The Palestinians were tied to Group I with Australia, Lebanon and Bangladesh in the second Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup. They competed for second place with Lebanon, excluding Australia, and managed to advance to the third qualifying round with eight points.
In February, they lost to Iran 1-4 at the 2023 Qatar Asian Cup, but they drew 1-1 with Paulo Bento’s active presence in the United Arab Emirates and reached the round of 16 with Hong Kong 3-0. They lost to Qatar 1-2 in the round of 16, but their daredevil appearance was enough to make a strong impression.
Palestine is a country that is surprising in itself to play a World Cup qualifier against Israel during a war. The training session was also closed to South Korea behind closed doors at the auxiliary stadium of Goyang Stadium on Thursday. The official training session at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on Friday was also closed to the public after 15 minutes.
The practical strategy of the Palestinians, who are grouped with Korea, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman and Group B, is to rank within the top four to secure a berth in the playoffs to advance to the finals. If the Palestinians secure at least one point in the away game in Korea, it is a great achievement in itself.
It is the first time that the team met with the Palestinians. At the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, the U-23 team played and won the match 3-0 with goals from Yoon Bit-garam (Suwon FC), Park Chu-young (Ulsan HD), and Park Hee-sung.
The information on the Asian Cup and the second qualifying round is the best, but some players have changed compared to that time. An official of the national soccer team said, “I heard that two to three of the main matches were unable to come out due to the war because of Palestine. It means that there has been a change in the power.”
In the end, the content is also the content, but it is best to catch the result. It is difficult to imagine a draw or defeat at home, but I still remember a 1-1 draw against Thailand in the second qualifying round at Seoul World Cup Stadium. There is no way that Palestinians, who put their soul before them, should not have an accident in an environment where upward leveling has taken place.
“Korea is the strongest team in Asia, but it certainly has some weaknesses. I cannot tell you that,” coach Markram Daboub said in an official press conference on the eve of the match.
“Some of the players are not news of a professional team. I was late to join the team. We had a friendly match while training in Malaysia, but the first match is against Korea in the third qualifying round. (Entering the team) has achieved a big goal, but if we pass it, I think it is a great hope for the Palestinian people,” he said, before expressing his strong commitment to prevent Korea with determination, enthusiasm, and teamwork.
Coach Hong Myung-bo was also well aware of the Palestinians’ sense of challenge. When asked if he could win multiple points, he said, “It is our first match, and I think many people will have high expectations. However, we are at the beginning. We will prepare to score more points today as well. Basically, our focus is on winning. Victory is important,” as he added weight to the result of securing three points.
The analysis of players’ capacities also appeared to be in progress to some extent. “The movement of the two central strikers is threatening. Even in terms of organization, they are more capable than we think. As a result, they will likely become aggressive, but there will also be loopholes that can be reversed. As he has sufficient experience and ability, he will use it as an opportunity to score points,” he said, promising a strategic match.
In the end, the key is how quickly the players who have been traveling long distances get out of fatigue and show how they become one team at the same time.
Son Heung-min, who underwent two interim coaching sessions, was clearly identified. “Players have been called up for the first time in a long time, and some of them are new to the team. The atmosphere of the national team has always been good. Many people said there was noise, but the players held firm and they have a duty to accomplish it,” he said, expressing his commitment to run only for victory. 스포츠토토
“The most important thing is to win. Both the running players and the replacement players have influence. If we prepare in unison, there will be good results. We will prepare for a good and fun game,” he said, vowing to win against the Palestinians’ strong resistance.