Away from the football field, Makram Daboub, the head coach of the Palestinian national football team, grapples with challenges exacerbated by the Israel-Hamas conflict, now in its second month.
This conflict casts a shadow over the team’s training plans for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Daboub had hoped to include key players, Ibrahim Abuimeir, Khaled Al-Nabris and Ahmed Al-Kayed, in a crucial training camp in Jordan ahead of the World Cup qualifying clashes against Lebanon and Australia.
Unfortunately, the conflict has left them stranded in Gaza, unable to join the team.
Daboub finds solace in the safety of his players still in Gaza, even though many of their relatives have lost their lives due to the ongoing Israeli bombings.
“So far, they are fine,” Daboub said. “Many of their relatives have died, however, as a result of the bombing.”
The psychological toll on the players is undeniable. With families in danger and the weight of the conflict on their minds, the coach acknowledges the immense challenge of maintaining focus on football.
“With the death and destruction in Gaza, the players are in a difficult psychological state,” Daboub said.
Yet, amid the chaos, there is a resounding determination from both players and the Palestinian people to see the games through.
Susan Shalabi, the vice-president of the Palestine Football Association, emphasized the significance of the national team in representing the aspirations of a people seeking recognition and normalcy.
“This is a people that wants to be heard and seen by the rest of the world; they want to live normally like everyone else, so people care about their national team,” Shalabi passionately expressed to The Associated Press (AP). “It represents the yearning to be recognized as a free and sovereign nation.”
The Palestine Football Association, a full member of FIFA since 1998, dreams of a World Cup appearance in 2026, an achievement that would mark a historic milestone for a team that has yet to reach the finals through the Asian Football Confederation’s qualifying route.
Hope flickers with Asia’s increased automatic qualification allocation from four spots in 2022 to eight in 2026, with the tournament hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The Palestinian team, boasting the highest FIFA ranking of 73 in 2018, has previously appeared in the Asian Cup and secured a spot in the 2023 continental tournament in Qatar.
Daboub, pragmatic yet optimistic, recognizes the unpredictability of football but believes in the team’s potential to advance in the World Cup qualifiers.
“To be among the 18 teams that advance into that next stage of Asian qualifying, the Palestinians need to finish in the top two of a group containing Australia, Lebanon and Bangladesh,” Daboub explained.
Despite their current FIFA ranking of 96, the team remains hopeful, sitting eight places above Lebanon and a substantial 87 places above Bangladesh.
The journey is not without its disruptions.
Originally slated to host Australia, security concerns have moved the game to a neutral venue in Kuwait.
Preparations were further hampered when players could not participate in a Malaysian tournament last month.
Now, the team is stationed in Jordan to ensure smooth travel for upcoming games.
A pivotal match against Lebanon in the United Arab Emirates awaits, moved from Beirut due to security considerations. Daboub sees it as a significant step toward the next stage, expressing determination: “We will do our best. Football is the most popular game in the world. It brings people together. We aspire to achieve good results and qualify to show the Palestinian identity and that this is a people who deserve life and love peace.”
Source: Daily Sabah
