Football Palestine

2012 Calendar

2012-01-30T05:13:00.000+03:00

Nepal 2012: March 8-19th

The most important tourney in 2012 for the Palestinian National Team is the Challenge Cup, due to be held in Nepal in six weeks. The eventual winner will qualify directly for the 2015 Asian Cup, so for all those involved it is akin to a condensed Asian Cup Qualifying campaign. Palestine has been placed in Group A alongside the Maldives, 2010 Finalists Turkmenistan and hosts Nepal. You can read more about the tournament here.

Looking further ahead, Palestine will, for the second year in a row, host a tournament in commemoration of the Nakba in May, except this time the tournament will feature National Teams instead of club sides. PFA President Jibril Rajoub is currently busy trying to convince the list of invitees to attend. So far, Tunisia has confirmed that it will send its U23 team, Jordan is a likely (yet unconfirmed) participant, and at the time of writing Mauritania's FA is being coaxed out of international wilderness by Rajoub.

Arab Nations Cup: Palestine not invited

In June, Saudi Arabia will host a revived Arab Nations Cup. Unfortunately for fans of Arab Football this tournament is dead on arrival. In order to guarantee the maximum participation Continental championships are usually planned and organized years in advance. The 2012 edition of the Arab Nations Cup was put together in six months. It was originally supposed to feature a qualifying phase whereby 16 nations were whittled down to eight finalists (In case you are wondering, 22 nations make up the Union of Arab Football Associations). With a slew of nations turning down the invite due to World Cup Qualifying commitments, the organizers decided to scrap the qualification phase and go ahead with a 12-team tournament.

Due to their unfortunate and somewhat misleading FIFA ranking Palestine was amongst the non-invitees. Sharing the ignominy of a non-invite were Djibouti, Mauritania, and Somalia.

The farcical nature of the tournament was sealed when 2010 World Cup finalists Algeria declined the invite. Also deciding not to take part (Who wouldn't want to play football in the summer in Saudi Arabia?) were: Jordan (perhaps the best Arab team in 2011), Egypt (the most successful Arab team of all-time), talent-laden Morocco, and cash-laden Qatar.

WAFF Championship: November 20 - December 23rd

Palestine has yet to schedule any friendlies for the summer but will be back in action once November rolls around. Defending WAFF Champion Kuwait will host the 7th edition of the tournament which will run from November 20 until December 23rd. Eleven of the 13 WAFF Nations have confirmed their participation, Qatar have formally declined, whilst UAE have yet to RSVP.

Ali El-Khatib on the verge of controversial move to Hapoel Haifa

2012-01-26T23:05:00.002+03:00

Ali El-Khatib during his trial at Hapoel Haifa

[UPDATE 01/28/2012]: Ali El-Khatib made his debut against Maccabi Netanya coming off the bench in the second half.

Ali El-Khatib has caused quite a stir this season. The 22 year-old winger has been nothing short of superlative on the pitch- representing Palestine in Olympic and World Cup qualifying and scoring the match-winning goals against Bahrain and Sudan. Off the pitch, it has been no less eventful for the youngster. In the past six months he:

Signed with Hilal Al-Quds, scoring on his debut in the Super Cup.
Scored on his league debut and is later sent off, receiving a 4-month ban.
After serving out his ban, plays only one additional game garnering $24,000 in wages (according to Hilal Al-Quds)
Misses top of the table clash against Shabab Al-Khaleel. El-Khatib claims this was due to his wedding being on the same day. Hilal Al-Quds claims the player was paid off by former manager Samer Eissa to throw the match.
El-Khatib further reveals that he was kidnapped and beaten by thugs hired by Hilal's Chairman Abdel-Qader El-Khatib (no relation) who forced him to sign papers altering his financial compensation.
After Hilal Al-Quds decides to suspend the player for the rest of the season- the PFA intercedes on his behalf, terminating his contract.
El-Khatib signs a four and a half year contract with his former club Jabal Al-Mukaber. Reuniting with Samer Eissa, who himself had been let go by Shabab Al-Khaleel.

El-Khatib made his first appearance of the season last week in Jabal Al-Mukaber in their 2-1 win over Thaqafi Tulkarem so news of his imminent move to Hapoel Haifa comes as a surprise. The crux of the disagreement stems from the fact that players arriving from the Israeli league are issued separate Palestinian registration cards. It appears that when Ali El-Khatib moved from Hapoel Shfaram to Jabal Al-Mukaber as a teenager the formal paperwork to obtain his card was not completed.

According to Bokra, Ali El-Khatib made the move after consulting with PFA President Jibril Rajoub and his IFA counterpart, Avi Luzon. El-Khatib claims that Rajoub wished him luck in his future endeavors while Luzon vowed to help him achieve his ambition of playing in Europe even insinuating a possible appearance for the Israeli National Team to help expedite the process. In a parting salvo, El-Khatib did himself no favors by comparing the WBPL to an amateur league and stated that it did not match his ambition.

Hapoel Haifa and Jabal Al-Mukaber might take the matter up with FIFA and CAS and both clubs have grounds in claiming rights to the player (Although Ali El-Khatib told Bokra he did not sign a contract with Jabal Al-Mukaber). A decision by either of these bodies could end up creating some important precedents: Palestinian sides might be forced to deal with the IFA in obtaining the registration of players they want to sign. Or it could create a situation similar to that of Ireland where players born in Northern Ireland are eligible to represent the Republic.

Mahmoud hands opportunity to fringe players

2012-01-23T21:05:00.001+03:00

Newly acquired Jabal Al-Mukaber goalkeeper Majdi Khalaila

Jamal Mahmoud has begun working out which 23 players to take to Nepal with their opening game against the hosts less than 50 days away. Due to the tournament not being held in the summer (or coinciding with any FIFA match dates) Palestine will be without most, if not all, their foreign-based players. Mahmoud is expected to rely on the same core of players that advanced to the semifinals of last month's Pan-Arab games. That said, changes should be expected,which is why Jamal Mahmoud is holding a camp for 24 WBPL and Palestinian First Division players who have yet to feature in official matches.

The list is made up of some prominent players such as Khaled Mahdi who started two World Cup qualifiers and Olympic Team starlet Abdelhamid Abuhabib. The players will meet up tomorrow for a training session at the Faisal Al-Husseini Memorial Stadium. Preparations for the Challenge Cup should kickoff after the 13th Round of WBPL matches are concluded on February 4th. Here is the list in full:

Goalkeepers:
Majdi Khalaila (Jabal Al-Mukaber)
Firas Biyadseh (Silwan*)
Fahed Al-Fakhuri (Thaqafi Tulkraem)

Defenders:
Ahmed Abdullah Salameh (Al-Am'ary)
Khaled Mahdi (Al-Am'ary)
Abdelsalam Al-Sweikeri (Hilal Al-Quds)
Kamel Jebareen (Jabal Al-Mukaber)
Hilal Al-Sane' (Shabab Al-Dhahrieh)
Thaer Jabour (Yatta*)

Midfielders:
Mahmoud "Al-Koori" Salah (Al-Am'ary)
Abdelhamid Abuhabib (Balata)
Ahmed Al-Huweiti (Balata)
Sameh Maraaba (Islami Qalqilya*)
Hani Abu Bilal (Shabab Al-Dhahrieh)
Mohammed Jamal Jebreen (Shabab Al-Khaleel)
Adham Hadi (Shabab Al-Khaleel)

Saleh Mahajna (Yatta*)

Forwards:
Khaldoun Al-Halman (Ahly Al-Khaleel*)
Mohammed Nael (Al-Bireh)
Lu'ay Nassar (Islami Qalqilya*)
Ahmed Maher (Shabab Al-Dhahrieh)
Mohammed Abu Kishik (Thaqafi Tulkarem)
Thaer Mur (Yatta*)

* Denotes First Division Side

Interview: Roberto 'The Maestro' Kettlun

2012-01-20T14:21:00.000+03:00

The current surge of able midfielders notwithstanding, we have yet to see a player in the mold of Roberto Kettlun wear the Palestine shirt. Making his debut in the 2002 Pan-Arab cup in Kuwait, the Chilean-Palestinian wowed audiences with his precision passing and play-maker vision. Our friend Amin Ziad got in touch with him on behalf of Football Palestine to catch up and talk about his time with the National Team. Here is the text of the correspondence.

FP: First of all, on behalf of all Palestinian football fans, I'd like to thank you for your golden years with the National Team and the results we achieved with you. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Kettlun: Thanks for you kind words.
I live at Brindisi , Italy. I'm 30 years old, I'm not married but I live with my girlfriend and we have 2 daughters , we will be married by the end of next year.

FP: Before you got called up for Palestine, had you ever considered playing international football?

Yes I always wanted to play international football , and coach Nicola Shahwan called me up to the National Team for the first time in December 2002 for the Pan-Arab cup in Kuwait.

FP: You and a lot of Palestinians based in Latin America joined the NT for the 2002 Arab Nations Cup and we actually got good results that cup, what do you think of that experience?

I always remember the 2002 Pan-Arab Cup with a lot of joy and happiness , because we had a very good team , I made good friends that year , and we got good results. It was the perfect start with the NT.

FP: What was your favorite moment wearing the Palestine shirt?

My favorite moment was when I scored a free kick vs Iraq in Qatar in 2004.

FP: After some spectacular performances, including your amazing free kick vs Iraq you earned the nickname "El Maestro" and "The Magician".. what did that feel like?

After that I was very happy and proud of what we all did with the Palestinian NT. And I got even more happy when the Palestinian people let me know they love me because of what I did.

FP: What is your club situation right now?

In the last 4 years I've been moving around a lot in Italy , but in the last 3 years I've won 2 championships and made it to 1 play off. Now I don't know if I will stay here in Brindisi for the rest of the season.... I'll maybe leave somewhere else.

FP: Do you see a comeback to the Palestinian NT someday?

Yes I can see it, and I will love it if it happens!

FP: During your four years in the NT you traveled around Asia & the Arab World with the team.. do you have any interesting stories?

Yes, It's normal I've got a lot of stories by now.. some bad and some good. One good story was when I met president Abu Mazen in Amman, it was great for me. When my family saw the picture of me and him they were very proud of where I was.

FP: During your time with the National Team, you came under the leadership of three coaches.. Nicola Shahwan, Alfred Riedl & Azmi Nassar..can you give us a few comments about each?

Nicola was the coach who started with us and he was important because without him we never would have joined Palestine. Alfred is a great coach and person, I think with him the NT it worked like it should, a lot of discipline , a lot of hard trainings and for sure he has all the experiences a coach can need.
Azmi i think it was a great person , very sympathetic , very human and he was a very [good] player when he jump into the field to play the small game with us , amazing player still by that time...

