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It was a match more akin to a heavyweight bout decided on points than a footballing classic. Much like the first encounter between Lebanon and Palestine, Al-Fida’i were the better side but lacked the cutting edge in front of goal.
There were chances for the debutant Wessam Abou Ali and the grizzled veteran Jonathan Cantillana in the first half. Chances fell for Zaid Qunbar, Oday Dabbagh, and Mohammed Rashid in the second half only for the Lebanese Goalkeeper Mostafa Matar to step up with big saves.
Lebanon were playing to continue their World Cup dreams and give their captain and talisman Hassan Maatouk a proper send off. Palestine were playing to win but knew full well that there was an alternative path to the next stage of World Cup qualification- not losing.
Lebanon’s plan was to hang for the first two thirds of the match and then push for a winner in the game’s final embers. It was a tacit admission to their inability to open up against a dangerous Palestinian side. Radulovic sent on the hammering ram Mohammed Haidar on the hour mark in the place of Hassan Maatouk. Younger and more skillful players- Daniel Lajud and Ali Al-Haj came on.
Lebanon nearly did it with Ali Al-Haj wreaking havoc in the box in the 93rd minute forcing Rami Hamadi into a save and some last ditch defending from Musab Al-Battat, Michel Termanini, and Zaid Qunbar. The defensive passage will be one of the ethereal moments of this qualifying campaign in addition to the last minute winner against Bangladesh.
Cynics will point to Palestine’s inability to score but that belies a reality in qualification. The process of qualifying is ugly. It is a grind. There is very little time to prepare, injuries and suspensions play an important role.
The ongoing genocide in Gaza has thrown Palestine’s preparations into chaos. There has not been a single football match contested in the league since early October 2023. The Goalkeeper Rami Hamadi has been particularly affected but he has kept himself in shape and has recorded four clean sheets in qualifying, conceding only once- to Australia off a corner kick.
The hope for Palestine is that qualifying for Asia’s later rounds results in more opportunities for players to ply their trade abroad. The opportunity to play in Libya has been a godsend for over thirty Palestinian players but that might only be a short term solution.
In the meantime the team will quietly celebrate their achievements. There has been no big outpouring of joy, no locker room celebrations recorded on social media. Not yesterday and not during the team’s run in Asian Cup qualification. The squad is acutely aware of the pain and suffering of many Palestinian households.
The match against Australia in five days’ time presents an opportunity to further integrate new additions to the squad- Omar Faraj, Wessam Abou Ali, and Moustafa Zeidan.
A draw for Round 3 of World Cup qualification will be held on June 27th. Palestine is locked into Pot Five and will have a herculean task ahead of them just to finish third or fourth in the group.
Given the grit and character of this team there might just be a handful of surprises in waiting.
