The Syrian team is enjoying a strong campaign in World Cup qualifying despite the civil war which is tearing the country apart.
Few Syrians have had reasons to be cheerful for a long time. The civil war has killed more than 250,000 people, whole cities lie in ashes, bombs fall daily and the Islamic State runs parts of the country.
But their passion for football has still not been given up by many Syrians and the national team continues to play. In the duel with another suffering country, Afghanistan, they triumphed 5-2 on Tuesday in their qualifying group for the 2018 World Cup and 2019 Asian Cup.
Fans had to follow the match via satellite television as Syrian home games are played in exile due to the civil war. Empty stands surrounded the players in the Oman capital of Maskat but the supporters celebrated back home regardless.
"Such games allow us to forget the daily misery," Abu Ala from Damascus said. "This is the only pleasure we still have."
To date the Syrian qualifying campaign is going well even if, with a FIFA ranking of 123, the side remains one of the smaller names in Arab football. After five games the Syrians top their group, two points ahead of Singapore and favourites Japan, though they have a game in hand.
Victories for the national team are hard fought as normal football in Syria is scarcely possible. The Syrian Premier League continues but games are played only in Damascus and the coastal city of Latakia, both under the control of the Syrian regime.
Many national team players are based abroad, contracted to clubs in Iraq or other neighbouring Arab countries, with striker Sanharib Malki at Turkish first division club Kasimpasa. Around 200 Syrian footballers have left the country since the start of the civil war in 2011 while others have joined the rebels.
The extent to which the bloody conflict dominates football is highlighted by the case of national keeper Musab Balhus. In 2011 he was arrested by Syrian security forces for allegedly giving shelter to armed groups but against Afghanistan he was present, if only on the bench.
The national team does not serve to unite the divided country though as it is backed almost exclusively by supporters of President Bashar al-Assad.
"The national team is a member of the Assad regime," an opposition sympathizer said. He no longer welcomes its victories.
With the national side, the football association and the clubs all in the hands of the government, many stadiums are now no longer used for sport but by the military, those pushing for regime change claim.
It is one reason they have pushed FIFA to exclude Syria from the World Cup - so far, with less success than the team is enjoying on the pitch.
