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What: 2023 AFC Asian Cup Group Match
When: Sunday, January 18th, 2024
Where: Al-Janoub Stadium, Al-Rayyan, Qatar
Kickoff: 19:30 Jerusalem Time
TV: Our Substack subscribers will receive an email with a link to a live stream on the day of the game. Subscribe here.
Previous Encounters:
24.03.2016: UAE 2:0 Palestine (2018 WCQ)
08.09.2015: Palestine 0:0 UAE (2018 WCQ)
24.02.2012: UAE 3:0 Palestine (Friendly)
10.10.2009: UAE 1:1 Palestine (Friendly)
23.08.1999: Palestine 0:0 UAE (1999 PAG)
Palestine and the United Arab Emirates in an important match. It is something of a collector’s item. Since joining FIFA in 1998 Al-Fida’i have only faced Eyal Zayed five times and only twice in fully competitive matches.
When the two teams last crossed paths in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification they were in different phases of their development. The United Arab Emirates were under the stewardship of Mahdi Ali and a golden generation that included Omar Abdul Rahman, Majed Nasser, Ahmed Khalil, Walid Abbas, and Ismail Al-Hammadi in addition to the marksman Ali Mabkhout.
Palestine were fresh off their first ever AFC Asian Cup finals appearance and had decided to ring in a new generation. Out went the likes of Ramzi Saleh, Murad Ismail, Raed Fares, Husam Abu Saleh, and Ismail Amour. The likes of Ashraf Nu’man and Abdelhamid Abuhabib were also on the way out.
Palestine were expected to be easy for the big dogs in Group A to deal with only for Palestine to nick two draws from Saudi Arabia and UAE in their home matches. The results meant that Palestine and UAE played a win or go home match in Abu Dhabi in the penultimate match day of 2018 World Cup qualifying Round 2.
Palestine played well but were unable to finish their chances and eventually referee Ben Williams gave UAE a helping hand awarding a dubious penalty and dishing out a questionable red card to Mohammed Darweesh.
This is, of course, all history and tomorrow’s match will feature few faces from that encounter. In fact, Tamer Seyam is the only player from either squad who played a part in that match (Musab Al-Battat was an used substitute).
UAE still trotting down an unknown path
The scripts have flipped, now UAE are in the process of a rebuild and Palestine are the veteran side. Expectations are very much that the United Arab Emirates are a cut above but Paulo Bento’s side was less than convincing in their first match against Hong Kong
In fact if VAR had not been introduced from the group stages we could be talking about a completely different result. The technology interceded and two penalties were awarded to UAE, a late consolation was taken away from Hong Kong. In a not so bygone era- could the match have ended 1-1?
Bento has racked up seven wins in eight matches since taking charge of the side last summer. UAE have mostly locked horns with teams below Palestine in the FIFA rankings and when they have come up against more serious opposition it has resulted in a gritty win or the lone loss (vs. Oman in their final Asian Cup tune up).
As long as the former Korea and Portugal manager keeps winning questions about how he gets things done can be ignored. It was notable that Bento elected to keep Ali Mabkhout on the bench for the entirety of the Hong Kong match. Mabkhout is one of the two players (the other being Qatar’s Almoez Ali) with a realistic chance of breaking Ali Daei’s Asian Cup goals record.
When asked at the press conference about a potential niggling injury that might have kept Mabkhout on the bench a testy Bento insisted that if he was on the bench it meant he could play.
Palestine Look to Bounce Back
The spirit in the camp has been largely positive in the aftermath of yet another heavy defeat at an Asian Cup finals. Tamer Seyam’s goal gives Al-Fida’i something to build on and there is a feeling that the team managed the second half well and stopped the reinforcements (which included Sardar Azmoun) from inflicting an embarrassing defeat.
“We have put the first game behind us and now we are fully focused on the second match against UAE which is just as important. It is a must win match and we will put all our efforts into trying to get the win and advance to the next round.” said captain Mosab Al-Battat at the pre-game press conference on Wendesday afternoon.
“We were not afraid of Iran. Yes, they are a strong team with quality players, but we are also a good team, and we have no fear,” said Battat.
“We are now fully focused on the UAE, which is also a team we respect, but in football, teams are at different levels which is natural, and the UAE is just a bit closer to our level than Iran was.”
There are several questions as to the team’s starting lineup. Mahmoud Wadi will not be available until the final group stage match. Oday Dabbagh started on the bench last time out but is expected to start and while Ataa Jaber is expected to play it is still up in the air whether he starts or not.
Six of Palestine’s players (Zaid Qunbar, Tamer Seyam, Camilo Saldaña, Mohammed Khalil, Michel Termanini, Mohammed Saleh) are on yellow cards so discipline will be of the upmost important.
Battat left the media delegation with no doubt about the team’s readiness to achieve a first win at an Asian Cup finals:
“The players are experienced and have a strong mentality; we have many players who are playing abroad. We knew the difficulties of the Iran match, but we are united and that has helped us to overcome the result and move on. We all have the same objective and we focused on it immediately after the final whistle of the first match.”