Roberto and Azmi

FP: Which players did you mostly spend time with?

My two best friends in football are Roberto Bishara and Gonzalo Villagra ( Captain of Union Española club , 1st league Chile) who is also the godfather of my daughter Maia.

FP: Lastly, is there anything you want to say to Palestine fans?

To Palestinians fans , I always remember all of you with an amazing sympathy, during all this years I've felt supported by them , and I just hope to come back one day to national team and try to pay them back with hard work and some free kicks all what they had gave to me....Forza Palestina!

Palestine to face Azerbaijan in Dubai

2012-01-19T14:40:00.001+03:00

Palestine will make history once again next month when it faces its first UEFA side since re-entering FIFA in 1998. The friendly will take place next month on the first official FIFA match day of 2012 (February 29th) with Dubai playing host to both teams.

The team will use the fixture to prepare for the upcoming AFC Challenge Cup while Azerbaijan is looking to stay sharp ahead of UEFA World Cup qualification in September.

Al-Fursan will face Azerbaijan's Caspian neighbors, Turkmenistan, in their second group match slated for March 10th. Azerbaijan's next competitive fixture is a World Cup Qualifier against Israel in September. It looks likely that geographical proximity played a role in scheduling this fixture. The hope for both sides is that they can get acclimated to playing against a certain style although seeing as how Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan (and by extension Palestine and Israel) play in different confederations it might not work out that way.

Azerbaijan is led by former Germany and Scotland manager Berti Vogts, he has been at the helm since 2008 and recently led the side to their best ever total points haul in a qualification campaign- beating Turkey and Kazakhstan at home and holding Belgium to a 1-1 draw. The Azerbaijanis also have a penchant for organizing friendlies with West Asian opponents having played Bahrain (1-0-0), Iran (0-1-2), Iraq (0-0-1), Jordan (1-1-0), Kuwait (0-2-0), Oman (0-0-2), Saudi Arabia (0-0-1) and the United Arab Emirates (0-1-0).

This fixture might present a dilemma for Jamal Mahmoud as it is looking increasingly unlikely that the side will have any of its foreign based players for the Challenge Cup (Omar Jarun excepted). Mahmoud will be able to call them up for this fixture due to it falling on an official FIFA match day. With the first game of the Challenge Cup eight days later, Mahmoud might be forced to exclude his best players in order to better prepare those able to participate in the Challenge Cup.

Azerbaijan are currently 111th in the latest FIFA rankings 51 spots above Palestine.

Two months in, Jamal Mahmoud has outdone predecessors and colleagues

2012-01-07T18:08:00.000+03:00

It takes time to build a national team. It also takes vision, superior communication skills, and a little bit of luck as well. At the time of writing, many of the world's most established sides are in transition. Argentina, Egypt, the United States, and even mighty Brazil are searching for an identity and for the right mix of players. Chances are by the time the 2014 World Cup rolls around these teams will be ready if their current managers are given time to see their projects through.

What Mahmoud has been able to do with the team is nothing short of miraculous, more established managers have failed with more time and more talent. Just look at the African sides at the 2010 World Cup- Nigeria and Cameroon had manageable groups but their newly appointed managers Lars Lagerbäck and Paul Le Guen failed to win a game. Closer to home, the struggles of Saudi Arabia in World Cup qualifying are proof positive that it takes months, if not years, to build a national team.

Mahmoud vs. Bezaz

Moussa Bezaz during his unveiling (June 2009)

Mahmoud (2 months): 8P 2W 4D 2L

Bezaz (19 months): 8P 0W 5D 3L

The difference between Bezaz and Mahmoud goes beyond the numbers. Bezaz for all his experience as a professional player and manager in France was horrible when it came to dealing with players. To be fair to the Frenchman (who has received a great deal of criticism on this blog) his teams were competent but unbalanced and constantly underachieved as a result. His biggest crime was that he treated the position like a part time job and left scouting and squad selection to his assistants and the FA.

Because Bezaz had such trouble understanding the talents he had at his disposal he failed to get the best out of them. Husam Abu Saleh, a player with UEFA Cup experience, looked out of his element under Bezaz- exemplified by his horrid performance in the 1-1 draw against Afghanistan. Under Mahmoud, he has been a revelation, with his overlapping runs sending the opposition into fits. Although Bezaz often played a five-man midfield his teams struggled to dictate play and left massive gaps in between midfield and defence. The deficiencies in Bezaz's lineup were a result of playing players out of position and not fully explaining what there responsibilities were. It should come as no surprise then, that Ahmed Keshkesh feuded with Bezaz first over the captaincy and then over his positioning on the pitch.

With Jamal Mahmoud, Palestine now have a manager who is far more adept in dealing with his players. For one, there is no language or cultural barrier. Both he and Bezaz were dealt heavy blows in their first competitive matches in charge, with Palestine losing to Yemen and Jordan, respectively. Coincidentally, Palestine finished with nine men and were victims of controversial penalty decisions on both occasions. Mahmoud was able to pick the team up and guide them to the semifinals of the Pan-Arab Games. Whilst Bezaz lost 3-0 to an unspectacular Iraq side, exiting the 2009 WAFF Championship with a whimper.

Mahmoud vs. Adnan Hamed

Adnan Hamed has led Jordan to the brink of World Cup Qualification

Mahmoud (2 months): 8P 2W 4D 2L

Hamed (6 months): 8P 1W 3 D 4L

Fans are quick to forget but in between the 2004 and 2011 Asian Cup the Jordanian National Team was a complete mess. When Adnan Hamed arrived on the scene things did not miraculously change overnight. The Iraqi tactician won one match (against a weakened Zimbabwe side) out of his first eight. Also in that stretch was an embarrassing 4-0 defeat to Bahrain as well as a 3-1 loss to UAE (the same side could only draw with Palestine four days beforehand) It wasn't until their qualifiers against Iran did things really begin to change and even then- it was a slow progression. Jordan qualified for Qatar 2011 because of the atrociousness of Thailand and Singapore. A year later, they could not progress out of their group at the WAFF Championship, despite their home field advantage.

The Nashama coalesced during Qatar 2011 and have become an even better side since then. There is no reason that Palestine cannot do the same under Jamal Mahmoud. It is worth noting that Mahmoud and Hamed managed Wehdat and Al-Faisaly during the same time period. Hamed is older and more experienced as a manager but Mahmoud favors a more exciting brand of football. Hamed has made Jordan successful by going the conventional route- defending stoutly and counterattacking through speedy players on the wings.

Mahmoud favors a more open and positive approach exploiting the skillfulness of many of his players. With impressive performances against Bahrain, Libya, and Sudan under their belts, Palestine can look forward to a bright future under Jamal Mahmoud.

2011: A Review (National Team)

2011-12-27T23:56:00.003+03:00

The 24 hour news channels would have kept us entertained otherwise, but we had a lot to cover in 2011. It would be a disservice not to provide you with a recap of what was a roller-coaster year. So lets take a look back...

Challenge Cup Qualifiers

The National Team started off the year with preparations for the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers. Myanmar hosted the qualifying group which also included Bangladesh and the Philippines. In the lead up, Palestine toured Tanzania and Pakistan before camping in Kuwait. An important realization Mousa Bezaz made in this period is that ignoring league top scorer Murad Alyan in favour of younger strikers who were in less form was not paying off, and the 33 year old was called up for the trip to Yangoon.

Bangladesh was the first opponent and were brushed aside with a 2-0 win – Alyan grabbing both goals with great support from Amour. After a goalless draw with the Philippines, Palestine was up against Myanmar to seal the deal. The hosts went ahead thanks to an early penalty but Al-Fursan kept their composure and netted three goals by way of Alyan and Harbi, ensuring Palestine’s qualification to the AFC Challenge Cup finals.

Ahmad Harbi scored to put Palestine ahead of Myanmar

These qualifiers saw Murad Alyan transfer his goal-scoring form from Hilal AlQuds to the international stage..causing many to wonder why he was overlooked all these years.

Topping the group, Palestine qualified to the Nepal 2012 AFC Challenge Cup

Olympic Team Surprises

While the Olympic team’s road to London 2012 ended with a thud back to earth, the campaign gave young players a chance to display their talents in two playoffs against Thailand and Bahrain.

First up on the itinerary for the team led by Tunisian Mukhtar Al-Talili was a trip to Bangkok where thanks to a good display by lanky goalkeeper Toufic Ali, they came back with a respectable 1-0 loss. On a rainy March evening, fans packed the Faisal Husseini Memorial stadium to full capacity to cheer the boys on. A strong first half performance was perfectly capped with a superb volley by Balata’s Abdulhamid AbuHabeeb. This put the two teams level on aggregate and after a tense 75 minutes, the match went to penalties. The night ended in heartbreak when Thailand converted one more penalty than Palestine [Highlights].

It would later emerge that Thailand's Olympic team fielded an ineligible player and this disqualified them. Thus it was Palestine who would go on to face Bahrain, deservedly so if you were to ask the fans. Fast-forward to June and a Khaled Salem header gave Palestine a shock 1-0 win in Manama. In the return leg, Salem netted again, leaving the score 2-0 on aggregate at the end of the first half. The players went into the dressing room celebrating and this overconfidence turned out to be costly as Bahrain was able to turn the game around in the second half, scoring two goals which were enough to see them through to the next round of qualifiers [Highlights].

Khaled Salem scores at the Faisal Husseini - he also scored in Manama

Talili was an adept manager, employing players in the right positions and spreading his resources over multiple matches – however player revelations will have you believe that ‘The Dinosaur’ is not much of a people person, which is probably why he was afforded the nickname. Kidding aside, his reign saw names emerge that would later have an impact. Khaled Salem, Ali El-Khatib and Eyad Abu Gharqoud, among others, have played in the Senior side since.

World Cup Qualifiers

The 2014 World Cup Qualifying campaign was the short final chapter of the Mousa Bezaz era. As one of the lower ranked Asian sides, Palestine had to go through two preliminary knockout rounds before the group rounds which most countries play in. The draw could have been harsher as Al-Fursan were slotted against Afghanistan for the first round bout, the winner of which would go on to face Thailand.

Alyan and Amour scored in neutral Tajikistan to give Palestine a 2-0 win in the first leg against Afghanistan. The second leg back home was a less than impressive 1-1 draw that was enough to send Palestine through. We were however left with a wonderful goal by Husam Wadi.

