Palestine marks twice in the last minutes of their group B qualifier for a historic 2-1 victory against Iraq in Jordan.
Palestine has kept the hope of reaching its first finals of the FIFA World Cup with a dramatic late return to beat Iraq 2-1 in Jordan.
The victory on Tuesday, at the Amman International Stadium in the Jordanian capital, was also the first Palestine at this stage of Asian qualifications for the world center tournament of football.
Aymen Hussein’s head of gaze, of the cross of Ibrahim Bayesh in the 34th minute, seemed to have sealed the tie for Iraq, but Abou Ali returned to his home with a normal two minutes to play.
Ameed Mahajneh then created the story while heading in a corner of the corner of Adam Kaïed – the same configuration and help as for the first goal of Palestine – seven minutes of injury.
Bayesh and Ali were both likely to find the net for Palestine, who had produced a much fighter display in the second half when they were trying to get back in the match.
The victory raises the Palestine from the bottom of group B and in fifth place with six points, placing them a point and a place above Kuwait.
Iraq, one of the favorites to progress in the group, is third with 12 points.
The two First Nations of each of the three groups of six remaining teams, currently in South Korea and in Jordan in group B with 16 and 13 points, respectively, automatically qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
The games ending the third and fourth progress to a new stage in the playoff series for places during the tournament next year, which is jointly organized by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The historic result leaves Palestine four points behind Oman, fourth with two games to play.
They then faced a trip to Kuwait at the bottom of the group on June 5, while Oman entertained Jordan on the same day.
The last series of group lights on June 10 sees the host of Palestine Oman in Jordan, which could then be a direct confrontation for fourth place – and with it, a place in playoffs for a place at the World Cup.
Palestine reached the stages with direct elimination of an Asian cup for the first time during the 2023 tournament before being eliminated by any Qatar champions in the second round.
The goal that kept the hopes of the Palestinian World Cup alive
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– #Asianqualifiers (@Afcasiancup) March 25, 2025
