(CNN) The entire Syrian team and coaching staff raced to one corner of the Azadi stadium, dancing in jubilation after a late, unlikely goal.
Some pounded the badge; others looked to the sky in thanks. Around 1,000 miles away, a chorus of car horns and cheers filled the streets of Damascus.
Star striker Omar Al Somah had scored a 93rd minute equalizer against Iran, keeping their dream of reaching the World Cup alive.
The magnitude of that simple sporting moment, amid a six-year civil war, reduced one match commentator to tears.
It means the Syrian team will face Australia for a chance to contest an intercontinental playoff against a team from the CONCACAF region -- potentially the United States.
Win both, and Syria would qualify for football's biggest showpiece for the first time ever.
READ: How war-torn Syria kept World Cup dream alive
Al Somah and his teammates had "Syria," rather than their names, emblazoned across the back of their jerseys for Tuesday's game.
That they have even got this far is nothing short of a miracle.
"Each and every one of us kept fighting until the end, until the last two minutes, despite all the circumstances our team was facing," goalscorer Al Somah told CNN.
"We have everything we need for the game against Australia, we only need our fans' cheers and support."
Al Somah, leading scorer in Saudi Arabia's top tier for the past three years, is one of many Syrian players who have left the domestic league to play abroad.
His international teammates play their club football in countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Qatar and the Maldives.
Football returns to Aleppo
For the first time in five years, professional football returned to the war-torn Syrian city of Aleppo on January 28.
Al-Ittihad beat local rival Al-Hurriya 2-1 in its first match on home turf since rebels took eastern Aleppo in 2012.
Al-Ittihad took the lead inside the first minute through Mohamad Muhtadi.
Al-Hurriya equalized not long before half time thanks to Firas Al Ahmad.
In the final few seconds, Al-Ittihad midfielder Mohamed Sorour scored the winning goal which kept his side top of the league on that weekend at the end of January, while Al-Hurriya remained in the relegation places.
But Thaer, an opposition citizen journalist, doesn't feel the match is cause for celebration. "They are playing football on the ruins of Aleppo," he told CNN.
Thaer says he was forced to flee Aleppo during the December evacuation and now lives in Turkey. "This is a media war, to show the regime has gotten Aleppo back and made it safe."
The two teams pose with match officials before kick-off.
"The last match I saw was in 2010," Mohammed Ali, a football fan in Aleppo told AFP news agency. "It was bigger, and there were more people. Hopefully there will be a lot of people this time."
"Now, I am here with my friends, but some have traveled (out of Aleppo or Syria) and others were martyred (during the conflict)," he continued. "Now, we are back to watch the match. I hope that every game will be played in Aleppo in the future."
"It's a nice sport, a beautiful sport," football fan Ahmad Dahman told AFP. "It's art. It is the most enjoyable sport of all."
"The residents of Aleppo love sports and they supported Al-Ittihad," Thaer says. "When there would be games the stadium would be full and tickets would be sold out."
"But now look at the stadium, it's a few hundred people," added Thaer. "Before the revolution we supported Al-Ittihad because they were our team in Aleppo."
Amid the celebration and fanfare inside the stadium, police in riot gear provided evidence of the city's recent division.
As did a poster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which loomed over the stands.
"But when the protests began the team split -- some who were against the government were forced to leave or detained," said Thaer.
"We don't consider this a sports team, we consider them regime recruits; members of the government. Support for them has left our hearts."
And the Al-Ahli striker believes the improved fortunes of the Syrian national team are partly down to this global exposure.
"We are the best Syrian national team the country has had for the last 10 or 15 years," Al Somah told CNN.
"All the players are professional international players, and everything seems to be going in the right direction."
Australia, qualifiers for the last three World Cups, nonetheless present a major challenge. Due to the ongoing conflict, Syria is currently unable to host international football, playing the majority of its home fixtures in Malaysia.
"Everyone knows the capabilities of the Australian team but we are also very confident about our players and what they can achieve," said Al Somah.
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"We are waiting to know where we are going to play the first leg and, by the will of god, you will see that our coach has prepared us. We are not afraid of anything."