Alyan puts Palestine ahead in Tursunzoda - he missed a penalty later in the game

Next up was Thailand, a win over the two legs would have seen Palestine compete alongside the likes of Australia and Japan for a World Cup berth. It looked like it was all over in Bangkok after Thailand was awarded a penalty in the final minutes. Thailand scored first in Bangkok and it looked like it was all over when they were awarded a penalty in the dying minutes. However Mohammed Eshbair pulled off a save that kept Palestine’s chances alive.

This meant that to go thorugh, Palestine had to win by two goals at home. It turned out to be a tense affair [Highlights]. Murad Alyan continued his fantastic form putting Palestine ahead early in the game only for Thailand to equalize ending the first half 1-1.

We interviewed Omar Jarun about the World Cup Qualifiers

Palestine needed to win by two goals and went looking for them, Alyan finally putting the ball in the back of the net with minutes to play. Any chance Palestine had was erased when Thailand scored off a free kick from a counter attack.

[WATCH]: Football Palestine was there

While Mousa Bezaz was able to lead a successful Challenge Cup qualifying campaign, his failure to get past Thailand cost him his job.

Managerless, and then...

As Mousa Bezaz’s contract was not renewed, Abdelnasser Barakat & Mazen AlKhatib temporarily filled his role while the PFA searched for a new hire. This period saw the national team make trips to Indonesia and Iran for friendly matches. The results did not ease the mind as haphazard performances saw us lose 1-4 and 0-7. The PFA was silent about its search and there was much speculation, until finally in mid-November with the Pan Arab Games fast approaching, Jibril Rajoub announced that an ‘Arab National’ was set to be appointed. This was later revealed to be acting Hilal AlQuds manager, Jamal Mahmoud.

Jamal Mahmoud Takes Over

Mahmoud was immediately put to work leading the national team in two friendlies against South Africa’s Development squad. This was followed by a preparatory camp in Manama which was concluded with a friendly against Bahrain, who were also preparing to make the trip to Qatar. Ali El Khatib’s beautiful curving shot helped Palestine win 1-0. Mahmoud’s imprint on the squad’s play was immediately felt as a more confident, level-headed display was shown.

Pan Arab Games

Palestine was to face Jordan, Libya and Sudan in the group stage of the 2011 Doha Pan Arab Games football tournament. The first match against Jordan was a mess. Jordan scored off two corners and a questionable penalty. It ended 1-4, with red cards handed out to Ismail Amour and Husam Abu Saleh. Not an ideal way to start a tournament, but Mahmoud’s side had to keep cool heads, and work on vulnerabilities if they were to get past the group stage. While missing key players Amour and Abu Saleh, losing against Libya was no option.

Libya scored first and it looked like it was going to be all over until Imad Zatara fantastically equalized and kept Palestine's hopes alive. All they had to do now was win Sudan by two goals in order to qualify ahead of them on goal difference. Sudan had won Libya and tied Jordan, with no goals being scored on them, but Mahmoud’s men were up to the task, coolly getting the job done with goals from El-Khatib and Amour.

Comeback-Heroes: Despite the shaky start, Palestine overcame Sudan and Libya to qualify to the semis

Palestine's semi-final opponent was Bahrain who had similarly made an impressive comeback in their group. Besides being technically superior, Bahrain also had played one less game and had ample time to rest. They were the better team in a rather one-sided affair, winning 3-1.

Zatara's Pan Arab Games performance earned him a contract in the Iranian Premier League

Palestine at least still had a chance to repeat history (Amman, 1999) in the bronze medal match against Kuwait. In what must have been a boring game for the neutrals, the Kuwaitis ended it in extra time, shooting three past the inexperienced Toufic Ali.

While no medals were won, we were left with a positive impression of what the national team could look like under Mahmoud. Whatever he did, he transformed the disconnected lines we used to see into a flowing attacking/defending unit. Players-wise: Haitham Dheeb and Mohammed Al-Masri made a good case for WBPL defenders - while Zatara returned to the squad as a world-class player.

What's next?

Ever since the final whistle in Doha, the word on everyone's mouth has been: Challenge Cup. The importance of the tournament cannot be understated, a first place finish means automatic qualification to the 2015 Asian Cup. Scheduled this March in Nepal, Palestine has never had such a big chance to earn an appearance on the continental stage - heres some background info.

Snapshot - 2011

2011-12-25T00:22:00.007+03:00

Ranking evolution - 2011 (source: FIFA.com)

2011 Results (source: FIFA.com) - click to enlarge
Note: Jordan and Libya Pan Arab Games matches not FIFA recognized, by request of their FAs
Also not included: unofficial friendlies with Pakistan & South Africa's development squad

A more detailed look at the year will be posted soon...

Assessing player performance at Pan Arab Games

2011-12-23T03:05:00.003+03:00

Below is a quick rundown of how each player preformed at the Pan Arab Games. Instead of rating players on a scale of 1-10 they are in general categories.

IMPROVING

Haitham Dheeb: Played the most minutes and started every single match. Rarely ever beaten for pace- picked up only one yellow. A huge improvement over his previous appearances with the national team.

Mohammed Al-Masri: Neglected in favor of Khaled Mahdi during Moussa Bezaz's tenure he has proved all doubters wrong. An absolute warrior on the pitch who battled injury throughout the tournament. One of the survivors of the 7-0 massacre at the hands of Iran has rebounded nicely since then helping Palestine beat Bahrain 1-0 in his second cap and was key in Palestine progressing from the group stage.

Ahmed Harbi: His problems with defensive positioning are now gone. Takes fewer gambles in attack but when he does go up he can be deadly- his long ball provided Palestine with the last gasp equalizer against Libya.

Murad Ismail: Another player transformed by the departure of Bezaz and arrival of Mahmoud. In his last competitive match for Palestine he turned in a woeful first half display against Thailand and had to be taken off at halftime. Qalqilya's own had a strong and steady Pan Arab Games campaign.

Husam Abu Saleh: Had one of the worst performances I have ever seen against Afghanistan as a right back. Under Mahmoud, he has played competently as an attacking right back providing the service for Ismail Amour's goal against Sudan. Could have scored against Jordan (his effort hit the crossbar) and Kuwait.

Ali El-Khatib: The story about him allegedly conspiring to throw a match has to be a lie. I can't believe a guy this scrappy and competitive would ever want to lose. Constantly threatening in front of goal, quick, draws fouls, and can dish out the pain too. His goal against Sudan defies his age.

Imad Zatara: Brought in after not playing an official match with the national team for more than half a decade. Worked hard, scored a crucial goal against Libya and provided service for his teammates. His displays earned him a move the Iranian Premier league with Naft (not sure if it is Sanat Naft or Naft Tehran).

Raed Fares: He is not a left back (plays right back for Hilal Al-Quds) but managed to fill the role quite well. He was not on anybody's radar a couple of months ago.

HOLDING STEADY

Abdullah Saidawi: Probably still the best option to back-up Ramzi Saleh in the short term. His reflexes are on par with Mohammed Shbair but both are weak in dealing with crosses. Saidawi's experience gives him more confidence but Shbair has more upside in the long term.

Ismail Amour: The best player in the WBPL bar none. Has been preforming at a very consistent level for the past two years now.

Khader Youssef: Competent but not awe-inspiring.

Ma'ly Kawre': As long as his defensive responsibilities are kept to a minimum he is capable of putting together a solid, if not spectacular game.

Ashraf Nu'man: Not consistent enough, drifts in and out of games, and sometimes holds onto the ball too long.

Mousa Abujazr: Played 90 minutes out of position at left-back against Sudan. Might have a future with the national team because of his versatility but the jury is still out on him.

Eyad Abugharqud: Provided assist to Zatara on equalizing goal against Libya. Sat out the rest of the tournament with an injury.

FALLING

Toufic Ali: He cannot take a goal kick. Tall but prone to clumsy errors (See: Palestine vs. Bahrain 2nd Leg Olympic Qualifying) and cannot get down fast enough to stop shots.

Khaled Salem: He has a lot of potential but must learn to adapt to the international level. His finishing also needs work.

Murad Alyan: After scoring seven goals in seven games there was nowhere to go but down. Departing the tournament without a goal will leave him bitterly disappointed but if he keeps scoring at club level Mahmoud will call him back despite his age.

Atef Abu Bilal: Could not provide a spark in his two substitute appearances. Looks like he struggles playing against non-minnow nations.

Suleiman Obeid: Mahmoud has come to the realization that Obeid is not a 90 minute player, something I have been saying for the past year.

Rapid Reaction: Palestine 0 (0-3 aet) 0 Kuwait (Pan Arab Games)

2011-12-22T23:46:00.005+03:00

Palestine Starting XI: Toufic Ali; Harbi, Al-Masri, Dheeb, Fares; Abu Saleh, Ismail, Kawre', Nu'man; Amour; Alyan.

Substitutions: Alyan <-> Obeid / Kawre' <-> Khader Youssef / Dheeb <-> Abu Bilal

What it Means: Palestine finish in fourth place, a more than respectable finish when you consider that Palestine finished ahead of the hosts and two African Cup of Nations finalists.

Recap: An ugly affair for the first hour punctuated by an uncharacteristic miss by Murad Alyan in the 13th minute. Apart from that, this match was sloppy and must have been painful to watch for the neutral. The final stanza came to life with Kuwait trying to press the issue- this allowed Palestine to exploit the space behind the Kuwaiti defence. Palestine came close on a number of occasions- Amour hit the post off a corner kick play and then came close again when Palestine ran the same play on their next corner. With Alyan being withdrawn after 69 minutes Palestine struggled to finish off chances. The ineptitude in front of goal was summed up when Amour sliced through the Kuwaiti defence (again) and crossed the ball to Nu'man who inexplicably headed it away instead towards the goal.

For their part, Kuwait weren't creating many chances either. Their play was rushed, hurried, even reckless at times. Frustrated by Dheeb and Al-Masri they often resorted to lobbing balls across the face of goal. Although tentative at times, Toufic Ali had no problem in using his two meter frame to punch or pluck the danger away. That said, Toufic Ali hardly had a save to make in regulation.

It was a different matter altogether in extra time. In the first four minutes Toufic Ali was beaten by a timid shot to his right side on the first goal. Kuwait's second goal saw indecisiveness on the young keeper's part; Ali rushed out too late and then inexplicably failed to "make himself big" to block a close range shot. The third goal came in the final minute with Palestine valiantly chasing the game and playing with three-man defence.

What I liked: The defence, for 90 minutes Al-Masri and Dheeb in particular put together a master class. Ismail Amour also deserves a special mention- every single attacking move was a result of his relentless work rate.

