The Seoul World Cup Stadium might be probably the most partisan and intimidating soccer arenas in Asia. The unwavering devotion – bordering on obsession – of the South Korean followers could make the most important groups really feel uncomfortable on this cauldron.
On Thursday, although, the house followers proudly displayed flags, scarves and banners in help of South Korea’s opponents – Palestine.
Amid a sea of pink shirts, reflecting the color of the house workforce’s equipment, giant pockets of the 66,000-capacity stadium unfurled flags and displayed supportive messages for the visiting workforce.
The poignant environment set the scene for Palestine’s first ever match within the third spherical of qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
It was an evening to recollect on the pitch too as coach Makram Daboub’s facet walked away with a deserved and invaluable level after a 0-0 draw towards the giants of Asian soccer, because of Rami Hamadeh’s imperious goalkeeping and South Korea’s errant ending.
Whereas the pre-match favorite Taegeuk Warriors have been denied a house win, Palestine have been additionally left to rue Jo Hyeon-woo’s fantastic save in stoppage time to disclaim Wessam Abou Ali a historic winner.
The regrets, if any, have been washed away by the jubilant scenes at full-time.
Vast smiles and heat embraces capped off a historic night time for the gamers and backroom employees, who’ve taken on the mantle of representing Palestine on the most important phases as battle rages on again residence in Gaza.
The Lions of Canaan stepped on the sector with a agency perception of their means to understand the dream of reaching soccer’s international showpiece.
“I’m always dreaming,” Palestinian midfielder Mohammed Rashid instructed Al Jazeera within the lead-up to the qualifiers.
“They [the Israeli forces] try to kill our dreams, but we will not let them stand in our way. We can never stop dreaming.”
“It’s one of many easiest and most elementary human rights on earth. All of us have the proper to dream. I do know it’s arduous to succeed in the World Cup [finals], however all the pieces is feasible in soccer.
“Being in this position [in the qualifiers] is already a dream, and going to the next step is another.”
Flying the flag for Palestine
Because the workforce tackles its challenges on the street to 2026, the Palestinians in Gaza proceed to be targets of the Israeli forces, who’ve killed greater than 40,000 folks and wounded over 94,000, based on the Well being Ministry in Gaza. In Israel, 1,139 folks have been killed within the October 7 Hamas-led assaults, which began the present battle.
The almost yearlong battle has additionally left its affect on soccer, the most well-liked sport in Palestine, and the Palestinian soccer workforce.
As of August, at the very least 410 athletes, sports activities officers or coaches had been killed within the battle, based on the Palestine Soccer Affiliation. Of those, 297 have been footballers, together with 84 kids who harboured desires of enjoying for Palestine.
After the battle started, Palestine Soccer Affiliation (PFA) Vice President Susan Shalabi started recording the deaths of these related to the sport in Gaza. It was her try and humanise the numbers and inform their tales.
Nevertheless, she needed to cease as she struggled to maintain up with the mounting numbers and the emotional toll of mourning the loss.
The trauma of battle and the lack of family and friends has impacted the gamers as nicely.
“No human, whether they are Palestinian or not, can see what’s happening and not be affected by it,” Palestine worldwide Rashid mentioned.
He then reveals his coping mechanism: “Two days before the match, I try my best not to look at the news because it really affects us.”
Rashid mentioned that whereas different gamers could take care of their feelings in a different way, there isn’t any denying that it’s “pretty hard” for everyone to hold on enjoying.
He explains that “flying the flag for Palestine” means greater than any consequence.
“There’s more to it than just football,” the Ramallah-born participant mentioned.
The 29-year-old mentioned the workforce performs for each Palestinian at residence, each Palestinian who’s abroad and within the refugee camps all around the world.
“We never play for us. When we play for the national team, we represent the whole Palestinian community all over the world.”
Residence away from residence
After the attract Seoul in Palestine’s first match of the qualifiers, the workforce travelled to Kuala Lumpur to “host” Jordan within the Malaysian capital.
Because the October 7 assaults in southern Israel and the following battle, Palestine haven’t been capable of play any worldwide video games at residence.
In November, they have been attributable to host Australia on the Faisal Al-Husseini Worldwide Stadium in ar-Ram, northeast of Jerusalem, however safety issues dictated in any other case. It could have been their first match on residence soil since a 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia in October 2019.
Within the earlier spherical of World Cup qualifiers, Palestine’s residence video games have been performed in Kuwait and Qatar whereas Indonesia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Algeria supplied to host them as nicely.
Malaysia, a staunch ally of Palestine, supplied the identical, and to chop down on journey from Seoul, Kuala Lumpur was chosen the host for the mouthwatering all-Arab tie.
Whereas Palestine can anticipate sturdy help from locals and the Palestinian neighborhood in Malaysia, there might be no substitute for enjoying at residence.
It stays to be seen if Palestine can host Kuwait at residence for his or her subsequent residence sport on October 15.
Whereas FIFA has granted conditional approval for the PFA to host video games on the Faisal Al-Husseini Worldwide Stadium, the logistics are usually not easy. And till the PFA is ready to flip the hope right into a actuality, Palestine are pressured to seek out impartial venues for his or her residence video games.
They take power from figuring out that a number of nations have opened their arms to host Palestine.
“It means a lot to us,” PFA’s Shalabi defined. “We feel that we are not alone, and that’s very important for a people who are besieged, being tormented and killed.”
For Palestine to fulfil their dream of creating it to the North American World Cup in 2026, they should obtain one in every of two situations: be among the many prime two groups of their group – which in addition to South Korea and Jordan additionally options Iraq, Oman and Kuwait – or end the present spherical in third or fourth place and progress to the fourth spherical, wherein six groups will battle for the ultimate two automated berths.
FIFA’s official males’s rankings place Palestine (96) nicely behind South Korea (22), Iraq (55) and Jordan (68), making it seem tough for them to complete forward of these three international locations. Nevertheless, ending third or fourth and giving themselves one other shot at qualification may be very a lot on the playing cards.
Hope of the Palestinian folks
There’s little doubt that the workforce represents hope to the Palestinian folks. The story of PFA Deputy Normal Secretary Sami Abu Al Hussein signifies how.
Al Hussein determined to separate members of his household to keep away from dropping each his kids to an Israeli assault. In the event that they have been in separate areas, he figured, one would survive if the opposite didn’t.
Regardless of the battle and the division of his household, Al Hussein phoned his colleague Shalabi to specific his pleasure concerning the qualifiers and relay the feelings of the folks in search of a quick respite from the battle.
“It signifies the hope the team represents for Palestine,” mentioned Shalabi, who can also be a member of the Asian Soccer Confederation’s govt committee.
“We are so proud of them because in what they are doing now, they are providing a voice for the whole of Palestine, especially the ones who are living under this genocide in Gaza,” she mentioned.
“If the only thing that they could accomplish is to make a child in Gaza smile, they would have done enough.”
