Current：Home > ContactPalestinian soccer team set for its first test at Asian Cup against three-time champion Iran -GrowthProspect
Palestinian soccer team set for its first test at Asian Cup against three-time champion Iran
View
Date：2025-04-14 14:25:59
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The Palestinian soccer team gets its first test at the Asian Cup on Sunday, with its preparations having been made harder by no domestic soccer and limited opportunities to play competitive matches.
It faces three-time champion Iran in its opening game of the tournament, on the same day as the Israel-Hamas war reaches the 100-day mark.
“There has been very little football activity in Palestine for three months since the start of the war and this impacted us negatively, but we played friendlies abroad and qualifiers,” team captain Musab Battat said Saturday. “We want to put in good performances and get good results for our fans.”
Qatar captain Hassan Al Haydos handed the honor of taking the pre-tournament oath to Battat at Friday’s opening ceremony in Lusail.
“As a captain, saying the pledge was a proud moment for me as a captain of Palestine,” Battat said.
His team lost 1-0 against Uzbekistan and drew 0-0 with Saudi Arabia in warmup games this month. In November it lost 1-0 against Australia and drew 0-0 with Lebanon.
Despite that winless run, Battat spoke with confidence ahead of facing Iran.
“Our preparations went well, we are ready and fully aware of the size of the task at hand in this tournament. We are in good form at the moment and raring to go,” he said.
The Palestinian team’s coach Makram Daboub spoke of his desire to bring “joy for our people.”
“Iran are one of the best teams in the continent. They have a lot of top players and are a talented group,” he said. “It’s between them, (South) Korea and Japan for the title in my opinion.
“Recently we played very well against Australia, Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia, so in one match we fancy our chances, and we can dream of going through to the next round.”
The United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong are also in Group C.
___
James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
veryGood！ (5515)
Related
- Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
- From a March to a Movement: Climate Events Stretch From Sea to Rising Sea
- Fracking Studies Overwhelmingly Indicate Threats to Public Health
- Costs of Climate Change: Early Estimate for Hurricanes, Fires Reaches $300 Billion
- McKinsey to pay $650 million after advising opioid maker on how to 'turbocharge' sales
- Woman facing charges for allegedly leaving kids in car that caught fire while she was shoplifting
- Juul will pay nearly $440 million to settle states' investigation into teen vaping
- Jamie Foxx Breaks Silence After Suffering Medical Emergency
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- Andrew Callegari
Ranking
- Rolling Loud 2024: Lineup, how to stream the world's largest hip hop music festival
- Why keeping girls in school is a good strategy to cope with climate change
- Brian Flannery
- Missing resident from Davenport, Iowa, building collapse found dead, officials confirm
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- The U.S. diet is deadly. Here are 7 ideas to get Americans eating healthier
- Maria Menounos Shares Battle With Stage 2 Pancreatic Cancer While Expecting Baby
- Vanderpump Rules: Ariana Madix Catches Tom Sandoval Lying Amid Raquel Leviss Affair
Recommendation
Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
Mothers tell how Pakistan's monsoon floods have upended their lives
FDA expected to authorize new omicron-specific COVID boosters this week
Today’s Climate: April 27, 2010
This was the average Social Security benefit in 2004, and here's what it is now
Climate Change Is Happening in the U.S. Now, Federal Report Says — in Charts
Allison Holker Shares How Her 3 Kids Are Coping After Stephen “tWitch” Boss’ Death
Andrew Callegari