What I didn't like: The Toufic Ali project should come to an end- at least for the short term. The kid is tall and that's the only thing he has going for him. His reflexes, especially when it comes to getting down low, are poor. He can't take goal kicks and he is sometimes tentative when it comes to collecting crosses (You're 2m tall! Catch don't punch!). Murad Alyan was goalless for yet another game this tournament (he should have finished his early chance).

Squad Selection: According to Kora Baladna- Jamal Mahmoud did not pick this side but it was instead picked for him by PFA officials (I am pretty sure this is how we've been picking teams since 2008 and that some incompetent bureaucrat forgot about the existence of Omar Jarun, amongst others). If this article is true then what Mahmoud managed to do is nothing short of miraculous. The fact that only three forwards were brought to Doha raises a red flag- Mahmoud played with two forwards tonight as well as against Libya and Sudan- an injury to Abugharqud shorthanded Palestine for most of the tournament. Defensively the team was lacking players- Barghouthi and Bahdari withdrew leaving the team with only two centre backs. It is also clear that Jamal Mahmoud had no use for some of the players in this squad, most notably, Atef Abu Bilal, who got about as much playing time as his less illustrious brother Hani during the South Africa friendlies.

What's Next: Look for the National Team to reconvene sometime in February in preparation for the Challenge Cup.

Preview: Palestine vs. Kuwait

2011-12-22T18:11:00.003+03:00

What: Bronze Medal Match, 2011 Pan Arab Games

When: December 22nd, 2011

Where: Al-Gharafa Stadium, Doha, Qatar

Kickoff: 1630 GMT

TV: Al-Jazeera/Al-Kass

Stream

Previous Encounters:

08/10/2003 Kuwait 4:0 Palestine

05/10/2003 Kuwait 2:1 Palestine

25/12/2002 Kuwait 3:3 Palestine

Kuwait and Palestine have only met in competitive encounters- all in Kuwait City. their first meeting coming at the 2002 Arab Nations Cup. A highly entertaining match in Kuwait City ended in a 3-3 draw, both team were searching for a win in order to progress to the knockout stage but the draw ensured that neither would qualify. They would meet again in 2004 Asian Cup Qualifying, Kuwait won the first game with a late winner and would win the rematch three days later against a nine man Palestine.

Previous Round

Jordan 2:0 Kuwait (aet)

Palestine 1:3 Bahrain

The Opponent: Kuwait made easy work of Saudi Arabia's and Oman's Olympic sides but were pushed to the limit by Jordan in the semifinal. They were repeatedly frustrated by Jordan's organized defence and lost their composure late on- surrounding the ref after he decided to send off goalkeeper Khaled Al-Rashidi. Kuwait have trouble playing a full 90 minutes of good football- they have been brilliant for stretches during their World Cup qualifying campaign but have endured tough stretches against Lebanon, UAE, and even Philippines in the preliminaries. The Blues aren't known for their composure so it will be interesting to see how they respond today with only a bronze to play for.

Suspensions: According to Ma'an News Murad Alyan missed the Bahrain match because of card accumulation (a lack official match reports make it difficult to keep track of player cautions). It looks like Ali El-Khatib will miss the bronze medal match for the same reason (apparently cautions aren't wiped out after the groups stage- it's hard to keep track of tournament rules with the rule book not made available on the official website). Kuwait will be without their first choice keeper Khaled Al-Rashidi after he was sent off in the dying moments against Jordan.

Fatigue & Emotion: Playing another game with only 48 hours left is a challenge for any team. Kuwait played 30 minutes of extra time against Jordan but Palestine have played a whole 60 minutes more in the past 11 days. Winning the bronze medal will mean more to Palestine so they may be able to overcome the fatigue and disappointment of their game two days ago. Jamal Mahmoud has tried to put the loss out of the minds of his players- accepting full responsibility for the loss in front of the media and refusing to highlight the two defensive errors and awful refereeing that led to Bahrain's three goals. Third place play-offs tend to be high scoring affairs so this should be a fun one to watch.

Rapid Reaction: Palestine 1:3 Bahrain (Pan Arab Games Semifinal)

2011-12-20T20:06:00.006+03:00

Palestine Starting XI: Saidawi (c), Abu Saleh, Al-Masri, Dheeb, Fares; Ismail, Kahder Youssef; Amour, El-Khatib, Zatara; Nu'man.

Subs: Al-Masri <-> Harbi / Zatara <-> Abu Bilal / Amour <-> Salem

Goals: Ashraf Nu'man 40' (p.)

What it Means: Palestine will have to settle for the bronze medal game. They will face the loser of the Kuwait-Jordan semifinal on Thursday (Al-Jazeera/Al-Kass 16.30 GMT).

Recap: Jamal Mahmoud opted to field Ashraf Nu'man as a lone striker with Murad Alyan and Eyad Abugharqud out with injury. Bahrain were gifted the lead in the fifth minute when Mohammad AlAlawi was left unmarked on a free kick. The next 35 minutes were a cagey affair- Palestine managed to get balls into Bahrain's box but they were left wanting. The game was turned on its head when Nu'man won a penalty- he duly converted to even the score at one all. A defensive mix-up was capitalized on by Salman Isa at the other end. Arriving late in the box, Isa latched on to the ball and sent it blazing past Saidawi's near post.

It was clear that Palestine was suffering from an inability to keep the Bahraini defence honest. Nu'man who put in an admirable work shift is simply not a striker and a lack of options on the bench meant that Jamal Mahmoud opted to make no changes at half-time. Palestine's task was made harder when Bahrain's Ringo was awarded a phantom goal. His shot had hit the post and ricocheted across the line but not over it. Saidawi collected and was shocked when he saw the Sudanese lineman's signal. Replays convincingly show that the ball never crossed the line and that the lineman wasn't even in a position to make a call. Palestine's ensuing changes saw them make a push but without a true goal poacher (Khaled Salem missed a wide open header) the 3-1 scoreline proved to be a bridge too far.

What I liked: The players battled hard and once the kinks are worked out (set piece marking and defensive positioning) this is going to be a good team. I am genuinely excited to see how the team looks with the likes of Ramzi Saleh, Omar Jarun, Abdelatif Bahdari, Roberto Bishara, and Mohammed Samara in the side.

What I didn't like: Palestine got off to an awful start and gifted Bahrain a goal off set pieces. They did not pick up the run of Salman Isa on the second goal and Saidawi got beat on his near post- an unforgivable error at this level. Khaled Salem might not have the pedigree required to preform at this stage just yet. He is really talented- big, fast, strong but lacks a true finishers touch as evidenced by his Pan Arab Games campaign and the fact that he only has 1 WBPL goal to his name this season. Fahed Attal and Ahmed Keshkesh can stake a claim in the Challenge Cup squad if Salem or Abugharqud don't start scoring.

What I really didn't like: The refereeing in Asia is consistently bad but to award a phantom goal is unacceptable. The penalty call might have been questionable but at least there was contact- something that could make a case for a foul. Ringo's shot, seen in real time didn't look like a goal, the replays proved it and also showed the Sudanese lineman was not in position to make the call.

What's Next: Palestine faces the loser of the Kuwait-Jordan semifinal on Thursday (Al-Jazeera/ Al-Kass 16.30 GMT)

Preview: Palestine v. Bahrain (Pan Arab Games Semifinal)

2011-12-19T21:48:00.002+03:00

What: Pan Arab Games Semifinal

When: December 20th, 2011

Where: Al-Gharafa Stadium, Doha, Qatar

Kickoff: 1430 GMT

TV: Al-Jazeera/Al-Kass

Previous Meetings:

06/12/2011 Bahrain 0:1 Palestine

16/02/2006 Bahrain 0:2 Palestine

02/09/2004 Bahrain 1:0 Palestine

For whatever reason, Palestine have a very good record against Bahrain. In three encounters, their only loss came in a game where Ramzi Saleh was ejected in the 19th minute- even then only a last gasp goal gave Bahrain the win.

Last Round:

Palestine 2:0 Sudan

Jordan 0:0 Libya

Bahrain 3:0 Iraq

Palestine qualified in dramatic fashion securing the two goal win they needed after Sudan were reduced to ten men. Their victory could have been more emphatic had they made the most of their chances (Palestine hit the woodwork three times) but with Jordan and Libya playing out a drab 0-0 the result proved enough.

The Opponent: Bahrain know first hand the ability Palestine possesses so the element of surprise will not be a factor in this game. Bahrain's manager, Peter Taylor, will also want to win this competition in order to ease the pressure and the likelihood of getting sacked. Bahrain look set to exit World Cup qualifying unless they can secure victory over Indonesia, an Iran win over Qatar, and an eight goal swing in the process. Al-Ahmar's Pan Arab Games campaign has seen them win their group- coming back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw against Qatar. The 3-0 win over Iraq flattered Bahrain to say the least, Iraq were the better side and curious refereeing decisions played a big part deciding the outcome. That said, Bahrain do have the ability to trouble any team on the break and Palestine will have to neutralize that threat if they are to progress.

Suspensions The Pan Arab Games website shows Murad Alyan and Imad Zatara with two yellow cards. If that is the case then both will miss the semifinal against Bahrain. That said, I am pretty sure the information is based on the graphics that flashed up on screen and not an official match report. Murad Alyan and Imad Zatara did get booked against Sudan along with Musa Abujazr and Ismail Amour. The cards shown for Abdullah Saidawi and Ali El-Khatib (The camera did not catch the ref handing out either yellow) are questionable at best but will not matter with the slate being wiped clean after the group stage. The booking picked up by Alyan against Libya was actually directed towards an opposing player; who had kicked the ball into the stands to prevent a quick throw-in after the Libyan goalkeeper was caught in no-man's land. As for Zatara's card- one of our readers contacted him and said that he was shocked to hear he had been booked against Libya. Chances are that neither player will be suspended but we will have to wait on a confirmation.

Starting XI Jamal Mahmoud will have some decisions to make concerning his starting lineup. Both Ahmed Harbi and Husam Abu Saleh have played well at right-back picking up assists against Libya and Sudan, respectively. Harbi offers more defensive discipline while Abu Saleh can be lethal going forward. There might also be a question as to who plays at left back as well- Abujazr was composed despite playing out of position but Fares will most likely get the call due to his experience (although he is natural a right back). Mahmoud has also tinkered with the central midfield opting for Kawre' over Ismail against Sudan- expect him to go back to Ismail in order to provide added defensive cover. Impressively, only three players have yet to feature for Palestine at the Pan Arab Games- backup goalkeeper Toufic Ali along with Nadim Barghouthi and Atef Abu Bilal.

