sense of purpose.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51But it also gives them something that's very precious having
0:14:51 > 0:14:54escaped from the conflict, a sense of a normal childhood.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58What's your favourite team?
0:14:58 > 0:14:59MANY SHOUT: Real Madrid!
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Real Madrid? What about England? Anyone like an English team?
0:15:02 > 0:15:04Man United, Chelsea.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07- Manchester United!- Juventus. - Juventus? That's in Italy.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09What about, well, black and white, what about Newcastle United?
0:15:09 > 0:15:13- Who's heard of Newcastle United? That's my team.- Manchester.- Who?
0:15:13 > 0:15:14THEY LAUGH
0:15:14 > 0:15:18- Show me your name.- Ronaldo.- You're Ronaldo? You're like a mini Ronaldo.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20LAUGHTER
0:15:20 > 0:15:23Who are your favourite players in Syria, your Syrian players?
0:15:23 > 0:15:25THEIR COACH TRANSLATES
0:15:29 > 0:15:30Why does everyone like Al Somah so much?
0:15:37 > 0:15:39All right, high fives, everyone.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43I had wondered how much these children would know of Syrian football,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46but clearly the players are heroes.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50Football matters because of the hope it can provide.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53CHANTING
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Even here, amongst those displaced by civil war and who have lost
0:15:58 > 0:15:59loved ones to the regime,
0:15:59 > 0:16:03I got a strong sense of the love and pride for their country that
0:16:03 > 0:16:07rises above politics and endures in spite of the suffering.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12It feels as though the country's football team provides people
0:16:12 > 0:16:15with a safe focus for those feelings.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28The historic Malaysian resort town of Malacca is the venue for
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Syria's crucial match against Uzbekistan.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34And it's now just days away.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Those members of the squad who travelled from Syria have
0:16:39 > 0:16:43been joined by players earning much bigger money in the likes of
0:16:43 > 0:16:45China, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49The range of salaries is matched by the range of religions and
0:16:49 > 0:16:51backgrounds within the squad.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56'I catch up with Omar again
0:16:56 > 0:16:58'and he introduces me to Mardik Mardikian,
0:16:58 > 0:17:02'one of the few Christians to play for the Syrian side.'
0:17:26 > 0:17:31Of course, more controversial than religious differences are political ones.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33The side has long been multi-faith,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36but for this important match, a first.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41Firas Al Khatib, one of the greatest Syrian footballers
0:17:41 > 0:17:46of this generation, left Syria and criticised the Assad regime.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49As a result, he has not played in five years,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52but he's returning to the squad for this match.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17Beyond funding, the extent to which the Assad government is
0:18:17 > 0:18:19involved in team affairs is unknown.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23The mix of faiths and now politics within the squad certainly sends a message
0:18:23 > 0:18:28that the regime wants heard - Syria can come together, at least for football.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35But many former players haven't returned.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40Before the war, Mohannad Al Ibrahim represented Syria 31 times.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45The conflict forced him to pursue his career abroad.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48He's been asked repeatedly to play again for the national team,
0:18:48 > 0:18:52but so far has not, for what he describes as personal reasons.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31Politics is probably not on the minds of the national team players
0:19:31 > 0:19:35as they arrive at the stadium for their game against Uzbekistan.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Right now they are dealing with another P - pressure.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41With their past performances, and with all this talk of their
0:19:41 > 0:19:44success, expectation rises amongst their fans.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Syria! Syria!
0:20:03 > 0:20:06THEY CHANT: Syria! Syria!
0:20:06 > 0:20:09There are about 100 Syria fans in the stadium.
0:20:11 > 0:20:16The country's footballing ambitions now rest on the shoulders of these 11 players.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:20:25 > 0:20:27It's a close game.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31At half-time it's goalless.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37In a sports club in Damascus, the tension is palpable...
0:20:37 > 0:20:39THEY SHOUT
0:20:39 > 0:20:42..as fans watch the game head towards the final minutes.
0:20:43 > 0:20:48A win here is absolutely crucial to Syria's World Cup hopes.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50THEY CHANT: Syria!
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Then, in the final minutes,
0:20:54 > 0:20:56returning star Firas Al Khatib is fouled...
0:20:56 > 0:20:58CHEERING
0:20:58 > 0:20:59..and wins a penalty.
0:21:03 > 0:21:04Omar Khribin scores.
0:21:04 > 0:21:05CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:21:08 > 0:21:10And Syria have a famous victory.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17THEY CHANT: Syria! Syria! Syria!
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Its meaning to those in Damascus is clear.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26- ANNOUNCER:- The final score is Syria 1-0 Uzbekistan!
0:21:28 > 0:21:29So too here in Malaysia.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31CAR HORNS BEEP
0:21:31 > 0:21:33CHANTING: Syria! Syria!
0:21:33 > 0:21:34Woo!
0:21:34 > 0:21:36CAR HORNS BEEP
0:21:51 > 0:21:53HE SOBS
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Coach, lovely to meet you. Good luck in South Korea.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12'This team operates under unique circumstances.'
0:22:12 > 0:22:13Thank you.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17'They have a real belief they are playing for the Syrian people.'
0:22:18 > 0:22:20CAR HORNS BEEP
0:22:20 > 0:22:21CHANTING: Syria! Syria!
0:22:21 > 0:22:25The achievements really do seem to transcend both sport and politics.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32It demonstrates the power of sport and how,
0:22:32 > 0:22:36even amidst the horrors of a civil war that has ripped Syria apart,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38it can matter so much to so many.