For those of you with a sadistic streak you can watch highlights of Iraq’s 3-0 win here.
Ah what can we say about this game? Well, Abdel-Rahman is going to follow up with a detailed match report so I’m going to take this opportunity to rant, again. I really do not understand what is going on with the team right now, I don’t understand why we hire a coach and then promptly depart to play three friendlies without him. I also don’t get why play the same team in the same country in the space of three days. But most of all, I don’t understand the squad selection and the scheduling… this team has no direction and no goal, quite frankly we have regressed and are playing some of the worst football since we joined FIFA in 1998 despite having more talent at our disposal than ever before.
Let me ask you this, say Sepp Blatter called tomorrow and told us that North Korea’s FA had been suspended and decided that we should take their place. Which 23 players would you call up? I don’t think any Palestine team is complete without the following players:
Ramzi Saleh (GK, Al-Ahly Egypt), Majed Abusidu (LB, Kazma Kuwait), Abdelatif Bahdari (CB, Wehdat, Jordan), Roberto Bishara (CB, Palestino Chile), Omar Jarun (CB, Flota Swinoujscie, Poland div 1), Imad Zatara (LM, Syrianska, Sweden div 1), Roberto Bishara (RM, Brindisi, Italy Serie C2), Mohammed Samara (CM, Petrojet, Egypt), Edgardo Abdala (DM, Huachipato, Chile), Fahed Attal (F, Al-Jazira, Jordan).
That’s a core of 11 players, all of whom were not even called up for the friendlies this month. To make matters worse, there are players on that list that have not featured for us in years. No wonder we haven’t won a game since 2006 and couldn’t even qualify for the 2010 Challenge Cup. There are other decent players that featured yesterday that should be staples in our squad: Mohmmed Shbair (GK, Al-Amari, Palestine) has cemented his position as a solid number 2, Mohammed Abdel-Jawad (CB, Al-Birah, Palestine) is a capable squad player and has partnered Bahdari to great success in the past, Shareef Adnan (RB, Al-Faisaly, Jordan) was the best outfield player yesterday and was a menace on the right-hand side in the Terek Grozny friendly. Ahmed Keshkesh (M/F, Al-Amari, Palestine) and Fadi Lafi (F, Shabab Al-Ordon, Jordan) need no introduction and Ismail Amour (M, Al-Dhariah, Palestine) has been a consistent performer for years. Mohammed Shatrit (M, JA Drancy, France) has looked the part in unofficial friendlies against FC Brussels, Gencerbirligi, and Terek Grozny.
If the World Cup began tomorrow, I think the players I just listed should be locks for the squad. For whatever reason we seemed to have forgotten about their existence altogether. We have also ceased trolling the world to unearth talent like we used to. My hope is that after we get served two more times next week is that Moussa Bezaz returns to doing business the old ways. Scheduling friendlies on FIFA dates, calling up our best players, and unearthing talent at home and abroad. Because I seriously doubt we gain anything by getting our asses kicked three times in eight days with kids who have never played a full international before.
