Palestine expects – Palestine has reached the knockout rounds for the first time despite a deeply conflictive situation overshadowed by the war between Israel and Hamas in the Palestinian territory of Gaza.
Some of the players have lost loved ones and have family members trapped in Gaza. The team trained and played matches abroad in the run-up to their 03 Asian Cup.
Fans of other teams in Qatar have expressed their support for the Palestinian team, which qualified with a 3-0 victory over Hong Kong in its final group match.
What does Palestine expects?
Striker Almoez Ali said Qatar was “Lucky to have Akram”.
“We have played together for 10 years and we understand each other very well,” said Ali, who finished as the 2019 Asian Cup’s top scorer with nine goals & has scored one so far in this year’s tournament.Palestine expects
“He is the one who creates the opportunities for me to score.
“He has a great relationship with everyone on the team. He is like a player and a coach.”
Historic win:
Palestine will face the hosts and champions at the 68,000-capacity Al-Bayt stadium & Seyam said on the eve of the match that it was “an honor” to have fans from other teams cheering them on.
“For the first time in Asia there will be fans supporting two teams,” said the 31-year-old, who scored Palestine’s first goal of the tournament against Iran in a 4-1 defeat.
“It will be a football celebration, but on the field, it is a competition.”
Palestine began their campaign by defeating Iran but drew 0-0 with the United Arab Emirates before beating Hong Kong.
Palestine Coach Mehboob Akram said:
Palestinian coach Makram Daboub said, “The pressure will be more on the Qatar team.”
“We will try to fulfill it and everything is possible during the 90 minutes.”
“We have achieved our main objective and we have no pressure,” He said.
Qatar has won a staggering 10 consecutive matches at the Asian Cup, including all seven matches when they lifted the trophy for the first time in 2019. Striker Akram Afif was one of the stars of the tournament five years ago and is back in impressive form, scoring three goals so far. Palestine expects
Asia Cup 16 Matches:
Palestinian striker Tamer Seyam said Monday’s historic Asian Cup round of 16 matches against hosts Qatar will be a “Celebration” for fans who find themselves in the unusual position of supporting both teams.Palestine expects
