Palestine Starting XI (4-4-2): Rami Hamadi, Musab Al-Battat ©, Mohammed Saleh, Mohammed Khalil; Jonathan Cantillana (Zaid Qunbar), Odai Kharoub (Mohammed Rashid), Ataa Jaber, Tamer Seyam; Oday Dabbagh, Wessam Abou Ali (Omar Faraj).
Goals: None
Substitutions: Zaid Qunbar <-> Jonathan Cantillana 53′ // Mohammed Rashid <-> Odai Kharoub 81′ // Tamer Seyam <-> Moustafa Zeidan 81′ // Omar Faraj <-> Wessam Abou Ali 90+6′
Cards: Wessam Abou Ali, Odai Kharoub 32’, Rami Hamadi 90+1
Recap: Palestine and Lebanon- two teams denied the chance to host matches in the 2026 World Cup qualification cycle took to the field at the Jassim bin Hamed Stadium in Doha.
Fans of Lebanon remembered the pitch for it being the site of their Asian Cup death blow five months ago. For fans of Al-Fida’i the venue is home to happier memories as two years ago the team came from behind to eviscerate Comoros 5-1 and advance to the Arab Cup finals.
All of that including the match played in Sharjah on Match Day 1 seemed like a world away before kickoff. Lebanon and Palestine had their fair share of surprises in the starting eleven. For Palestine, Daboub elected to give a surprise start to Jonathan Cantillana, his first competitive start since the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. There was a debut for Al-Ahly striker Wessam Abou Ali who started up top with Oday Dabbagh in a 4-4-2.
For Lebanon this match represented the last roll of the dice and while there was no change to the team shape there was, for the first time since Radulovic’s return, he went with a four-man back line in an attempt to mirror Palestine’s shape.
Palestine started brightly and seemed intent at ending the game in the early stages. Lebanon were content to keep things tight with the hopes of organizing a smash and grab in the second half.
Six minutes into the match Palestine nearly had an opener after Wessam Abou Ali’s free kick was put back into the mixer by Tamer Seyam. The ball squeezed through to Jonathan Cantillana who was denied by Mostafa Matar.
Three minutes later, Tamer Seyam showcased Palestine’s threat in transition with a nice one-two with Musab Al-Battat and there were several chances on set pieces that went begging with debutant Wessam Abou Ali the target.
Palestine’s best chance came at the stroke of halftime. It was again the transition that sprung Dabbagh whose cross found Abou Ali who held up the ball and passed wide to Kharoub. The ensuing cross found Abou Ali but he put his headed effort just above the crossbar.
Palestine were forced into an injury substitution minutes into the second half and it was Zaid Qunbar who came on for the injured Jonathan Cantillana. The team seemed to switch to a 4-3-3 to start the second half but that changed back to a 4-4-2 with the entrance of the former Jabal Al-Mukaber man.
The substitute had a chance to open the scoring in the 54th minute but Khalil Khamis threw himself in front of the effort. The ensuing corner kick found Oday Dabbagh who put a volley over the bar.
The rest of the second half featured a lot of Palestine carving Lebanon up but failing to pierce Mostafa Matar’s net.
In the last ten minutes, Lebanon really turned the screws and their only true chance came. Substitute Ali Al-Haj snuck into the box in the 93rd minute and put in a shot that Rami Hamadi saved only for the ball to end up at the feet of Omar Bugiel. Then a heroic passage of defending took place to prevent the unlikely winner. Captain Musab Al-Battat stopped the initial effort. Michel Termanini slid to get the ball out of the box and then Zaid Qunbar came sprinting out and slid to clear all danger.
Palestine had two further chances to grab all three points in the game’s last embers; Moustafa Zeidan found Oday Dabbagh who was once again denied by Mostafa Matar. There was enough time on the clock for Matar to pull off another incredible save- this time denying Mohammed Rashid at close range.
In the end, Palestine got the point they needed, a point that delivered them safe passage to the Third Round of World Cup qualification for the first time in their history.
What This Means: Palestine is through to the Third Round of World Cup qualification. They will be placed in a group of six teams- the top two will advance to the 2026 World Cup, the bottom two will be eliminated and the middle two will continue onwards to the Fourth Round.
Results in the other groups means they will be placed in Pot 5 when the draw is conducted in three weeks’ time. Advancing to Round 3 means Palestine also qualifies to the 2027 AFC Asian Cup- their fourth straight qualification.
What I Liked: The result. Football is a results oriented business and it does not matter how things get done, as long as they get done. Palestine have usually played well only to finish just short of their goal. In this campaign they were the machine snuffing out the hopes of other teams.
This team does not quit, does not self-destruct. Bad refereeing calls, unjust ejections, heroic goalkeeping performances, and any other elements that might affect the result are just anecdotes.
Palestine was never going to lose this game. World Cup qualifying in Asia is a war of attrition and the ability to pick up points- is critical.
What I didn’t Like: I think Makram Daboub waited too long to use his substitutes. This of course is very subjective- some coaches choose not to tinker (Carlo Ancelotti in the Champions League final last week) and are vindicated. Daboub was vindicated but I felt that if Zeidan entered earlier (in place of Jonathan for example) a winner might have been delivered.
Man of the Match: Mostafa Matar. Chapeau to Lebanon who also had to play this game in difficult circumstances. This is the end of the road for many of The Cedars but Matar gives the team a solid base to build around.
What’s Next: Palestine Travel to Perth to face Australia on Tuesday June 11th. Kickoff is set for 15:10 Jerusalem Time.
