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AFC Asian Cup: Palestine make point in Qatar, send warning to Hong Kong over formidable final group fixture
- Palestine head coach Makram Daboub eyes ‘historic match’ against Hong Kong next Tuesday
- Daboub’s team profited from own goal in UAE draw, after spurning penalty chance
Barring a huge shock when they meet Iran on Saturday, Hong Kong will have to beat Palestine to make the next stage of the Asian Cup after their Group C rivals produced a herculean performance to draw 1-1 with the United Arab Emirates.
Palestine, who had a man advantage for 51 minutes on Friday after a red card for UAE defender Khalifa Mubarak, were slick, courageous, and ambitious. They will be tremendously difficult opponents for Jorn Andersen’s team on Tuesday.
And on the evidence from a highly charged Al Janoub Stadium, Hong Kong will also have to overcome a crowd fervently in their opponents’ corner.
The partisan atmosphere even overcame UAE head coach Paulo Bento, who was sent off in time added on following a second yellow card for dissent. Impassioned chants of Free Palestine filled the air before kick-off, and continued through a pre-match moment of silence.
Palestine crossing the halfway line generated an ear-splitting din. UAE’S attacks were met with a chorus of boos from an overwhelming majority of the 41,986 crowd.
The oxygen filtered out of the stadium when the Middle East team took the lead after 23 minutes.
Majid Rashid, UAE’S industrious central midfielder, relieved Oday Dabbagh of possession and scuttled forwards to transfer the ball, via Fabio Lima, to Ali Saleh on the right. Saleh lifted a deep cross onto the head of Sultan Adil, who powered his finish beyond goalkeeper Rami Hamada.
Winless in their previous nine matches, Palestine had scored only twice in that period, but were handed a golden opportunity to do so again when Mubarak wrestled Dabbagh to the floor in the penalty area.
Having initially denied 40,000 screams for justice, referee Ahmad al-Ali reversed his decision with the help of VAR and sent Mubarak off.
A fresh wave of Free Palestine chants were intended to motivate penalty taker Tamer Seyam, but he fluffed his lines and goalkeeper Khalid Eisa saved to his right.
But with a man advantage, and two wingers and adventurous full-backs, Palestine began raining over crosses.
Khalid Alhashmi, who replaced Lima after the red card, scrambled a deflected Musab al-Battat delivery off the line. And Dabbagh headed Al-Battat’s next cross onto the roof of the net
But after 50 minutes, Palestine finally broke through when Seyam served up a delicious cross from the left, and UAE defender Bader Nasser obligingly sent a diving header speeding past Eisa.
UAE sensed the momentum swing, and duly sunk back to protect their point. Man-of-the-match Eisa denied Mohamed Saleh’s downward header, then a snap shot from Dabbagh.
Dabbagh wasted two more opportunities to seal a famous win, aiming too high with a header from Mahmoud Abuwarda’s cross, and whizzing a 12-yard attempt past the post.
Hong Kong are likely to have neutrals on their side when they have a crack at Iran. Next week, they will feel the world is against them, as well as Palestine.
“The players were brave and gave their all,” Daboub said, between being applauded in and out of his post-match press conference. “We want the next match [against Hong Kong] to be historic, and bring joy to the Palestinian people.”
Barring a huge shock when they meet Iran on Saturday, Hong Kong will have to beat Palestine to make the next stage of the Asian Cup after their Group C rivals produced a herculean performance to draw 1-1 with the United Arab Emirates.
Palestine, who had a man advantage for 51 minutes on Friday after a red card for UAE defender Khalifa Mubarak, were slick, courageous, and ambitious. They will be tremendously difficult opponents for Jorn Andersen’s team on Tuesday.
And on the evidence from a highly charged Al Janoub Stadium, Hong Kong will also have to overcome a crowd fervently in their opponents’ corner.
The partisan atmosphere even overcame UAE head coach Paulo Bento, who was sent off in time added on following a second yellow card for dissent. Impassioned chants of Free Palestine filled the air before kick-off, and continued through a pre-match moment of silence.
Palestine crossing the halfway line generated an ear-splitting din. UAE’S attacks were met with a chorus of boos from an overwhelming majority of the 41,986 crowd.
The oxygen filtered out of the stadium when the Middle East team took the lead after 23 minutes.
Majid Rashid, UAE’S industrious central midfielder, relieved Oday Dabbagh of possession and scuttled forwards to transfer the ball, via Fabio Lima, to Ali Saleh on the right. Saleh lifted a deep cross onto the head of Sultan Adil, who powered his finish beyond goalkeeper Rami Hamada.
Winless in their previous nine matches, Palestine had scored only twice in that period, but were handed a golden opportunity to do so again when Mubarak wrestled Dabbagh to the floor in the penalty area.
Having initially denied 40,000 screams for justice, referee Ahmad al-Ali reversed his decision with the help of VAR and sent Mubarak off.
A fresh wave of Free Palestine chants were intended to motivate penalty taker Tamer Seyam, but he fluffed his lines and goalkeeper Khalid Eisa saved to his right.
But with a man advantage, and two wingers and adventurous full-backs, Palestine began raining over crosses.
Khalid Alhashmi, who replaced Lima after the red card, scrambled a deflected Musab al-Battat delivery off the line. And Dabbagh headed Al-Battat’s next cross onto the roof of the net
But after 50 minutes, Palestine finally broke through when Seyam served up a delicious cross from the left, and UAE defender Bader Nasser obligingly sent a diving header speeding past Eisa.
UAE sensed the momentum swing, and duly sunk back to protect their point. Man-of-the-match Eisa denied Mohamed Saleh’s downward header, then a snap shot from Dabbagh.
Dabbagh wasted two more opportunities to seal a famous win, aiming too high with a header from Mahmoud Abuwarda’s cross, and whizzing a 12-yard attempt past the post.
Hong Kong are likely to have neutrals on their side when they have a crack at Iran. Next week, they will feel the world is against them, as well as Palestine.
“The players were brave and gave their all,” Daboub said, between being applauded in and out of his post-match press conference. “We want the next match [against Hong Kong] to be historic, and bring joy to the Palestinian people.”