BAGHDAD, July 29, 2007 (AFP) - Iraq erupted in joy and celebratory gunfire on Sunday when the country's national football squad won the Asian Cup and united its bitterly divided communities in a rare moment of celebration.

Thousands of Iraqis, including members of the security forces, defied a strict government ceasefire order to welcome the team's 1-0 victory over local rivals Saudi Arabia with an intense barrage of gunfire.

BAGHDAD, July 29, 2007 (AFP) - Thousands of Iraqis including members of the security forces defied a strict government ceasefire order to welcome their football squad's Asian Cup victory on Sunday with a barrage of gunfire.

Soldiers, police and civilian gunmen loosed off long volleys of automatic fire skywards and into the waters of the Tigris within seconds of the final whistle in Jakarta, where Iraq's national side beat Saudi Arabia 1-0.

JAKARTA, July 27, 2007 (AFP) - Brazilian coaches Jorvan Vieira and Helios dos Anjos have been through the grinder these past three weeks getting their Iraqi and Saudi Arabian teams through to Sunday's Asian Cup final here.

While other higher-profile teams have crashed and burned on the Cup trail winding through Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia, Iraq and the Saudis have come out on top to shoot for Asian football's premier title.

BAGHDAD, July 27, 2007 (AFP) - Iraq's armies of war-weary football fans are looking forward to Sunday's Asian Cup final with a mixture of hope and fear.

Another victory for their heroic team of Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish players would -- at least temporarily -- unite their divided country in jubilation.

But the scenes of joy triggered by Wednesday's semi-final victory provoked a vicious response from the insurgents battling to tear Iraqi society apart.

HANOI, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Saudi Arabian coach Helios dos Anjos says his side`s resilient victory over Japan proves that luck has had nothing to do with their charge into the Asian Cup final.

Dos Anjos has had to fend off persistent criticism back home in Riyadh that his team have rode their luck through the tournament rather than stamping their mark on it.

But the big Brazilian said the fighting 3-2 semi-final win over Japan on Wednesday was the perfect riposte to the cynics.

TOKYO, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Japanese media on Thursday blamed fatigue for the national team`s 2-3 loss to Saudi Arabia who ended Japan`s bid for a third straight Asian Cup victory.

'Japan`s dream of Victory Three shattered,' ran a headline in the best-selling Yomiuri Shimbun, which ran photos of a dejected team and coach Ivica Osim.

'One of the team`s strengths is their mental concentration in a big game, but Japan were short of it,' it said.

Some pundits repeated criticism that the Japanese are not aggressive enough compared with rival football nations.

HANOI, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - Saudi Arabia`s star forward pairing Yasser Al Qahtani and Malek Maaz could play anywhere in the world, according to their Brazilian coach Helio Dos Anjos.

The dynamic strike duo shot down tournament favourites Japan 3-2 in the Asian Cup semi-finals on Wednesday to further bolster their burgeoning reputations in the region.

And Dos Anjos gushed over the pair afterwards, claiming they could play for any team in Europe, although he did complain that the oil-rich kingdom was suffering from not having players plying their trade on foreign shores.

HANOI, July 25, 2007 (AFP) - Saudi Arabia reached the final of the Asian Cup for the sixth time in seven tournaments with a smash-and-grab 3-2 win over Japan here on Wednesday.

The Saudis relied on their thrusting, rapier counter-attacks to mug the Japanese who dominated the ball without often threatening to turn possession into goals.

Livewire forward Malek Maaz netted a brace with strike partner Yasser Al Qahtani also scoring to set up a final against Iraq, who had earlier beaten South Korea 4-3 on penalties in Kuala Lumpur.

Iraq win 4-3 on penalties after extra-time

HANOI, July 25, 2007 (AFP) - Result of Asian Cup semi-final between Japan and Saudi Arabia played here Wednesday:

HANOI, July 25, 2007 (AFP) - Saudi Arabia overcame defending champions Japan 3-2 here Wednesday to book a place in the Asian Cup final against Iraq.

A brace from Malek Maaz and a goal from Yasser Al Qahtani cancelled out strikes from Yuji Nakazawa and Yuki Abe.

HANOI, July 24, 2007 (AFP) - Japan coach Ivica Osim has warned that the defending champions will face an unknown quantity when they clash with long-time rivals Saudi Arabia in their Asian Cup semi-final here on Wednesday.

Both teams are looking for a record fourth continental title with Japan beating the Saudis 3-1 at home in their last meeting in November to avenge a 1-0 loss away two months earlier.

'They are a completely new team with only the goalkeeper and four other players held over from our last game,' said Osim.

HANOI, July 24, 2007 (AFP) - Saudi Arabia`s Brazilian coach Helio Dos Anjos complained about his team`s travel nightmare in reaching Hanoi but insisted he was not making excuses ahead of Wednesday`s Asian Cup semi-final against Japan.

The Saudis only finished their quarter-final victory over Uzbekistan on Sunday night and had a 12-hour journey from Jakarta to Vietnam on Monday.

Japan, on the other hand, played Saturday in Hanoi and could rest and train on Sunday and Monday while Saudi Arabia were busy trying to get here.

JAKARTA, July 23, 2007 (AFP) - After watching his team qualify for the Asian Cup semi-finals, Saudi Arabia`s Brazilian coach Helio Dos Anjos let his thoughts turn to lost friends who died in a plane crash in Sao Paulo.

Dos Anjos masterminded a thrilling 2-1 victory for the Saudis here in a stunning quarter-final against a powerful Uzbekistan side but after the match he turned his attentions to the plane crash that killed nearly 200 people in Brazil on Tuesday.

JAKARTA, July 22, 2007 (AFP) - The woodwork, a linesman`s flag and apparently the `Football God` helped Saudi Arabia beat Uzbekistan 2-1 in the Asian Cup here on Sunday and sneak into the semi-finals.

The unlucky former Soviet Republic clattered the frame of the goal five times and had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside as they crashed out to the oil-rich kingdom in a thrilling contest.

And Uzbek coach Tauf Inileyev said the Saudis had help from up high.

'Both teams showed great heart, great passing and played a beautiful game,' said Inileyev.

JAKARTA, July 22, 2007 (AFP) - The woodwork and a linesman`s flag helped Saudi Arabia beat Uzbekistan 2-1 in the Asian Cup here on Sunday and sneak into the semi-finals.

The unlucky former Soviet Republic clattered the frame of the goal five times and had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside as they crashed out to the oil-rich kingdom in a thrilling contest.

It was a flying start as Saudi Arabia took the lead after only three minutes with Uzbekistan hitting the post two minutes later.

JAKARTA, July 22, 2007 (AFP) - Result of Asian Cup quarter-final between Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan played here on Sunday:

Saudi Arabia 2 (Yasser Al Qahtani 3, Ahmed Al Mousa 75) Uzbekistan 1 (Pavel Solomin 82)