The Palestine national team concluded its journey in the AFC Asian Cup 2023 with a 1-2 loss to Qatar.
Despite facing challenging preparations and navigating through the midst of a war, when relatives of few of the players were killed, went missing, and got injured, the team experienced a record-breaking tournament, securing their first-ever qualification to the round of 16 and achieving their inaugural victory.
Palestine players celebrating against Qatar, in AFC Asian Cup 2023 round of 16. (Photo: The Palestinian Football Association)
Oday Dabbagh, with his third goal of the tournament in the 37th minute, initially placed Palestine in the lead, hinting at a potential sensation. However, just before the break, the Qataris leveled the score through captain Hassan Al Haydos. In the 49th minute, Akram Afif completed a comeback with a precise penalty following a foul on Almoez Ali inside the box.
While this marks the end of the road for the Palestinians in this tournament, their continued improvement trend persists. Despite the challenging conditions and the abnormal situation surrounding Al Fida’i, the team, featuring a few Israeli citizens such as Rami Hamadeh (formerly of Bnei Sakhnin) and Ameed Mahajne (Hapoel Umm El Faham), and Jerusalemites with a past in Israeli football like Zaid Qunbar (played in Beitar Jerusalem's youth teams), showcased a commendable performance. They managed to take the lead against the Asian champions for almost an entire half.
Oday Dabbagh scores Palestine advantage goal against Qatar. The Jerusalemite scored three goal in the 2023 Asian Cup. (Photo: The Palestinian Football Association)
Makram Dabboub, the Tunisian manager, has done a great job balancing the squad, navigating through the obstacles and hardships and creating a team the Palestinians can be proud of.
After qualifying for the third consecutive time and achieving noteworthy milestones, the team sets its sights on the next goal: the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
Under severe conditions, Palestine dream about the 2026 World Cup. Dabbagh will be there to lead them to this dream too.
(Photo: The Palestinian Football Association)
