In a Facebook post last night, the Palestine Football Association (PFA) confirmed Palestine’s meeting with Indonesia on June 14th. While also announcing that the team will play another friendly six days later against China in a yet to be specified Chinese city.
China- who was due to host the 2023 Asian Cup this summer- has recently relaxed its COVID-19 travel policy which will help facilitate this friendly. The date would have been the day four of the originally scheduled Asian Cup which has since been postponed to January 2024.
No word on what the PFA will do should it be drawn against of its friendly opponents in the Asian Cup Finals. The draw is scheduled for May 11th.
With Palestine locked into Pot 3 they could well be drawn against one of Indonesia (friendly scheduled for June 14th), India (Merdeka Cup), or Malaysia (Merdeka Cup). Al-Fida’i could also conceivably be drawn against China- a Pot 2 team- as well.
No contingency plans have been announced should that event come to pass.
Playing China before an Asian Cup has become something of a tradition for Palestine, they faced China before the 2015 and 2019 Asian Cups, earning 0-0 and 1-1 draws, respectively.
