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Ehab Abu Jazar has revealed the squad that will face Kuwait and Oman in the penultimate and final World Cup qualifiers of Round Three.
Since the new administration took the reins in December of last year there has been a concerted effort in communicating with the fans and the media.
Palestine’s last two managers kept their cards close to their chest going so far as to not release the squad to the media until days before the game.
Abu Jazar has been more communicative sitting for more than one interview in an attempt to address fans directly.
Like in March, the squad reveal is a direct nod to events happening in Palestine. Commemorating the 77th anniversary of the Nakba while also shedding a light on the genocide unfolding in Gaza.
The 27 player list includes four goalkeepers with Palestine’s U20 goalkeeper, Rami Jabareen, getting a call-up. The 20 year old had his contract with Hapoel Umm El-Fahm terminated after representing Palestine back in March. The national team call up is a just reward for the sacrifices the young shot-stopper has made.
Rosenborg midfielder Moustafa Zeidan is back after missing out on the March window due to fitness concerns.
The other new faces are Al-Ansar duo Mohamad Hebous and Hamza Hussein. The latter was first called up by Makram Daboub before the 2023 Asian Cup and was rumored to have been on the final list before picking up an injury.
Hussein has not played much this season as Hebous has been the Palestinian player Al-Ansar has chosen to field in the lion’s share of games. For context, Lebanese teams can register up to two Palestinian players but can only field one at a time as per the rules of the Lebanese Football Association.
Mohamad Hebous’s inclusion is a welcome surprise. The player burst onto the scene four years ago with Al-Ansar and was hailed as the heir to Hassan Maatouk for both club and country. Many Lebanese fans wanted Hebous to be naturalised but that never happened. The diminutive winger had to bide his time but was always ready to heed the call- even going so far as to represent Palestine in Futsal two years ago.
Axe falls on several veterans
This might be Palestine’s youngest ever squad. 35 year old Toufic Ali- who will face competition to make the match day roster- is the exception. Eleven players were born in the 21st Century. An additional five players are older than the modern iteration of the national team (born in or after 1998). Only four of the 23 outfield players are 30 or older.
The most notable absences in this squad are that of Mohammed Rashid and Mohammed Khalil who have been fixtures in the team for the past four years. In Khalil’s case, the lack of left backs was his path into the squad and several starting elevens. He saw off competition from Ahmed Qatmish early in his career and has been one of several flawed options used over the past two years alongside Samer Jondi and Camilo Saldaña.
The emergence of Ahmed Taha and Wajdi Nabhan- both of whom are younger than the Sinjil native- means there is no place for him this time around.
Mohammed Rashid’s ommission is the big shock. Rashid was the focal point of the midfield when Palestine clinched qualification to the 2023 Asian Cup. At club level, he has made a name for himself in Indonesia playing for several of the country’s top sides. It has been a different story for Palestine a loss of form before the Asian Cup cost him his starting spot and he has been unable to wrest it back.
It seems Abu Jazar has opted to go with the profile of player who would be happier to sit on the bench. Ameed Sawafta, Hamed Hemdan, and Hamza Hussein are all 5-7 years younger than the Persebaya midfielder.
Snubs- and a potential surprise?
Mahmoud Eid and Islam Batran are arguably the two most in-form Palestinian players right now but there is no place for them in this squad.
Eid has been one of the best foreign players in Thailand over the past three years. Racking up 20 goal involvements or more in three straight seasons with Bangkok United. Called up in March, he was an unused substitute in the first game against Jordan and did not make the squad for Iraq match- a harbinger of things to come.
Islam Batran has stability with his club situation for the first time in years but he has once again been ignored by Ehab Abu Jazar. The journeyman has notched eight goals and dished out six assists in 17 matches with Safa in Lebanon.
Both Eid and Batran have fallen victim to the youth movement taking place.
The one veteran to escape the axe Mohammed Saleh who has been recalled in spite of the horror show he put on display against Jordan in March.
In March, Ahmed Taha’s inclusion was kept a secret until the last possible moment. Could there be a similar surprise this time around?
Time will tell.
The rest of the squad is as follows:
