More than one source is now reporting that Makram Dabdoub has been placed in charge of Palestine’s National Team for their final two World Cup qualifiers against Singapore and Yemen in June.
These are the outlets that have confirmed the story with reliance on unnamed sources: Kooora.com, Koora Falastin, Atlas Sport.
Crucially though, there has been no official communication from the Palestine Football Association and its chairman Jibril Rajoub.
The situation is not dissimilar to what happened in November 2019, when multiple outlets reported that Ould Ali was done, or as good as done. At that time, a technical committee was convened to decide the Algerian’s fate.
In January of last year with Ould Ali’s fate still very much uncertain, the PFA sent a reserve squad to compete in the 2020 Bangabadhu Gold Cup. The man who was tasked with leading the side? Makram Dabdoub.
It is entirely possible that the PFA has settled on doing the same switcheroo in the hopes that it will placate the legions of angry, deluded, and incredulous fans.
Swapping a manager for his assistant is not real change nor does it represent a plan for the future. Makram Dabdoub had an audition in Dhaka 13 months ago and the football he produced was absolutely atrocious.
Arguing about the merits of Dabdoub as manager might be premature though with no official word confirming or denying that this move is on the cards.
