After a temporary lead, the Palestinian footballers failed at the Asian Cup to hosts Qatar. In their first participation in the round of 16, the team was eliminated with a 1:2 (1:1) at the Al Bayt Stadium.
Oday Dabbagh (37th minute) scored for the underdogs before Hassan Al-Haydos (45th + 6) and Akram Afif (49th/foul penalty) turned the game around. After the flawless preliminary round with three wins, Qatar conceded at least the first goal of the tournament.
In the group phase, the Palestinian selection won a game in the continental championship for the first time with a 3-0 win against Hong Kong and moved into the knockout phase.
The team was on a highly emotional mission in Qatar during the Gaza War. They want to give the people back home a joy – “even if it’s just a very simple one,” goalkeeper Rami Hamada said before the start of the tournament.