Tegucigalpa, Honduras - Honduras' transitional government declared Thursday a public holiday after the national football team qualified for next year's World Cup in South Africa, providing rare joy to a country embroiled in a political crisis. After Wednesday's 1-0 away victory over El Salvador, President Roberto Micheletti said on television in announcing the holiday that he thanked God "because he has brought us this luck."
The only other time Honduras had reached the World Cup finals was 27 years ago.
Calling the holiday could have been motivated by political calculations. Micheletti, who has been president since Manuel Zelaya was toppled in June, has called on Hondurans to put the political crisis behind them for the moment.
He appeared to be counting on the national football team to unite Hondurans, irrespective of politics and religion.
Hondurans are divided into supporters of Zelaya and Micheletti because of the crisis, which has resulted in violent demonstrations and curfews.
On Thursday, talks between the two sides were due to continue to seek a solution to the crisis. The main issue is whether Micheletti would agree to allow Zelaya to return to power at least temporarily.
