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A young man emerges from the depths of Al-Bayt stadium. His head is heavily bandaged but an effortless smile is plastered on his face as he graciously refuses the pleas of the press for a word. He does, however, indulge Football Palestine with a quick statement and a token of his appreciation- his game worn jersey.
Oday Dabbagh and his teammates have made history for Palestine over the last two weeks. A first ever win at an AFC Asian Cup was the springboard to the side’s first appearance in the knockout stage and for ten glorious minutes, late in the first half, Qatar- hosts, holders, and soon to be champions- were punch durnk.
Palestine’s achievement was the result of positive attacking play- with two Palestinian players leading the tournament xG following the group stage and right back Musab Al-Battat ranking top in assists and tackles won and second in chances created.
A couple of meters away from the gliding Dabbagh, midfielder Mahmoud Abu Warda disdainfully states “we didn’t deserve to lose, the referee did not do us justice with the penalty kick [awarded to Qatar]”
Palestine’s participation at the AFC Asian Cup has come to an end but it has featured many twists and turns. A defeat against the holders and hosts Qatar was widely predicted but Palestine had an ace up their sleeves- and that was a 25 year old from the Old City of Jerusalem by the name of Oday Dabbagh.
For all his success, the Charleroi attacker has made it a point to avoid the limelight in Qatar. After one of the team’s group stage games a journalist called out to him from the scrum of the mixed zone: “Oday, Oday! Palestine’s star!”
The Jerusalemite responds by clicking his tongue disapprovingly. “Palestine has 26 stars” he says in a curt but friendly manner before escaping to the safe confines of the team bus.
For those lucky enough to represent Palestine at the Asian Cup there is an overwhelming sense of pride and duty. Nearly every single press conference and interview starts with the players and coaches paying condolences to the victims of the war.
Celebrations following goals and the team’s progression to the knockout stage have also been muted “We are always trying to win to lift the spirits of the people who deserve this joy. When we celebrate in this way we want to show the people that we are with you, that we are thinking of you, and praying for you” Dabbagh told Football Palestine following the team’s 3-0 victory over Hong Kong in reference to the players holding their crossed hands above their heads following each goal.
The burden weighs heavily on other members of the team particularly for the two players in the squad in Gaza. Mohammed Saleh and Mahmoud Wadi still have family in the coastal strip who have been displaced several times. “They are living in a tent on open land… May God help them… Today my family is subjected to a war of extermination.” Saleh told the AP
Mahmoud Wadi’s cousin was killed on the eve of Palestine’s tournament opener.
The Asian Football Confederation has allowed for a moment of silence before the team’s matches for “the lives lost due to the ongoing situation in Palestine.” When the team speaks with members of the media, only a few of the questions have to do with personnel decisions or formation. Most want to know about the difficulties of playing while the destruction of Gaza rages in the background.
If it has been hard for the press corps to focus on football it has been near impossible for members of Palestine’s playing and coaching staff. The team suffered a hammer blow when the Olympic Team’s assistant coach- Hani Al-Masdar was killed by an Israeli airstrike on January 5th. Al-Masdar had played a key role in the development of Zeid Qunbar who scored his first national team goal against Hong Kong.
In the glow of success and goodwill, it is almost hard to remember that the team’s Asian Cup campaign got off to a less than spectacular start.
A series of uncharacteristic individual errors in their first game against Iran saw Palestine go down a goal after a mere 70 seconds. Iran’s lead was doubled inside 12 minutes in a totally dominant performance that saw Team Melli crush Palestine 4-1.
“In some instances, we were anxious and excited and the players wanted to show what they could do, this lack of concentration affected us” head coach Makram Daboub said in the aftermath of Palestine’s opening game.
There was even more pressure on the team four days later, on an unseasonably cold night in Al-Wakrah Palestine took to the pitch to face UAE knowing that another loss would make passage to the knockout stage a near impossibility. The clouds parted and rain fell minutes after kickoff- a sign of good fortune in this part of the world- as the Palestinians zipped and pinged passes past their more illustrious opponents.
There was little fortune to be found though, Palestine conceded against the run of play half way through the first half and then proceeded to miss a penalty kick. Al-Fida’i were a man up but a goal down going into halftime but anguish was etched on the faces of 42,000- mostly Palestinian- supporters.
As halftime drew to a close and Coldplay’s A Sky Full of Stars rang through the Al-Janoub Stadium a figure appeared on the touchline. As the floodlights blinked rapidly, the number 11 of Oday Dabbagh came into focus, his hands lifted to the sky in prayer at the exact moment the DJ queued up Dammi Falastini to the joy of a capacity crowd.
