On 24 June 2018, the Embassy of Iraq hosted a soccer tournament between Embassies to celebrate the decision from FIFA to lift a ban on hosting competitive international soccer matches at stadiums in three Iraqi cities: Basra, Karbala and Erbil.
In addition to Malaysia, the Embassies of Algeria, Brazil, Denmark, Egypt, Ivory Coast/France, Iraq, Paraguay, and Sweden also fielded teams. Though tested with many hard fought games, the team from the Embassy of Malaysia kept a sunny disposition and played their matches with great team spirit, effort, and sportsmanship. Surrounded by a solid group of players, Mr. Izwan Mohamad Arifin emerged as the leading scorer for the Malaysian Embassy team.
During the tournament, the Embassy of Malaysia was able to introduce Malaysian cuisine such as Mee Goreng (Malaysian style spicy fried noodles) and kuih raya(Malaysian cookies typically savoured in celebration of Eid).
The contribution from the Embassy of Malaysia that added to the success of the tournament was especially appreciated by the host of the tournament, HE Dr. Ismieal Shafiq Muhsin, Ambassador of Iraq to France. HE Dr. Ismieal is fond of Malaysia as he had been posted in the Southeast Asian region as Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to Indonesia, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and Singapore.
Encouraged by the success of the inaugural tournament, the Embassy of Iraq floated the possibility making it an annual event. Having made a positive impression, the Embassy of Iraq expressed interest in having regular training sessions with the team from the Embassy of Malaysia.
