As war rages, Palestine are somehow fielding a team at the Asian Cup… Mail Sport joined players and fans in Qatar to witness the unifying power of football

They were winners before a ball was even kicked. That sounds strange. Winning is of the utmost importance in sports and the pain of losing hurts.

But for Palestine, the devastating human losses of recent weeks made fielding a team here at the Asian Cup a victory in itself.

It didn’t matter that they hadn’t won in seven games; their last win was a 2-1 victory over Bahrain in March. Most importantly, this team was able to play at all yesterday, while bombs continue to hit loved ones in Gaza since Hamas’ horrific Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Facing Iran, which ranks 21st in the world, the task ahead was always going to be a tough one. That turned out to be as much as conceding two goals in the first twelve minutes. But in the stands, the many supporters wearing keffiyehs – black and white checked pieces of cloth – around their necks didn’t care.

A booth in the stadium concourse handed out free green, red, black and white flags, and their fans waved and waved with them in a show of unity.

This was their 90 minutes of escapism. It felt abnormal to turn left and right to see flags being raised and clapping for a team that was conceding goal after goal. But the wider circumstances meant this was never going to be a typical match.

Striker Mahmoud Wadi walked to Mail Sport before their training on Saturday after receiving a call from home. “My cousin was killed today,” he said. ‘Thirty minutes ago I heard this.

‘It’s hard to say how I feel right now. Three days ago I couldn’t contact my family, but (today) I saw on Instagram a video of a car going to a hospital. I saw someone in a red coat – this is my coat. So I guessed it was him.

‘We tried to reach someone there, but it didn’t work. After an hour, some of my neighbors there contacted my brother and told him what happened to my cousin.

‘We need to raise awareness so people know they are still with us. This cup is very important, to hold our flag and symbols.”

Manager Makram Daboub said his team had ‘psychological problems’ and were ‘suffering’ from the ongoing war. How they have the mental strength to participate in an international competition, who knows.

But when the lives of family and friends are in danger, a football match is a distraction, no matter how brief.

Supporter Hany Atat, 28, whose grandparents fled Palestine during the 1948 war, said: ‘Of course, we are proud of them (the players). Unfortunately, we are not here to cheer on football, we are just here to cheer on our national team and show the world that Palestine exists.

‘No one can change the feeling of being Palestinian. Sport is a channel for us to convey the message of our existence.’

Two of the team, Mohammed Saleh and Wadi, were born in Gaza. Some players have family stuck there. Some have seen former club teammates killed since the Oct. 7 attack.

By fighting here they want to send a message of hope to their fellow countrymen in times of need.

Daboub said: “Everyone is focused on the news and what is happening, but even with that, inside each of us, from the coaching staff to the players, there is a message that we have to convey to the whole world.

“We have a great responsibility because we are ambassadors for Palestinian football, and ambassadors for Palestine.

“Through the matches, our presence and what we will deliver in this tournament should send a message to the whole world that Palestine exists.”

Sport is often loosely described as a unifying force. Brings everyone together and so on. Although in this case that is indeed the case. Just look at the Palestinian team.

Ataa Jaber was the captain of Israel Under 21. In June 2023, he switched to representing Palestine. Amid Mahajna plays for the Israeli Hapoel Umm al-Fahm. Since the 2016-2017 season, he has played exclusively in Israeli leagues.

Such a message permeates this tournament itself. Earlier in the day, Takehiro Tomiyasu, the Arsenal full-back whose estimated transfer value is greater than that of Palestine’s entire 26-man squad, watched his Japanese team beat Vietnam 4-2.

Mahmoud Abu Warda, who plays for Markaz Balata, a team based in a refugee camp in the West Bank, faced Iran hours later in a stadium hosting Brazil against Croatia in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup. Completely different circumstances, inextricably linked through sports.

The attacks on Gaza have made any progress in this struggle a virtually impossible task for Palestine, apart from emotional trauma.

Twelve of their squad play in the West Bank Premier League, a division that has been suspended since October 7. Only two qualifying matches in November and two friendlies this month were available to them at the time.

That created a stark contrast with the opponent, who was undefeated in 13 games. Although tensions surrounded them too for different reasons – with Iran also torn by division and shaped by trauma.

The Iranian football team was reportedly threatened with reprisals by government officials over a refusal to sing the national anthem ahead of their 2-0 win over Wales at the 2022 World Cup in solidarity with fans following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. in police custody.

And last week, footballer Amir Reza Nasr Azadani was reportedly sentenced to 16 years in prison for participating in anti-regime protests.

On Sunday, goals from Karim Ansarifard and Shojae Khalilzadeh gave Iran the lead.

They scored two more, but Palestine’s only goal on the stroke of half-time drew the loudest cheers of the evening.

Tamer Sayem bundled the ball from a deep free kick. It was their only goal, but still something the supporters could take home.

Palestine still has two group matches remaining, against the UAE and Hong Kong. But whatever the outcome, in many ways they have already won.