No Excuses: I can't believe how teams keep insisting they've sent their B-team to the Pan Arab Games. Somebody actually updated the tournament's Wikipedia page to show that Sudan, Libya, Jordan, and Iraq sent their "B-teams". The only teams in this tournament that sent weakened squads were Oman and Saudi Arabia- both sent their Olympic teams because of FIFA regulations. I understand this tournament not being prioritized by teams participating in the African Cup of Nations or World Cup Qualifying but please make the excuses stop!

Rapid Reaction: Palestine 2:0 Sudan (Pan Arab Games)

2011-12-18T02:01:00.003+03:00

Starting XI (4-4-2): Saidawi (c); Harbi, Dheeb, Al-Masri, Abujazr; Zatara, Kawre', Khader Youssef, Ali El-Khatib; Amour, Alyan.

Substitutions: Harbi <-> Abu Saleh / Alyan <-> Khaled Salem / El-Khatib <-> Fares

Goals: El-Khatib 39', Amour 62'

What it means: Jordan's 0-0 draw against Libya allowed Palestine to finish second in the group and advance to the semifinals over Sudan (by virtue of the goals scored tie breaker). There was some controversy in giving Group C two semifinal berths. Critics wanted the best runner-up to advance as based on results against the top two opponents in each group. Well there should be no controversy because Palestine has more points (3- eliminating the point won against last placed Libya) than Saudi Arabia (1) and Qatar (2). Palestine will face Bahrain in the semifinals (Al-Jazeera/Al-Kass 1430 GMT) on Tuesday.

Recap: Palestine needed goals in order to have any chance of advancing and came out looking to score them. Palestine's speed and dexterity on the wings gave the Sudanese defence fits; Imad Zatara was the protagonist in Nasereldin Moussa's sending off forcing the player to commit two reckless challenges. Ali El-Khatib put Palestine 1-0 up three minutes later but only after Ismail Amour had hit the crossbar twice (his second shot was parried by the keeper onto the bar).

The first half dominance was stark- Palestine created multiple scoring chances whilst Sudan headed into the dressing room without even an attempt on goal. The inclusion of Mohammed Marhoum for Sudan helped them come back into the match but with a numerical disadvantage the Desert Hawks could not fully exploit his menacing pace.

For all their dominance, Al-Fursan were struggling to put away chances- Murad Alyan should have done better with a header while Imad Zatara saw a shot hit the underside of the post and bounce out. Amour would make sure Palestine would not live to rue its chances conjuring up the goal of the tournament with a lovely chip. Sudan pushed forward in desperation for the final half an hour and Palestine- in search of an insurance goal- should have had at least one after Amour (twice) and Khaled Salem failed to beat Akram Salem in one-on-ones.

What I liked: The team's off the ball movement was excellent probably the best I have ever seen it. For the past five years it seems as if the team was divided into an attacking zone and a defending zone. Not anymore, everyone tracks back and presses for the ball, the full backs make over lapping runs- it's a joy to watch. Palestine set the tone for this game from the kickoff it needed a win by two goals and got it relatively comfortably.

What I didn't like: Palestine must start finishing off its chances if it wants to play in the final. Amour missed two easy chances at the end of the game after his goal.

TV Production: For whatever reason Ali El-Khatib and Abdullah Saidawi's names flashed on screen today with yellow cards next to them. Against Libya the production crew determined a ref's yellow card was for Murad Alyan (it was for the Libyan defender who kicked the ball in the stands as to allow Samir Aboud time to run back to his goal). To add insult to injury these cards all appear on the Pan Arab Games's official website. If we are to follow that, both Murad Alyan and Imad Zatara would miss the semifinal against Bahrain. Following on that theme- the pundits were completely unprepared for a Palestine victory tonight. I heard that Al-Kass commentators said Palestine needed to score four goals to advance. In the Al-Jazeera studio they said the team needed three. The Egyptian fellow doing play-by-play showed off his arithmetic skills on air in the 70th minute and finally figured out, that as things stood, Palestine were going through.

Random Thoughts: Jamal Mahmoud has the best poker face, he is so stoic, so void of emotion- like a Palestinian Bob Bradley. It was nice to see him finally crack a smile after the final whistle.

What's Next: Palestine face Bahrain in the Pan Arab Games semifinal on Tuesday December 20th (Al-Jazeera/Al-Kass 1430 GMT).

Heroes

2011-12-17T22:44:00.005+03:00

Ali Khatib and Ismail Amour scored the two goals Palestine needed to qualify to the next round today.

The whole team though should be credited for the brave, confident display in both the Sudan and Libya games, especially considering the disaster the first game was.

Takes me back to the 2002 Arab Cup where we played beautiful football, and got results. Onwards!

Preview: Palestine vs. Sudan (Pan Arab Games)

2011-12-17T04:55:00.002+03:00

What: 2011 Pan Arab Games

When: December 17, 200 [today]

Where: Al-Rayyan Stadium, Doha, Qatar

Kickoff: 1430 GMT

TV: Al-Jazeera Sports // Al-Kass TV

Previous Meetings:

4/6/2010 Sudan 1:1 Palestine

Palestine gave Sudan an early lead after a (literal) defensive slip up left Tareq Mokhtar free to head in a corner. Mohammed Jamal pulled one back on his debut but the match was to end 1-1 with neither team able to overcome the stifling heat in Omdurman.

23/12/2002 Palestine 2:2 Sudan

Palestine twice took the lead only to surrender equalizers in what would become the theme of their Arab Nations Cup campaign. Fadi Salim opened the scoring after 31 minutes and got a quick reply through Ziyad Al-Kord in the second half after Sudan had equalized. After looking set to grab their first win of the campaign they were made to settle for a draw thanks to Tajjedinne Al-Tijani's 88th minute equalizer.

Last Round:

Sudan 0:0 Jordan

Palestine 1:1 Libya

Wednesday's results means all four teams are in with a chance of qualifying for the semifinal stage. Conversely, no team is safe from elimination. Palestine stayed alive after a dramatic late equalizer courtesy of Imad Zatara. Neither Jordan nor Sudan could seal a place as they played out a drab 0-0 draw.

The Opponent: Sudan are suffering from a crisis in front of goal. Their inability to score or even carve out chances has been on full display during this tournament. Sudan have opted for a compact approach in order to overcome their offensive impotence and it has worked so far (although they were fortunate to get a win against Libya). Expect the same approach tomorrow as the Desert Hawks know that another 0-0 result would be good enough to advance (barring a two goal Libya win over Jordan).

Tactical Change? Jamal Mahmoud has shown he isn't shy about changing his lineup and with Husam Abu Saleh and Ismail Amour returning from suspension there could be more shakeups. Palestine went for a 4-2-3-1 against Jordan and then switched to a 4-4-2 against Libya with Murad Alyan lining up next to Khaled Salem. Expect Mahmoud to tinker with the lineup yet again in order to ensure Palestine has a chance at a two-goal win and progression.

Rapid Reaction: Palestine 1:1 Libya (Pan Arab Games)

2011-12-14T22:36:00.007+03:00

Starting XI (4-4-2): Saidawi ©, Harbi, Dheeb, Al-Masri, Fares, Zatara, Khader Yousef, Ismail, Nu’man; Salem, Alyan

Substitutions: El-Khatib <-> Nu’man // Abugharqud <-> Salem // Fares <-> Obeid

Goals: Zatara 88'

What it means: Palestine still have a chance to progress to the semifinal round. Jordan’s 0-0 draw with Sudan complicates matters for all in the group. Palestine will need to win by two goals and have other results in the group go their way if they are to progress.

Recap: A much more composed and professional display from Jamal Mahmoud’s men earned them a 1-1 draw against a side ranked 102 places above them. Palestine’s game against Jordan was marked by a lack of discipline and hot headedness. The refereeing in the last game left a lot to be desired but the mark of a good team is one that stays calm and overcomes hardship- Al-Fursan did that today. The first half saw Palestine create a fair share of chances the best was an interchange between Alyan and Zatara that saw the latter flash his shot wide. Alyan also went close but fired his shot straight at the Libyan keeper. Libya would go up a goal five minutes before the break-Khaled Salem lost the ball in the opposing box resulting in a swift counter. Palestine’s defence cut out the immediate danger but Ihaab Boussefi was free on the edge of the box. His shot was well placed, hitting the inside of the post en route to goal. Palestine started the second half by pressing aggressively in search of an equalizer. The approach worked as Ahmed Alwani clattered into Khaled Salem to prevent him from clean through on goal. The referee sent Alwani off and Palestine made the most of their one-man advantage- completely dominating proceedings in the second half. As the seconds ticked away though, it seemed that Libya would improbably hold on. Haitham Dheeb's powerful header somehow stayed out of goal and substitute Ali El-Khatib had a shot blocked off the line. It was not to be. Zatara- who had been excellent throughout- latched on to a ball in the box and expertly placed it behind Samir Aboud.

What I liked: The team's resilience is a reminder as to why Palestine is nicknamed Al-Fedai'e (The Fighters). Things went very wrong tonight but they managed to rebound and get themselves a draw. After a very temperamental performance against Jordan- Palestine went the entire match without collecting a single booking (ed. There was a scuffle between Zatara and Saad- Zatara may have been carded for that it was hard to tell) despite the constant diving and baiting of the Libyan players.

What I didn't like: Palestine need to be more clinical in their finishing. They had more chances tonight and could have won the game. A special mention has to go to those ugly Peak jersey Red with yellow and green trim. It looks like something a waiter would wear in an Asian-themed restaurant. From a functional point of view the solid black numbering makes it very hard to identify the players.

Atef Abu Bilal: He's been the forgotten man under Jamal Mahmoud despite good form with his club side Shabab Al-Dhahrieh. If I were to venture a guess it might have something to do with him shirking defensive responsibilities.

Qualification Scenarios:

1. Jordan 4 points, 4-1 // 2. Sudan 4 points 1-0 // 3. Libya 1 point 1-2 // 4. Palestine 1 point 2-5

Palestine must win by at least 2 goals and hope Jordan wins or draws against Libya. Palestine could progress with Libya winning but would need to make up their -3 goal differential.

What's Next: Palestine face Sudan on Saturday, December 17 at the Al-Rayyan Stadium (remember that place?). Kickoff is at 1430 GMT.

Preview: Palestine vs. Libya (Pan Arab Games)

2011-12-14T14:12:00.005+03:00

What: Pan-Arab Games (Group C Match)

When: December 14, 2011 [Today]

Where: Gharafa Stadium, Doha, Qatar

Kick-off: 16.30 GMT

TV: Al-Jazeera Sport // Al-Kass TV

Previous Meetings:

25/8/1999 Palestine 2:2 Libya

Palestine scored the quickest goal in the history of the Pan-Arab Games to take a 1-0 lead through Ibrahim Munasarah. Saeb Jendeya scored his first (and only) international goal deep into injury time. The 40-yard screamer ensured Palestine would qualify for the semifinals of the 1999 Pan Arab Games.

