Al Wakrah, Qatar – It was an unforgettable evening at Al Janoub Stadium – a night that belonged to Palestine, whatever the result on the pitch.
The crowd noise, flags and numbers were all in favor of the team who entered the match with a defeat in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup and a bitter war against their people.
The frenzied display of love and support for the war-stricken nation began before kick-off, intensified as the night wore on and only subsided when the last group of supporters left the stadium at the end of Palestine’s Group C match against the United Arab Emirates. (UAE) in Al Wakrah on Thursday evening.
Chants of “free and free Palestine” rose to a crescendo as the players emerged from the tunnel and onto the field. Palestinian players greeted the crowd with waves and applause before gathering as a group.
“The players will feel a sense of responsibility tonight – they must be aware that they carry the hopes of a nation at war,” Mariana al-Hindi, a Palestinian resident of Qatar, told Tel Aviv Tribune before the kickoff. sending.
“They’ll want to put a smile on everyone’s face by doing well tonight,” she said as she approached the turnstiles with her husband and daughter.
“As Palestinians, we are happy to see our country represented and recognized at a big event, but at the same time we are heartbroken by the situation in Gaza,” said Abdullah, her husband.
From the start of the match, the men in red were mobilized by a delirious crowd.
Every touch of the ball by a Palestinian player was applauded and every time the UAE held possession, the unabashedly partisan crowd booed loudly.
Palestine enjoyed some early possession, but the UAE quickly got into rhythm and began attacking the Palestinian goal. Their efforts paid off in the 23rd minute when Sultan Adil scored from a free header. The stadium was silent for a while until a small contingent of Emirati fans began singing.
Not to be deterred, the rest of the crowd rallied and urged the Palestinian team to push to score. When Oday Dabbagh was dragged into the UAE box 12 minutes later, the crowd leapt to their feet and pointed to the penalty spot.
The referee’s rejection of the appeals did not go down well with the crowd, who forced him to carry out a VAR check.
When Palestine was subsequently awarded a penalty and Khalifa al-Hammadi was shown a red card, the stadium rose to its feet to applaud the decision.
Tamer Sayem failed to convert from the spot and the first half ended with the UAE still in the lead.
The applause did not stop during halftime, especially when the introduction of the song Dammi Filastini (My Blood is Palestinian) rang out from the PA.
The crowd was standing and dancing and singing along – they were all Palestinians for one night.
When play resumed, Palestine looked to take control of proceedings with early pressure and it paid off as the UAE scored an own goal in the 48th minute.
Palestine didn’t care how the goal was scored – they ran around the pitch with joy. In the stands, it was chaos. Children jumped on the seats, women hugged each other and men let their tears flow as the ball returned.
“These players have been through a lot, all Palestinians have been through a lot, so it was a very special moment,” said Yassine Abdullah, a Palestinian student, moments after the goal.
“Everyone saw what hard work, inspiration and support brought to Morocco during the World Cup. We hope this match can do the same for our team,” he said as Palestine pressed for a second goal.
“We could be Morocco of this tournament.”
Despite their relentless attacks, the 10-man UAE team kept Palestine at bay and held on for a 1-1 draw.
When the whistle blew at the end of the match, the Palestinian players ran around the field to applaud their supporters for the electric atmosphere that kept them going until the end.
Assad Qusais, who watched the match with his family, said the men in red may have done just enough to keep some hope alive.
“It depends if they play Hong Kong (in the final group match), but we could still be among the best third-placed teams,” he said with a shrug.
Abdullah, who compared the support enjoyed by Palestine to that enjoyed by Morocco at the World Cup, said he would love for his team to repeat a similar run.
The continental tournament and match may not have the weight of a World Cup, but this night meant the world to passionate Palestinian fans.