Resolute Palestine aim for best-ever Asian Cup performance in Qatar

Doha, Qatar: Palestine arrived in Doha determined to shine at the upcoming Asian Cup to give joy to their people back home suffering from the ongoing Israeli onslaught in Gaza.

Amid “a constant feeling of anxiety for their families” as coach Makram Daboub described, the Lions of Canaan are eyeing their most successful outing in the continent’s football showpiece starting from January 12.

On their arrival yesterday, the Palestinian players said their hearts are with their compatriots in Gaza as death toll topped 22,000 with no respite in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip.

“I want to tell our people that our hearts will be with you on the field. We will strive to give even if it is a very simple joy to our people in Gaza. Insha Allah, we will be able to deliver a strong message,” Palestine goalkeeper Rami Hamadi said after team’s arrival in Doha.

Coach Daboub’s side is making its third successive outing in the Asian Cup after making debut in 2015. They will face Iran, United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong in Group C with their first match scheduled against three-time winners Iran at Education City Stadium on January 14.

Without a victory in the tournament in their previous appearances, Palestine face an uphill task to reach the knockout stage for the first time in event’s history. They had struggled to prepare for the tournament with stadiums back home being reduced to rubble. Yet the players are motivated to leave their mark, aiming to reach far in the tournament.

“There were no sports activities in the past three months. We had camps in Algeria and Saudi Arabia. Definitely, the situation has been very difficult for us but we are looking forward to our best Asian Cup. We want to deliver the message on behalf of all Palestinians what we have been waiting for,” said Palestine defender Musab Al Battat.

An Uzbek player is greeted by Freha, one of the official mascots of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023.

Palestine are expected to get overwhelming support from fans during the tournament, perhaps the second best to what hosts Qatar will receive in their title defence. Last month, a charity football match at Education City Stadium to support Palestinians drew thousands of spectators who showed their passionate support for Palestinians.

“We are expecting great support in Qatar. We witnessed that in the FIFA World Cup where Palestine were not even competing. It was a great honour for us. I want to thank people of Qatar for supporting us always and I want to thank Qatar for hosting this tournament,” said Al Battat.

Defender Mohammed Saleh, who have his family trapped in Gaza, said: “We will give everything we have and everything we are capable of for the sake of our martyrs, for the sake of our people, and for the sake of the Palestinian cause, and our voice, Insha Allah, will be heard.”

After meeting Iran, Palestine will next meet the UAE on January 18 before playing against Hong Kong in their last group match on January 23.

Meanwhile, Jordan and Uzbekistan were the other teams to arrive in Doha yesterday ahead of the Asian Cup.

Jordan will play their first match against Malaysia on January 15 before facing South Korea (Jan 20) and Bahrain (Jan 25) in Group E, while Uzbekistan will open their campaign in Group B against Syria on Jan 13. They will next face India (Jan 18) and Australia (Jan 23) in the group stage.

Palestine Squad

Goalkeepers: Rami Hamadeh, Naeem Abu Akar, and Baraa Kharoub
Defenders: Amr Kaddoura, Musab Al Battat, Moussa Fairawi, Mohamed Khalil, Samer El-Gendy, Camilo Saldana, Michel Milan, Mohamed Saleh, and Yasser Hamad.
Midfielders: Al Mahdi Issa, Amid Mahajna, Ataa Jaber, Adi Kharoub, Muhammad Bassem, Samer Al-Zubaidi, Tamer Siam, and Mahmoud Abu Wardeh.
Forwards: Islam Al Batran, Alaeddin Hussein, Mahmoud Wadi, Shihab Al Qanbar, Zaid Al Qanbar, and Uday Al Dabbagh.