Last Round:

Palestine 1-4 Jordan

Libya 0-1 Sudan

Palestine and Libya suffered similar fates when the teams kicked off Group C on Sunday. Palestine fell victim to a lack of concentration giving up three goals from set pieces despite playing some attractive football in the first half. Libya was organized and defended well against Sudan but a moment of madness allowed Sudan to nick a goal deep in the second half. That goal would prove to be the decider as Libya failed to capitalize on their scoring chances late in the game.

The Opponent: Libya has never been known for its footballing prowess. Its most famous footballer is still Saadi Al-Qadhafi who took nepotism and despotism to another level. With a new flag and new uniforms free of the Qadhafis favorite color Libya managed to qualify for the African Cup of Nations. Manager Marcos Paqueta has fashioned a side that emphasizes organization and defensive stoutness. Libya seem to lack a real poacher in front of goal- the three forwards they called up for their final CAN qualifier had a meager 8 goals in 63 combined caps. That said, this team is more than capable of grinding out a result; In qualifying for CAN 2012, Libya followed the traditional roadmap drawing all their away games and winning all their home ties. Looking ahead, facing Libya might be good preparation for a potential meeting with Korea DPR in the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup.

Reshuffled Line-up: Palestine will be without Ismail Amour and Husam Abu Saleh after they both picked up red cards against Jordan. Ahmed Harbi is expected to take Abu Saleh's place at right back which would leave Mahmoud with a choice of who to play alongside Haitham Dheeb. It could be Mohammed Al-Masri if he has recovered from the injury he picked up in the 1-0 win over Bahrain. If not, the matter gets a little more complicated- he could field Nadim Barghouthi- who joined up with the national team after training camp or he could opt to play Murad Ismail in defence. There could be more changes further up the pitch with Jamal Mahmoud promising to deal with players he deemed as 'complacent'.

Comment

2011-12-13T19:12:00.003+03:00

I was going to post this as a reply to the Rapid Reaction post below, but I thought it should be here.

That was a bad game. Thats it. You can prepare for months and have the best players at your disposable, at the end its the 90 minutes on the grass that determine the result. Like Bassil, I fumed everytime the commentator said "reserve" side. You can't have 5 starters in all lines and call it a reserve side!

We were beaten by training-camp set pieces - Adnan Hamad does his homework, he knows our two key centre backs are absent - and got hot-headed and collapsed. Though I have to admit, even when the score was 3-1 I still thought we had a chance because the players moved the ball around and constantly created chances. It was overshadowed by the scoreline of course, but there was a positive flow of play. In the last 20 minutes, the players' physical fitness gave way and it slowed down.

Mahmoud has to fix the set-piece problem for the Libya match, they will probably focus on those after seeing our vulnerability. Khaled Salem is in form, and showed he can very much reach the goal. I see no reason why winning tomorrow is not possible.

Rapid Reaction: Palestine 1:4 Jordan (Pan Arab Games)

2011-12-11T23:53:00.005+03:00

Highlights and full match footage available on Football Palestine's YOUTUBE PAGE.

Palestine Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Saidawi (C), Abu Saleh, Harbi, Dheeb, Fares; Kawre', Ismail; Zatara, Nu'man, Obeid; Salem.

Substitutions: Zatara <-> Amour (38') // Salem <-> Alyan (56') // Obeid <-> El-Khatib (74')

Goals: Ashraf Nu'man (34')

Recap: A strange game to say the least. Jordan probably deserved to win this game but the 4-1 scoreline flattered them to say the least. The opening stanza of the game saw Jordan have the lion's share of possession but Palestine came close to scoring after Khaled Salem burst through the defence and latched on to Imad Zatara's exquisite lob pass. Jordan's goalkeeper, Lu'ay Amaireh did well to get a piece of the shot but Salem would knock the door again a minute later- this time missing the shot wide to the left. Hussam Abu Saleh also saw a long range effort beat an outstretched Amaireh only for it to hit the post.

Jordan entering their third year under the command of Adnan Hamed showed how comfortable they were imposing their style on a game. The Nashama weren't carving chances from open play but their set pieces were well designed. The difference between the two sides in this area was stark- Palestine have been under Mahmoud's command for a month and they still need to figure out how to mark on corners. They went with a zone scheme today but were far too lax in attacking the ball. Bani Khaled and Abdullah Deeb did not forgive their inexperience in making it 1-0 and 3-0, respectively. That said, Palestine had plenty to complain about on the second goal- Abu Saleh was adjudged to have fouled Ra'ed Nawateer. In reality, it was an innocuous incident- a result of their feet getting tangled up with both players attempting to track an aerial ball. The referee thought differently and gave Abu Saleh a yellow card for his troubles.

Despite the setbacks there were a lot of positives in an attacking first half and it seemed Palestine would have all to play for after Ashraf Nu'man first international goal (although it won't count- more on that later) cut the lead to 3-1. Khaled Salem almost made it 3-2 with an effort that Amaireh was barely palmed away.

The quality of football deteriorated in the second half but Palestine were comfortable and seem to have settled after the chaotic first half. That would change when Abu Saleh picked up his second yellow for a particularly meaty challenge. Palestine's troubles would continue when Ashraf Nu'man decided to get cute in his own box instead of booting the ball into the stands. Hamza Dardour took the ball off of him and gleefully put it past a helpless Abdullah Saidawi. It went from bad to worse when Amour was yellow carded for a non-existent tackle and then sent off for protesting his innocence.

What I liked: The team, playing with a makeshift back line showed a lot of heart and were well organized for the most part: 11 v. 11 in open play Palestine won 1-0. Khaled Salem gets better and better with every single cap and will push Alyan for a starting spot at the Challenge Cup. Despite the loss you get a sense that Mahmoud is building something.

What I didn't like: Set piece marking was atrocious- cameras at halftime caught Saidawi at half time explaining to his teammates that they were allowing the Jordanians too much space. The refereeing left a lot to be desired but that is not an excuse to lose composure. Palestine has had trouble with this in the past- in almost every tournament they play they collect a slew of yellow cards. Mahmoud has to love the fire in some of his players but when it isn't being channelled productively it will continue to hurt the team.

No Reservations: The media kept harping on how Jordan was fielding a reserve (radeef was the word they used repeatedly) side. To say that Jordan was using their 'reserves' is like saying the US played their reserves when they beat Egypt 3-0 in the 2009 Confederations Cup. A reserve team means you are fielding guys who have almost zero experience with the national team. If there was a reserve team out there today it was Palestine- but despite the absences of many a player who participated in World Cup Qualifying (Ramzi Saleh, Abdelatif Bahdari, Majed Abusidu, Omar Jarun, Roberto Bishara, Mohammed Samara, and Houssam Wadi).

Not Official: Jordan, afraid of dropping any points in the FIFA rankings petitioned to have this game not count. So for official purposes Jordan has not beaten Palestine since 2000. What's funny is that if Iraq pick up wins at this tournament- Jordan's grand plan to jump into the third pot for the final round of World Cup qualifying would blow up in their face.

Zatara Sub: Zatara was hauled off in the first half- a curious decision if the player wasn't carrying an injury.

What's Next: Palestine will face Libya (without the Abu Saleh or Amour) on Wednesday 1630 GMT.

My Pan Arab Games 11

2011-12-07T23:06:00.004+03:00

Well I couldn't wait until Saturday to post this. Should do some damage.

Rapid Reaction: Bahrain 0 : 1 Palestine (Friendly)

2011-12-06T20:07:00.008+03:00

Palestine pulled off a somewhat surprising result in Manama, defeating home side Bahrain in a preparatory friendly for the Pan Arab Games next week.

Jamal Mahmoud started the match with a 4-4-2, instead of the usual 4-5-1 deployed by Palestine, as he put on both strikers Khaled Salem and Eyad Abu Gharqud. The first half was dominated by the Bahraini side as Palestine played out of form. With a little luck and a lot of effort by Abdulla Saidawi (even saved a penalty), the half ended scoreless.

After testing out the two young strikers, Mahmoud elected to keep Khaled Salem in and switch to an attacking 4-5-1, with a midfield spearheaded by Suleiman Obeid, Ismail Amour and Ali Khatib, after Ashraf No'man and Abu Gharqud were pulled out.

The formation change had a profound effect on the flow of the match as Palestine controlled the ball more and started to look dangerous. Khaled Salem was a menace in the air, beating the Bahraini defenders repeatedly, reaching the net in what was judged to be an offside.

In the 66th minute, former Hilal AlQuds star and current free agent, Ali Khatib created a goal out of nothing with a curving shot from 30 yards out that left the Bahraini goalkeeper with no chance.

Bahrain pushed for the equalizer and came very close a few times but ultimately the defense cut out the threats before they materialized. For the last 15 minutes of the game Palestine was playing without a striker as Khaled Salem was substituted for Khader Yousef to bolster the midfield. Of note is Husam Abu Saleh who played an excellent game on the wing, effectively acting as a fourth attacking midfielder at times. It should come as no surprise he was so well positioned, who knows him better than Jamal Mahmoud?

This was a very different Palestine to the one that faced Afghanistan and Thailand in the summer. They were able to hold on to the lead and control the game.

[Edit]: I couldn't identify the player at the time but now I know it was Zatara - put in some nice crosses from the left

A Look at Jawwal's New Ad Campaign

2011-12-04T20:59:00.024+03:00

Telecom companies in the region have focused marketing efforts on local sports leagues. Whether its shirt sponsorship of teams or official sponsorship of tournaments, they do so to increase their visibility to their young target market. Jawwal, Palestine's leading telecom provider, followed the regional model in its official sponsorship of the West Bank Professional League. Well, enough marketing lingo, lets have a look at their new ad campaign, which encompasses the Women's game as well as other sports. This comes as Palestine's football, basketball and volleyball teams pack their bags for the Pan Arab Games in Qatar.

(click to enlarge)

"Its not just about winning." - With Attal's recent form, he better hope so.

"The path to the goal is the goal." I admit it took me a while to get that.

Ali El-Khatib, Palestine's promising midfielder.

Toufic Ali: Wadi al Nes and Palestine Olympic goalkeeper - Called up to senior side for Pan Arab Games.

Jawwal presents itself as the "sponsor of Professionals." The campaign has star players delivering the message in colloquial Arabic to the broader audience: Work on achieving ambitious goals. A positive message, which I think is much needed among youth in Palestine, and this is not just from a sports perspective.

