Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein was delayed en route to his first World Cup.
But in his debut he did his best.
Earlier this month, it was unclear whether Hussein would be able to compete at the World Cup. He and another member of the Iraqi delegation were held up for several hours while passing through U.S. customs in Chicago. After a seven-hour interview, Hussein was allowed to enter the U.S. But not the team's photo.
On Wednesday morning, Hussein scored Iraq's second goal in World Cup history. He scored the Iraqis' only goal in a 4-1 defeat to Norway.
Hussein also scored an own goal, but Iraq coach Graham Arnold spoke of the positives.
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"I would prefer to remember his performance and the way he played. He has had a few injuries during the season. He is a player who is difficult to control in the area. I am very proud of him," Arnold said.
Iraq is in the World Cup for the first time in 40 years.
Hussein grew up at a time when football offered moments of unity amid the turmoil in Iraq. He has experienced personal tragedy.
At the age of 12, his father was shot dead by Al-Qaeda while he was buying building materials for his house. The footballer's father was a soldier in the Iraqi army.
A few years later, Hussein's older brother was kidnapped and has not been seen since.
"I decided to give up football to take care of my family, but my mother refused," Hussein said in an interview.
It was Hussein's mother who urged him to follow his dream. The World Cup represents the realization of a dream. But the path for the 30-year-old was not easy at all.
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He was Iraq's best player in the long qualifying campaign for the World Cup. He scored a whopping 12 goals. He scored the winning goal against Bolivia in March. With that victory, Iraq qualified for the World Cup.
Hussein has mainly played for Iraqi teams, but also in countries such as Tunisia, Qatar and Morocco. For Iraq, he has 34 goals in 96 appearances.
