With Gaza in their hearts, Palestinian squad seek first win at Asian Cup

DOHA – The Palestinian squad at the Asian Cup in Qatar are hoping to bring honour to their compatriots in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, if they can clinch their first victory at the tournament since the team’s debut in 2015.

The regional competition comes in the midst of Israel killing over 23,000 people in its more than three-month-old offensive, according to Palestinian health authorities in the Hamas-ruled enclave.

“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 said.

The 26-member squad face Asian powerhouse Iran on Jan 14, followed by the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong, hoping to advance to the knockout stage, even though they had lost their previous six Asian Cup matches.

Israel launched its campaign in Gaza after a cross-border rampage on Oct 7 by Hamas militants in which its officials said 1,200 people were killed, mainly civilians, and 240 taken hostage back to Gaza.

Against this backdrop, 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.

“Our hearts are with them and we can only pray for them,” he added. “God willing, 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. “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,” he said.

Teammate Yaser Hamed added: “The whole squad is motivated by what’s happening in Palestine.”

Israel were once Asian Cup champions when they hosted the tournament in 1964. But amid political tension and boycotts by Middle East nations, it made the switch to European confederation Uefa in 1994. REUTERS, AFP