Syria scored deep into stoppage time at Iran to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time amid an ongoing civil war at home.

With Syria facing elimination from Asian qualifying, Omar Al Soma marked his return to the team after a five-year absence to clinch a 2-2 draw and a place in the playoffs. Players, with Syria rather than names emblazoned across the back of their red jerseys sank to their knees on the turf in Tehran. From the bench, members of the back-up staff with flags streamed on to the field.

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Syria will play Australia in a two-match Asian series next month. To make the World Cup, the winner will then have to beat a team from the Concacaf confederation covering north and central America, and the Caribbean. Syria will likely play their ‘home’ match against Australia in Malaysia, as they have during Asian qualifying, due to the ongoing war.

Back home, the pursuit of a place at the World Cup in Russia has provided a flicker of joy in parts of a country divided by six years of war. Big screens were erected in public squares in the capital Damascus for public screenings and fans also packed into coffee shops and sports halls to watch the broadcast from Iran. Thousands of dancing fans filtered on to the streets chanting Syria and waving the country’s flags afterwards, bringing traffic to a complete halt in the city centre.

“This is the happiest day of my life,” said Bashir Rahal, a 26-year old, who was watching the game in a Damascus hotel, with the country’s flag on a table in front of him.

Outside, the skies lit up with pyrotechnics, some launching red tracers above the thousands of revellers who filled the streets, leaning out of their car windows or marching in the city centre. The upbeat news came on the same day troops reached Deir el-Zour, in eastern Syria, breaching a months-old siege on government troops by Islamic State militants.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Syrian people celebrate their draw after watching the match on a big screen in a Damascus park. Photograph: Youssef Badawi/EPA

“There are two victories today: the army entered Deir el-Zour and we equalized with Iran, which I consider a victory,” said Fayeq Shmais, a 46-year-old government employee. “Syria is witnessing a revival as large rallies roam the streets of Damascus. This is something we have not seen since the start of the crisis.”

But football is not completely unifying the country, with even a sporting success politicised. Some fans also chanted the name of the Syrian president, Bashar Assad, on the streets of Damascus.

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Online, opponents of Assad were also vocal. Some called it a team that represents the government, while others shared pictures of athletes and footballers players who were killed during the war.

Iran is a regional political ally that has provided crucial political and military support to shore up Assad’s forces. Qualification could have been automatically clinched with a win in Iran, which had nothing to play for after already securing their place in Russia.