The Palestinian squad at the Asian Cup in Qatar hope to bring honor to their compatriots in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip with their first victory at the tournament since the team's debut in 2015.
The tournament kicks off tomorrow, Friday
The Palestinian squad at the Asian Cup in Qatar hope to bring honor to their compatriots in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip with their first victory at the tournament since the team's debut in 2015.
The tournament kicks off tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. local time, at the Lusail Stadium, Qatar will take on Lebanon in the first match of group A.
"For us, the message we are here to deliver through football is to qualify for the second round because Palestine and its people want to live. This is what we can offer," midfielder Oday Kharoub told Reuters on Thursday.
The 26-member squad play Asian powerhouse Iran on Sunday followed by the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong, hoping to advance to the knockout stage.
Kharoub said it has been difficult for players, especially those with families in Gaza, to focus on training when their eyes are glued to the news between sessions, keenly following what is happening back home.
"Our hearts are with them and we can only pray for them," Kharoub said. "Inshallah, we can make them happy, even if it's just a little bit, by qualifying for the next round. This is our ambition."
Defender Mousa Farawi said they have steeled themselves to play in high spirits despite the situation in Gaza.
"The group we have is really special, so we hope for God to give us good fortune and give each player the bravery to deliver on a high level. I see Palestine in the second round, God willing."
Defender Yaser Hamed said: "The whole team is motivated with what's happening in Palestine, it's a difficult time for all families. But we're professional players, we should keep it up the same way as we've been working in the last few weeks."
Israel were once Asian Cup champions when they hosted the tournament in 1964. But amid political tension and boycotts by Middle East nations, Israel made the switch to European confederation UEFA in 1994.
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A senior Iranian source said on Saturday the U.S. had agreed to release Iranian frozen assets held in Qatar and other foreign banks, welcoming the move as a sign of "seriousness" in reaching a deal with Washington in talks in Islamabad.
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