The Palestine coach hails his team as “my champions” after a narrow 2-1 defeat to hosts and defending champions Qatar.
Al Khor, Qatar – In a match that saw two ‘home’ teams go head-to-head at the Al Bayt Stadium with huge support for the visitors, it was the form and experience of hosts Qatar that helped them overcome a lively display from Palestine and book a place in the quarter-finals. of the 2023 Asian Cup with a 2-1 victory.
The defending champions entered the round of 16 on Monday under the weight of the expectations of a passionate home crowd and thanks to an impressive performance in the group stage.
However, it was Palestine – playing their first ever Asian Cup knockout match – who started with the wind in their sails and put early pressure on Qatar.
Playing in their white away jerseys, the visitors took advantage of a relatively slow Qatari start and launched waves of attacks on the Qatari goal.
By comparison, Qatar’s movements inside the Palestinian box were restricted – a plan by Palestinian coach Makram Daboub that was executed almost to perfection by his players.
“My players gave everything they could and didn’t give them much space at the start,” Daboub said in his post-match press conference.
Palestine’s pressure and movement paid off in the 37th minute when Oday Dabbagh scored a lovely solo goal and joined his teammates in their “victory” celebration – crossing his arms and making the V sign with their fingers.
For a team that was swept 4-1 by Iran in its opening match two weeks ago, the Fedayeen had come a long way to put pressure on one of the tournament favorites.
However, their defense could do little to prevent the home team’s captain, Hassan Al Haydos, from equalizing in the sixth minute of added time.
The reaction from the local public was a strong expression of relief and joy.
Akram Afif, crowd favorite and tournament top scorer, turned the match around four minutes into the second half with a perfectly scored penalty.
Throughout the rest of the match, Palestine tried to create chances, but none paid off.
The physical fatigue of traveling to different countries for training, the mental strain of the war at home, and the emotional pressure of wanting to bring joy to their people were too much for Daboub’s men.
“They went through a difficult time but were still ready to put on a good show for all Palestinians,” Daboub said.
“I couldn’t have asked for more of them. They honored Palestinian football and the Palestinian people. They are my champions.
Their fans, who came in their thousands to support them one last time, said the team had already done “more than enough” to bring joy to the people of Gaza, who endured nearly four months of war.
“Even if they hadn’t won any matches or scored any goals, we would have been proud of them,” Samar Ustaz, a Palestinian resident of Qatar, told Tel Aviv Tribune after the match.
“We have shown that nothing can break our morale. Even when we are pushed to the brink, we stand up and fight back.
Yousef Ayman, another Palestinian fan whose family lives in Haifa, said everything the players showed was the embodiment of the Palestinian spirit.
“We can face any challenge,” he said.
Once the match was over, the Palestinian team took a few moments to soak in the atmosphere, process their emotions, then headed towards their fans to applaud their support.
From their first match against Iran two weeks ago to their draw against the United Arab Emirates, an emotional victory against Hong Kong and their first knockout match in the tournament’s history, the Palestinian flag has been agitated by thousands and chants calling for the freedom of Palestine were heard loud and clear.