But the hardliners, who routed US-backed warlords from the capital earlier this month, retained the ban on films that show pornography, drug dealing and any form of evil, after much negotiations with cinema owners and residents.

"The Islamic courts allowed us to open the cinema halls on condition that we will only show football," said Ali Farah, a cinema hall owner in Mogadishu's northern Sukasola borough where the ban was harshly policed.

"They also gave us strict orders not to show other movies," he added.

Residents, who had followed the tournament through short wave radios were exultant, while others had reason to complain.

"It is a very good opportunity to watch the matches because we are entering a very competitive stage," said Ahmed Abdullahi Mustafa.

"It was bad to ban us from this tournament. Imagine, I did not watch Ghana beating the Czech Republic," said Ibrahim Hassan, a teenager.

Even so, all agreed to cheer Ghana's "Black Stars", who on Saturday, sliced apart the highly fancied Czech Republic 2-0, the first victory for an African nation.

"I appreciate what the Islamic courts are doing: restoring order in Mogadishu, but not when they interfere with my personal life by banning us from watching the most interesting game like football," contributed Hasan Ahmed Abdulle.

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