The sub-message - winning is not everything - could address fan tensions and unsportsmanlike behavior among players. I just wonder how effective these campaigns are. One thing is for sure, this is the first such campaign seen in Palestine.

Preparations for Pan-Arab Games underway

2011-12-03T21:15:00.004+03:00

Al-Fursan in Manama

Jamal Mahmoud and company have been hard at work in the Bahraini capital of Manama getting ready for their first Pan-Arab Games encounter against Jordan next week. The team has been boosted by the arrival of Imad Zatara who should make his first official appearance in five years against Bahrain on Wednesday.

Palestine will have to make due without Mohammed Shbair who injured his hand while training with Shabab Al-Khaleel. As a result, Mahmoud has called up Abdullah Saidawi (Hilal Al-Quds) as his replacement. Saidawi could get the start against Wednesday ahead of Toufic Ali who is seen as a promising but very raw prospect. Ramzi Saleh is expected to join the team in Qatar on December 7th.

Also joining up with the team in Qatar are Murad Alyan (Hilal Al-Quds) and Abdelatif Bahdari (Hajer FC/KSA). This development represents a serious coup for Jamal Mahmoud who can now count on his best defender and forward in the tournament. It also sets him apart from his predecessors who often struggled to get players released from their clubs on non-FIFA match days.

Withdrawal symptoms

As for the competition itself, there has been many a development on that front. This is the first UAFA organized tournament since 2007 and only the second since the (now defunct?) Arab Cup in 2002. It was originally supposed to have a majority of its 22 members participating- 12 teams would compete in three groups of four. Since then, Syria withdrew in protest of sanctions past by the Arab League. Somalia withdrew this week- citing logistical problems. That left the competition with two groups of three and one group of four. The organizers of the tournament have since decided that Group C (Jordan, Palestine, Libya, and Sudan) will send two teams to the semifinals alongside the winners of Groups A and B.

The Opponents

Palestine's only opportunity to gain FIFA ranking points will be against Sudan as Jordan and Libya have petitioned not to have the games count towards the FIFA ranking. According to our friend, Edgar, Jordan did this so not to harm their chances of getting a better seeding for the fourth round of Asian Would Cup qualifying. Interestingly enough, Iraq- their principal rival in the chase for seeding- has elected to have their matches against Bahrain and Qatar count towards the FIFA ranking.

Jordan have sent what has been labelled as a 'reserve squad'. They will be without the services of starting GK Amr Shafie as well as Amr Deeb, Hatem Aqel, Bassem Fathi, Bashar Bani Yaseen, Shadi Abuhashhash, and Ahmed Hayel. That said, Hassan Abdelfattah, Anas Bani Yasseen, Khalil Bani Attieh, and Abdullah Deeb are included in the squad and all have started during Jordan's World Cup qualifying campaign.

Adnan Hamed hasn't gone to his bench or altered his formation during the successful campaign. With Round Four rapidly approaching, Hamed needs to find depth in his squad and develop viable a plan B on the pitch. Expect a lot of tinkering from Jordan (although they should progress).

Sudan, who are currently participating in the CECAFA Cup will send their Olympic side as will Libya.

2012 Challenge Cup Draw

2011-12-01T18:08:00.004+03:00

The draw for the 2012 Challenge Cup was held today and lady luck has smiled on Palestine placing it in Group A alongside hosts Nepal, 2010 Finalists Turkmenistan, and the Maldives.

It will be a trickier proposition for teams in Group B which includes 2010 winners Korea DPR, 2008 winners India, 2006 winners (and perennial semifinalist) Tajikistan, and an improving Philippines side.

The top two teams from each group advance to the semifinals. Palestine will face Nepal on March 8th, Turkmenistan on March 1oth, and the Maldives on March 12th. Players will start with a clean disciplinary slate but Abdelatif Bahdari and Ismail Amour will not be available against Nepal after picking up two yellows in the qualifying round.

Palestine will be facing off against Turkmenistan and The Maldives for the first time in its history. The team has one meeting against Nepal- a 0-0 draw in Kathmandu in 2009- during 2010 Challenge Cup qualifying.

Palestine's best showing in this tournament came in 2006 when they advanced to the quarterfinals of the original 16-team tournament. Al-Fursan were the top scorers in that tournament behind Fahed Attal's 8 goals, which earned him the Golden Boot. Palestine withdrew from qualifying in 2008 when the team was refused exit visas by Israeli authorities. They reentered 2010 qualifying, earning two draws but were eliminated by virtue of an inferior goals scored record.

Turkmenistan and Maldives are developing associations participating in the Challenge Cup. Although the AFC has classified this tournament for emerging associations India, Maldives, Myanmar, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan (developing associations) as well as Korea DPR (a developed association) have all been allowed to participate.

The winner of this tournament will advance directly to the 2015 Asian Cup which will be held in Australia.

Pan-Arab Squad Announced

2011-11-27T21:55:00.002+03:00

As previously reported on our twitter account.

Jamal Mahmoud has called up 21 players to take part in the football tournament of the 2011 Pan-Arab Games. The list includes two players who ply their trade abroad: Goalkeeper Ramzi Saleh (Smouha FC/EGY), who will captain the squad and Syrianska (SWE) midfielder Imad Zatara who could receive his eighth cap after a five year layoff (Zatara did play against Dynamo Moscow in 2010).

Notable absences include Murad Alyan who has declined a call-up due to work commitments. Ahmed Keshkesh and Fahed Attal are also excluded presumably due to a lack of goal scoring form with their clubs.

Palestine are grouped with Jordan, Libya, and Sudan in their group- group winners as well as the best of the three runner-ups advance to the semifinals of the tournament. Ramzi Saleh will break Saeb Jendeya's cap record (70) if Palestine reach the final and he plays in all five games.

Goalkeepers:

Ramzi Saleh (Smouha FC/EGY)

Mohammed Shbair (Shabab Al-Khaleel)

Toufic Ali (Wadi Al-Nes)

Defenders:

Ahmed Harbi (Al-Am'ary)

Hussam Abu Saleh (Hilal Al-Quds)

Haitham Dheeb (Hilal Al-Quds)

Raed Fares (Hilal Al-Quds)

Mohammed Al-Masri (Shabab Al-Dhahrieh)

Nadim Barghouthi (Shabab Al-Khaleel)

Midfielders:

Imad Zatra (Syrianska/SWE)

Ismail Amour (Al-Am'ary)

Ma'ly Kawre' (Al-Am'ary)

Suleiman Obeid (Al-Am'ary)

Murad Ismail (Hilal Al-Quds)

Ali El-Khatib (Hilal Al-Quds)

Atef Abu Bilal (Shabab Al-Dhahrieh)

Ashraf Nu'man (Wadi Al-Nes)

Khader Yousef (Wadi Al-Nes)

Forwards:

Khaled Salem (Shabab Al-Dhahrieh)

Eyad Abugharqud (Shabab Al-Khaleel)

Catching Up with Omar Jarun

2011-11-23T19:31:00.013+03:00

We last spoke with Omar back in February of 2009 when he was just leaving North American football to join Flota Swinoujscie in Poland. Since then, he joined Arka Gdynia in the Polish I Liga and has established his place as Center Back in the National Team after being called up for the 2014 World Cup Qualifying campaign. We sent him a few questions to catch up and get to know him more..he gave us some fun facts, talked about his career and left us with his impressions on Mousa Bezaz. Here is the text:

Quick hits:
Favorite Palestinian Dish? Mulukhia
The National Team Jersey- do you prefer the Green ones or the Red ones? Green
Shawerma or Falafel? Shawerma
Toughest player to defend in training? Keshkesh
Fastest player in the National Team? Amour
Your national team roommate Fahed Attal
A sport other than soccer American Football
Favorite pro sports teams Dallas Cowboys (NFL)
If you weren't playing soccer professionally what would you be doing for a living? Working construction with my dads company, APEC.

Your first match with the national team(against Singapore in 2007) was in a near-empty stadium in Qatar. This time around, Palestine played its first World Cup Qualifiers at home. What was it like playing in the Faisal Husseini?

Playing in Palestine was fantastic. The fans were super. You couldn't ask for a better atmosphere. Obviously the result could have been better, but playing in Palestine I will never forget.

However short it was, you took part in our 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign from start to finish..including trips to Tajikistan and Bangkok. Any interesting stories?

The first morning in Tajikistan was pretty interesting. I was jet lagged so I woke up around 6:15. I went outside in the front of the hotel. It looked real cloudy you know like smoky or foggy. I asked the hotel reception, "Pretty foggy morning huh?" He said, " it's the smoke from bombs going off during the night from Afghanistan."

You and Abdel-Latif Bahdari are, for us and many, the first choice Centre-Back partnership..can you tell us a little about the relationship on and off the pitch?

Bahdari is a great player. He's confident on the ball and shows great leadership on the pitch. We have formed a good partnership in the center of defense. Communication between us is very good. When we play together, I feel the opponent has a difficult time breaking us down.

Clearing the ball in Palestine's 2-0 win over Afghanistan in Tursonzoda, Tajikistan

You've joined your third Polish Club- Arka Gdynia this past summer after a brief stint with FC Tampa Bay. How did that move come about? Were there any other offers on the table?

I reached an agreement with FC Tampa bay to part ways. It was handled in a professional manner by the Tampa bay front office and my manager Justin Stone. My old coach from my first club Flota got appointed the job at Arka Gdynia after Arka was relegated to the first league. He contacted me and was thrilled that I recently had become a free agent. I came over to Poland between the Afghanistan and Thailand matches. He wanted to make sure I was in good fitness. And I saw how professional Arka was so it was a no brainer to sign here.

Could you take us through the process of receiving a call-up to the national team? What steps does the PFA take to coordinate with your club?

Coach Mousa would email me and ask how I was doing and invite me to join the team. He wanted to know my clubs schedule. Mousa would then inform the federation, who would send an official letter to my club by fax. There was never any problems with the PFA contacting my club.

In action in the home leg vs. Thailand in Palestine

You had to wait three years to get your second cap with the national team- it must have been frustrating as there were reports you trained with Jordan...what do you think caused the coaching staff to overlook you?

Of course I was frustrated. I had no idea what was going on with the Palestinian National team. Osama, the team manager for Jordan, contacted me by phone and said it was possible to join Jordan. He claimed since I had not played in 3 years, there was a FIFA ruling that allowed me to switch national teams. They flew me to Amman the next week for 3 practices and they loved what they saw. The Iraqi coach, I forget his name, said Jordan and Palestine would work out this situation and I would be joining Jordan in the Asia cup.