It was at that moment when Palestine’s tournament fortunes changed. Five minutes into the second half a whipped in cross from Tamer Seyam in the direction of Oday Dabbagh forced an own goal from the Emiratis. The comeback was on.
Palestine are, of course, a team that are no stranger to sporting comebacks.
Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter used to boast of how FIFA- the governing body of football- is bigger than the United Nations. 211 nations are affiliated to the organization, only 193 are UN member states.
The annals of football history features many nations that are relics of a bygone era. Then there is Palestine. A nation but not a state. Never a member of the United Nations. A member of FIFA for 20 years from 1928 to 1948 outcast for 70 years and finally readmitted in 1998.
In the past quarter century, Palestine has participated in qualifying campaigns for seven World Cup Finals- there has been progress but scant success. Al-Fida’i (The Fighters) have been more successful in qualifying for Asia’s continental showpiece, the Asian Cup.
This year’s tournament in Qatar represents the third consecutive finals the team has participated in.
Palestine might have been in the Top 100 of FIFA’s ranking for the better part of half a decade but they had very little to show for their improvement. Achieving success at an Asian Cup- under tremendously difficult circumstances is impressive- but not out of character for a team that has shown tremendous resilience over the last quarter century.
The Comeback Falls Short
Palestine’s comeback had to wait until the third group stage game against Hong Kong. In spite of a statistical domination that featured 24 shots- 14 of which were inside the box, 16 corners, a whopping 65 crosses and an 85% passing success rate Palestine could not find the winner.
“This is the headline of the match: it was a sad match. We gave a great effort the most you can ask of a player- second balls, possession, grit, determination.” Goalkeeper Rami Hamadi told Football Palestine following the UAE game
His Emirati counterpart was recognized as Man of the Match for his efforts “It was a great performance from Khaled Eissa, I saw him after the game and complimented him on his performance.” Hamadi said.
The 29 year old then turned to Palestinian media, he rued the team’s luck and then delivered a statement of intent “we hope and we aim…. Actually I guarantee to win the next game because we have no other option now.”
The point and the performance against the United Arab Emirates relieved Al-Fida’i of a great deal of pressure. The four days between the first and second matches left many players eager to prove their worth. In the lobby of the team hotel, players were trying to explain to fans and to themselves what happened.
There were nerves amongst the fans heading into the team’s final match against Hong Kong but amongst the team there was a quiet confidence.
Bangkok Boys
Five days later and 5,500 kilometers away in the Thai capital of Bangkok this writer was on a scooter buzzing through traffic. Circumstances conspired and as a result Football Palestine, following three tournaments, nine years, and eight straight matches, finally missed a Palestine encounter at an Asian Cup Finals.
The destination was the apartment of Mahmoud Eid. The Swedish born attacker was not called up to the national team in spite of a fine season at Bangkok United that saw him lead the entire Thai League in goal involvements. Also waiting is Yashir Islame, who has seven goals to his name in 19 appearances with the national team but has yet to earn a call up under Makram Daboub.
It was a reunion for the three who had not seen each other in over four years. While for the non-footballer amongst them, watching the national team is a duty and a pleasure it was a little strange to see discarded players transform into gleeful fans.
You hear stories about players who decide to completely disconnect when they are not called up to their respective national teams. This was not the case for Eid and Islame who had been following each one of the team’s games whilst in exile.
“I have been with the team for more than seven years and I have known the players and staff for a very long time. I will, of course, support them [regardless] of whether I am with them or not- I am always watching every game.” Eid told Football Palestine from his Bangkok apartment.
The joy of both players was not at all subdued as they marveled at Palestine’s demolition of Hong Kong. Al-Fida’i delivered on Rami Hamadi’s guarantee in emphatic fashion.
Oday Dabbagh latched onto a pinpoint cross from the captain Musab Al-Battat to head home his first goal of the tournament after 12 minutes. Palestine were no match for Hong Kong and five minutes into the second half Al-Battat again zipped up the right flank and delivered another pinpoint cross. This time the youngest member of the squad, Zaid Qunbar, headed home.
At the hour mark Palestine were up 3-0 and in second place in the group. If not for a controversial VAR decision and a late consolation goal for the Emiratis in the other group game between UAE and Iran Palestine would have finished second in the group.
