Doha, Qatar – The Palestinian team hope to reach the knockout stage of the Asian Cup for the first time to “put a smile on the faces of the Palestinian people”, one of its players said on Saturday.
The tournament in Qatar is taking place against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, and Palestinian skipper Musab Al-Battat is aware the team’s performances have a meaning beyond football.
“We as players are part of the Palestinian people and live through the same suffering as the people,” Battat said on the eve of their opening match against Iran.
He added: “We wish this (the war) will end soon and for this to be an exceptional tournament for us so we can put a smile on the faces of the Palestinian people.”
Israel’s relentless bombardment has killed at least 23,843 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
The war began when Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on October 7 which resulted in about 1,140 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Some Palestinian players have lost loved ones in the conflict.
Palestine have been at the Asian Cup twice previously, and are yet to win a game, but their coach Makram Daboub said they hope to spring a surprise despite their troubled build-up.
“We have a good squad, our team is ready and we hope we deliver so we make our fans and people happy,” said the Tunisian.
“We are looking to reach the last 16 — our people deserve to be happy and we are playing for them.”
Also in Group C are Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates, with the top two guaranteed a place in the knockout rounds.
“Our squad is more than capable of reaching the last 16 and maybe even going further,” Daboub said.