President Bashar al-Assad on Monday received members of the National Football Team and its technical and administrative staff.

President al-Assad congratulated the team on the remarkable level of performance during the World Cup 2018 qualifying matches, saying that what the team achieved is a national condition before being a sport condition, and it serves as a strong indicator that the terrorist war that has been targeting Syria for years has failed to undermine the Syrians’ will; rather it made them stronger and more determined and unified.

His Excellency said that the improvement of the National Team’s performance under the difficult conditions in Syria is an achievement in and of itself, and this achievement must be built upon to continue improving the team’s level and capability in preparation for coming championships.

“This achievement and other achievements made by Syrians in several fields wouldn’t have been possible without the successes and victories achieved by the Army and Armed Forces against terrorists, nor without the steadfastness of the Syrian people in the face of the most vicious war that Syria has experienced in modern history,” President al-Assad said.

For their part, the team members and the technical and administrative staff thanked President al-Assad for his support and care, voicing determination to achieve better results in coming events and raise Syria’s flag high.

They said that the support of the Syrian public has been present in their minds as they played the matches, and it will form extra motivation for all the team’s members to do their best in the future.