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In this ongoing series we profile a Palestine national team player who has not been called up in over two years and explore the reasons for and against his return to the national team.
If there is any hallmark of Makram Daboub’s Palestine it is a near iron-clad guarantee that Tamer Seyam and Oday Dabbagh will start. The two Jerusalemites powered the Tunisian to three straight victories in June 2021 demolishing Singapore, Yemen, and Comoros by a combined score of 12-1. They provided eight goals and two assists in that three game run.
The two linked up again during Asian Cup qualifiers a year later when Palestine swept aside Mongolia, Yemen, and Philippines by a combined score of 10-0. The duo were equally prolific with a 50% goal involvement.
The one element that has been subject to change is the attacker that plays alongside them in Daboub’s preferred 4-3-3 formation.
In the first slate of games Layth Kharoub was drafted on the wing and Oday Dabbagh took up the role of a #9. During Asian Cup qualification there was a timeshare between Mahmoud Wadi and Saleh Chihadeh.
When World Cup qualification rolled around it was Chihadeh who got the first start but he was replaced five days later by Zaid Qunbar.
The numbers for the incumbents are as follows:
Mahmoud Wadi: 20 caps (12 starts), 0 G, 2 A
Saleh Chihadeh: 15 caps (8 starts), 2 G, 0 A
Zaid Qunbar: 2 caps (1 start), 0 G, 0 A
The Case for Yashir Islame
In advocating for Yashir Islame the easiest case to make is to look at the forward’s numbers with the national team. The Chilean born striker has appeared 19 times for the national team (16 starts) and has notched an impressive seven goals (six from open play).
At the tail end of the 2018/19 cycle it seemed that Islame was the missing piece of the puzzle. In fact, the one element that had plagued Palestine for years before Islame’s arrival was the lack of a true number 9.
Ashraf Nu’man was played out of position between 2013 and 2014. Then came Mahmoud Eid’s turn to play out of position. There was a brief somewhat successful experiment with Ahmad Abu Nahyeh in 2015 and 2016 but his level was exposed against the bigger teams in Asia.
When Islame burst on the scene against Timor Leste it left many fans wondering if Palestine might have qualified for Round 3 of 2018 World Cup qualification had he declared earlier.
A brace against Timor Leste was followed by the winning goals against Yemen (friendly), Oman (2019 ACQ), and Bhutan (2019 ACQ).
Then came the injury. Yashir Islame missed the end of 2017 and the first half of 2018 due to a ruptured Achilies. In that time frame there were debuts for two exciting young forwards- the aforementioned Wadi and Chihadeh.
Palestine went from having no strikers to having three capable ones in the space of 18 months. They also cycled through three coaches during that time.
When Islame returned he was productive- scoring the equalizing goal in a 1-1 friendly against China. There was however an ill-fated attempt to shoehorn him into a side that also contained Mahmoud Wadi.
When the Asian Cup rolled around, Islame started against Syria and Wadi got the start vs. Australia. For the deciding game against Jordan the two started together with Islame tasked to play as a #10. The game ended 0-0.
Islame would go on to play for Palestine a total of two more times after that. His final game saw him shunted out on the wing in an ultra defensive 4-5-1 formation. Palestine lost 2-0 to Uzbekistan.
From a tactical point of view, there is a lot to like about Islame. He follows instructions and is a nuisance in the box. His hold up play is excellent and there is perhaps no better forward in the pool with his back towards goal. In fact, in the 14 games where has not scored with the national team you could never fault the work he put in service of the system. Given his work rate, Islame is perhaps a little unlucky not to have an assist to his name.
That said, he has also scored a variety of goals with the national team- playing off the shoulder of the last defender, route 1 goals, crashing the box, scoring from outside the box- Islame has done it all.
The power behind his shots is also something that inspires confidence. When Islame shoots- he absolutely smashes the ball.
The Case Against Islame
He is 32 years old. If Palestine qualifies to the 2026 World Cup finals he will be 35 the day the competition starts.
In short, Islame is very much a player for the here and now.
The player’s vagabond existence also does not inspire a lot of confidence. Since debuting against Timor Leste in 2016, Islame has changed clubs a total of ten times.
It should be noted however that Islame was largely successful and effective when he played. By my count he accounted for 30 goals in 120 starts since 2017. The Coronavirus pandemic also played a role in his career trajectory. Stints at Barito Puerta in Indonesia and Rangers in Chile netted a grand total of 273 minutes of play in 2020/21.
Islame has notched 12 goals and nine assists since then and has been a key member of sides in Thailand, Chile, and Malayisa.
The other point that could be made against Islame is that he has morphed into a midfielder. It is very rare to see Islame lined up as a #9 and more common to see him stationed far from goal providing service for his teammates instead of finishing chances.
That role might work in the leagues Islame has operated in in recent years (Malaysia, Thailand) but the experiment did not yield good results with the national team under Noureddine Ould Ali.
Verdict: It is strange that some players were allowed the privilege of playing themselves out of consideration whilst Islame sat and waited by the phone. Khaled Salem got the call for the FIFA Arab Cup ahead of him and we all know how that went. Mahmoud Wadi and Saleh Chihadeh are entrusted despite their less than stellar goal scoring records.
For some players, like Jonathan Cantillana, their previous body of work has given them an opportunity to state their case.
I am of the opinion that Islame deserves a chance to do just that. Call him into a camp to see what he has. If he fails to impress then you can carry on looking at younger options. If he shows that he is still the same player he was in 2017 then you have a proven finisher in your ranks who could provide experience, leadership and goals.