“I am very proud of the guys and what they have done. They represent a special cause and the most important thing in this moment is to give a bit of joy to all the people, especially those in Gaza, who are living through bad times. This is a piece of hope. I am very happy and very proud because I feel represented by all my teammates.” said Yashir Islame upon the game’s culmination.
The duo planned to watch the next game together. It was not immediately evident who the opponent would be but given the results in the other group it was looking increasingly likely to be Australia.
The Bangkok based duo made plans to watch the national team’s next game together.
In the end, they had to be satisfied with third place and a date with hosts and holders Qatar. The match-up was confirmed following Kyrgyzstan’s late equalizer against Oman which sent the Gulf nation home and elevated Indonesia into the fourth best runner up spot.
A Flourishing Finish
Following their safe passage to the knockout stage there was a different mood in the camp. Players were relaxed but focused on the task. There was a quiet confidence that the game plan would work and that if Palestine landed the first punch Qatar would be exposed.
The analysts saw this game differently. The same pundits who doubted Palestine’s ability to beat Hong Kong were suddenly waiving away the accomplishment of a dominant performance.
That seemed to suit Palestine, though.
Most predicted a routine victory for Al-Annabi and while they did emerge 2-1 victors they had to survive multiple scares. Palestine showed their tactical awareness switching from a 4-3-3 to a 4-1-4-1 to counter Qatar’s surprise set-up in a 3-4-3.
After the first 15 minutes, Palestine began to show their attacking intent. A penalty shout was waived away after goalkeeper Meshal Bersham clattered into Oday Dabbagh. The Jerusalemite’s quality was beginning to bubble to the surface like hot Arabic coffee in a bekraj.
Twelve minutesafter the incident Dabbagh had his goal. Expertly picking off Bassam Al-Rawi’s pass and then bamboozling Qatar’s naturalized defenders Boualem Khoukhi and Lucas Mendes before neatly slotting past Bersham’s far post.
The capacity crowd of Al-Bayt stadium was stunned. The Qataris were silent and the small pockets of Palestinian supporters could not believe what they were seeing. For the first time since 2015 a team had a lead against Qatar and it was Palestine. In that time span only one other team had managed to pierce the Qatari rearguard- 2019 Asian Cup finalists Japan. Many of the Asian elite tried and failed- Saudi Arabia, Iraq, South Korea, UAE, China to accomplish what Palestine had.
In the end, a well worked set piece goal at the stroke of halftime canceled Dabbagh’s opener. Qatar then won a controversial penalty two minutes into the second half. Akram Afif duly converted to give the hosts the lead.
Palestine poured forward but a winner was not forthcoming. The team lost one of their talismen, Tamer Seyam- the tournament’s leader in xG- to a sprained ankle after 57 minutes. The exact same injury ruled out midfield maestro Ataa Jaber of the tournament following the UAE game.
Oday Dabbagh and holding midfielder Amid Mahajna ended the match with bandaged heads. When the final whistle blew both sets of supporters expressed their appreciation for a Palestinian side that had given everything but come up short.
Focus now quickly shifts to 2026 World Cup qualifying and there is a sense of optimism in the side. Manager Makram Daboub deftly side stepped questions about his future with the team- explaining that he has no contract with the PFA and how much he loves Palestine in the post game press conference.
When asked if he would be interested in coaching his native Tunisia in the pre match press conference Dabboub responded “of course we would be interested in playing a friendly against Tunisia or any other team”
To cope with the lack of domestic league play four national team players have now taken advantage of a new rule passed by the Libyan FA that allows Palestinian players to be registered as locals. Defender Mohammed Khalil, Midfielder and Mahmoud Abu Warda, alongside Zaid Qunbar are all due to travel to Libya in the coming days.
Amid Mahajna, Alaa Aldeen Hassan and a slew of other players are expected to sign for Qatari clubs once the QFA approves a rule that allows for Palestinian players to be registered as locals.
Reinforcements are also on the way from the Palestinian diaspora in Europe. Makram Daboub confirmed that the Danish-born forward, recently bought by Egyptian giants Al-Ahly for 2 Million Euros, would join once his nationality switch is processed by FIFA.
The challenge for Palestine is to make history once again by progressing to the Third Round of Asian World Cup qualifying for the first time. A full six points in back-to-back games against Bangladesh in March would put them well on their way to qualifying, most likely as the second place team in the group, behind Australia but ahead of Lebanon.
An expanded World Cup finals in 2026 means eight or nine Asian teams will feature in the North American edition of the tournament. After coming so close to the quarterfinals, Al-Fida’i will fancy their chances to upset the odds once again.
