June 3, 2021 was the last time that the Palestinian population saw their team in situ. The rout of Singapore (4-0) in the match corresponding to the qualifying phase of the Qatar World Cup did not serve to achieve a ticket to the emirate, a World Cup goal never achieved, but it did make a fan accustomed to misfortune and pride. who, when he can, tries to take refuge in football. As of today there is no date for a new match against his team.
Before the conflict broke out definitively after the unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7 and the subsequent devastating response of the Hebrew army in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian national team had prepared the reunion at the Faisal Al-Husseini International stadium from Ramallah, capital of the West Bank. It was again a World Cup qualifying match, now against an important rival like Australia, on the second day of the Asian qualifying phase for the tournament that will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada in 2026.
Once again, as on so many other occasions, they will have to play at home away from their home, in this case Kuwait, on November 21. Before, they begin their journey this Thursday (3:00 p.m. Spanish time) against Lebanon in the United Arab Emirates - also on a neutral field for security reasons - with less enthusiasm than they would like.
The acceptable challenge of reaching the next round and dreaming of a possible ticket for the 2026 World Cup - there are four more places in Asia, double that, increasing to 48 -, without forgetting the Asian Cup next January, contrasts with the intensified Palestinian nightmare in recent weeks, especially in Gaza, where the siege is constant and the death toll continues to rise - the figure of 11,000 deaths has been exceeded.
Accustomed to dealing with difficult situations as a Palestinian coach, Makram Daboub has the added task of trying to get his players to put the tragedy aside for a short period of time and focus on football. Many have family and friends in danger, if they have not already fled the country. Also colleagues like Ibrahim Abuimeir, Khaled Al-Nabris or Ahmed Al-Kayed, trapped in Gaza and who have not been able to respond to Daboub's call.
The Tunisian coach is comforted to know that they are, for now, safe, although he explained that "many of their relatives have died as a result of the bombings." The coach acknowledges from Jordan - the headquarters of the federation, as it facilitates travel - that "with the death and destruction in Gaza, the players are in a delicate psychological state." For this reason, the Palestinian Football Association (AFP) prefers to prevent its players from giving interviews during the concentration.
"The situation is difficult in Gaza and there is nothing we can do but pray for them," explained Mahmoud Wadi, a Gazan striker who plays for El Mokawloon in the neighboring country, last week in Egypt. "We try to keep in touch with our people every two or three days, when the network or internet connection is available."
For the AFP, a full member of FIFA since 1998 following international recognition after the Oslo Accords, moving forward with football is still an act of vindication. "This is a people that wants to be heard and seen by the rest of the world, they want to live normally like everyone else, that is why the Palestinian people care about their national team. It represents the desire to be recognized as a free and sovereign nation" Vice President Susan Shalabi told the AP agency.
Of the selected team announced by the Football Palestine portal - there is no official list - it is curious to find two footballers with a Spanish accent: Yaser Hamed, with a Palestinian father and a Spanish mother, who was born in Leioa (Vizcaya) and played in the lower categories from Athletic -currently in India-; and Camilo Saldaña, a native of Santiago de Chile and formed in the Palestino, a club founded by the large colony settled in the South American country - the largest far from the Middle East - after the Nakba (the exodus of Palestinians after the Arab-Israeli war of 1948 ) and which has become one of the sporting symbols of the Arab people.
Without a league (divided into two for years due to the difficulty of Palestinians moving from the West Bank to Gaza and vice versa) since the beginning of October and after two months without international matches - like Israel, in the previous national team break its matches were suspended-, Palestine is settled in the vicissitudes. If they manage to qualify, the third and final phase will begin in September 2024. Being able to play at home again, as happened for the first time in their history in 2008, would be the best news for them.