Well it turned out to be a big mess. The PFA all of a sudden wanted me back in the team. Looking back I'm glad I did it because it made the PFA aware that I'm a good football player and here we are today.

With the winter break now upon us in Poland's Liga I. Will you be available to play in the Pan-Arab Games in December and the Challenge Cup in March? Have you had any contact with the new manager Jamal Mahmoud?

I am always available to join the national team when games correspond with official FIFA dates. Coach Nasser, who was the intern coach I guess before they appointed Coach Mahmoud, asked me to join the team in Qatar for the Pan-Arab games. I was thrilled. 2 days ago Awni, palestine team manager, informed me the coach does not want international based players for the Pan-Arab games. He is going to wait until the challenge cup. So it looks like I will be in Atlanta for the December break.

And no, I have not been in personal contact with coach Mahmoud.

On former coach Mousa Bezaz...

He and Nourdine were great for the Palestine national team. Training was very similar to what we do in Europe. They required all players to be fit and work hard day in and day out. I loved it.

Coach Mousa had a very strong personality and many people in the PFA did not like it. He was not a so called "yes" man. He knew what was right and what needed to be done in order for us to succeed. Coach Mousa spoke very highly to me about the football president Jabril. He told me how committed he was. Coach Mousa said that it was the other people around him, the political characters, who really don't have a clue about football were the ones causing problems all the time.

I can't say enough about how much Mousa transformed the national team. He made it professional. The difference was night and day from 3 years ago. I only pray that the PFA don't take steps backwards. We have made progress, huge steps, and we need to continue that.

Preview: Lega Pro Select vs Palestine

2011-11-22T03:55:00.005+03:00

Marcello Lippi will lead the Lega Pro side against Palestine.

What: Unofficial Friendly

When: 23/11/2011

Where: Assisi, Italy

Kickoff: 1230 GMT

Jamal Mahmoud will lead Palestine for the third time in an unofficial friendly ahead of next month's Pan-Arab Games. This time the opponent will be the Lega Pro Select team that the Olympic team defeated 3-0 in June.

Contrary to what has been reported the team that has travelled is not the Olympic side. In fact, there are some players who are over the age limit of 23 (Suleiman Obeid, Ma'ly Kawre', Khader Youssef, Raed Fares):

Goalkeeper:

Amr Abu Rweis (Balata)

Toufic Ali (Wadi Al-Nes)

Defenders:

Ahmad Salameh (Al-Am'ary)

Mustafa Abu Kweik (Al-Bireh)

Adham Abu Rweis (Balata)

Raed Fares (Hilal Al-Quds)

Nadim Barghouthi (Shabab Al-Khaleel)

Midfielders:

Suleiman Obeid (Al-Am'ary)

Mahmoud "El-Koori" Salah (Al-Am'ary)

Ma'ly Kawre' (Al-Am'ary)

Abdelhamid Abuhabib (Balata)

Ali El-Khatib (Hilal Al-Quds)

Ahmed Me'ari (Hilal Al-Quds)

Khader Youssef (Wadi Al-Nes)

Amjad Zidan (Wadi Al-Nes)

Forwards:

Hazem "Lazarus" El-Reikhawy (Shabab Al-Dhahrieh)

Khaled Salem (Shabab Al-Dhahrieh)

Jamal Mahmoud has given a lifeline to Ali El-Khatib who was handed a yearlong suspension by Hilal Al-Quds for alleged match fixing. Mahmoud was in charge of Hilal Al-Quds when that suspension was doled out- so this development is bizarre, to say the least.

This game will give an opportunity to some of the Olympic Team players to win a spot on the senior team. Jamal Mahmoud's inclusion of senior team players should give an idea of how they will mesh with the current setup.

The Opponents

Perhaps the most impressive thing about them is that they will be lead by Marcello Lippi- Yes, the same guy who managed Italy to World Cup glory in 2006 and World Cup ignominy in 2010. The squad will be made up of the most promising young players in Italy's third division. Only Walter Zullo was part of the squad that lost 3-0 to Palestine in Dora.

Miscellaneous

The will be overseen by an all-female crew of referees led by Silvia Tea Spinelli. The national team has been kitted out- puffy jackets and all- by Legea. The jersey unveiled at the press conference looked like an Atletico de Madrid or Red Star Belgrade shirt with prominent red and white stripes.

Goalkeepers:

BAVENA Andrea 3/4/1990 Calcio Portogruaro Summaga S.r.l.

GIORDANO Daniele 3/4/1991 A.C. Perugia Calcio S.r.l.

Defenders:

D’AGOSTINO Giovanni 8/23/1991 U.S. Vibonese Calcio S.r.l.

MASI Alberto 9/2/1992 F.C. Pro Vercelli 1892 S.r.l.

MECCARIELLO Biagio 3/27/1991 A.S. Andria Bat S.r.l.

PRIOLA Giusto 5/26/1990 Trapani Calcio S.r.l.

SIGNORINI Andrea 1/31/1990 Benevento Calcio S.p.A.

ZULLO Walter 5/3/1990 Calcio Como S.r.l.

Midfielders:

BIGONI Marco 12/3/1990 S.S. Chieti Calcio S.r.l.

CARRETTA Mirko 11/23/1990 Benevento Calcio S.p.A.

COPPOLA Mario 8/7/1990 Calcio Portogruaro Summaga S.r.l.

FARONI Alessandro 1/3/1991 A.C. Lumezzane S.p.A.

MANZO Stefano 2/2/1990 U.S. Gavorrano S.r.l.

SICILIANO Pasquale 5/5/1991 Paganese Calcio 1926 S.r.l.

Forwards:

CAIRA Gianmarco 4/4/1991 A.C. Isola Liri S.r.l.

FISCHNALLER Manuel 7/20/1991 Fussballclub Sudtirol S.r.l.

PACI Tommaso 6/16/1991 A.C. Giacomense S.r.l.

SPAGNA Stefano 1/18/1991 A.S. Melfi S.r.l.

Assessing Mahmoud's first performance

2011-11-17T16:22:00.004+03:00

As Aboud highlighted in an earlier post- there is a lot to like about Jamal Mahmoud's appointment as National Team Manager. Two 1-1 draws against South Africa's AmaBinnePlaas had plenty of positives but also emphasized room for improvement. Mahmoud's next act as manager will be to lead the Olympic team against the Lega Pro Select team on November 23rd in Italy.

Strength of Opposition

Perhaps the most talked about aspect of the friendlies against South Africa was the fact that the SAFA had not sent the first squad. Instead they sent their developmental side which many fans saw as a slight against the National Team. It is important to note, however that the side they sent was a strong and competent one- the scorer of the goal in the Dora game- Bheki Shabango plays in the ASABA Premiership for Engen Santos. The goalkeepers Ronwen Williams and Brilliant Khuzwayo in both matches have experience with U20 and Olympic teams, respectively. The initial list of players published for the games (for the cancelled fixtures in September) included seven ASABA Premiership players, three first division players, four youth teamers, and five players who were out of contract. Not a world beating squad by any means but certainly not a poor squad either. It was evident that the team the SAFA sent wanted to compete and win and as a result both games did not feel like friendlies.

Overall, Palestine was the stronger of the two teams in both legs and the fact that they did not win either game shows that there is work to be done. The positive thing is that the result against Iran is now dead and buried and the team and coaching staff can start anew.

Leadership & Awareness

Realizing that his captain and starting goalkeeper was available due to the suspension of Egyptian League play Mahmoud moved quickly to call up Ramzi Saleh. This is exactly the kind of leadership that is needed at the helm. Under Moussa Bezaz, it was like some players based abroad simply didn't exist. Omar Jarun wasn't called up until 18 months into the Frenchman's tenure, Roberto Bishara saw the pitch twice under his reign, and Mohammed Samara played a whopping 60 minutes. This shows that Mahmoud knows who his important players are and how serious he is in building a strong team that can win the Challenge Cup in March.

Shape and Formations

Mahmoud's side in the Dora game came out in a 4-2-3-1 formation but one that looked awfully like a 3-5-2 when the team had the ball. Harbi pushed up as he normally does and Fares playing on the left was asked to tuck in as the defence shifted to account for Harbi's position. Amour made constant forays forward, essentially becoming a support striker to Murad Alyan (see below).

Palestine vs. South Africa (Dora:11/11/11)

The personnel and formation were tweaked in the second game. Palestine played a narrower 4-2-3-1 depending on the overlapping runs of Fares and Abu Saleh for width. Ashraf Nu'man and Atef Abu Bilal strutted their stuff for the first 45 minutes but failed in their primary task- getting service to Keshkesh. For his part, Keshkesh wasn't making the diagonal runs Alyan is known for in search of that service. Obeid, positioned in the heart of the attack, struggled and Palestine opted for a more direct approach down the wings as result (see below).

Palestine vs. South Africa (Nablus: 15/11/11)

Experiments

Perhaps the most surprising element over the two matches was seeing Ahmed Harbi deployed as centreback (in the Nablus game). Not known for his defensive prowess as a right-back and having started his professional career inside the Green Line as a winger, Harbi seems more comfortable further up the pitch. The Al-Am'ary man was adept at bringing the ball out of defence but his lack of experience showed when he erred in the second half giving a South African player a clear path to goal; If not for a world class save from Ramzi Saleh the AmaBinnePlaas would have take a 2-1 lead. Unless Palestine are suddenly bereft of centrebacks (Jarun, Bahdari, Al-Masri, Dheeb, Mahdi, Barghouthi, Rabie, and Abu Kweik would have to be ahead of him in the pecking order) I can't see Harbi being played in this position again.

The more promising development was seeing Raed Fares put in a solid 180 minutes at left back. The position has been a problem area for Palestine since the retirement of Francisco Alam. With Roberto Bishara's intermittent availability it was crucial that a suitable replacement be found. Fares is a right back with Hilal Al-Quds so it will be interesting to see if the left back- Ehab Abujazr gets the call sometime in the future.

In the Dora game, we got to see Amour played further up the pitch supporting Murad Alyan. It gave the supremely talented Gazan an opportunity to make his presence felt and he did not disappoint- scoring a goal in the 9th minute. His ability to influence a game is far greater than that of his club teammate, Suleiman Obeid, who is guilty of drifting in and out of matches.

Keshkesh was played as a lone striker in the game in Nablus. Despite his second half goal you would have to say that he was far from his normal self. Palestine looked far more dangerous when Khaled Salem came on in his place. Keshkesh is more of a withdrawn striker and my guess is that he will be allowed to play behind Murad Alyan at some point in the future.

The Jury is still out on...

The holding midfield. In general Khader Yousef, Ma'ly Kawre', Ismail Qasem, and Musa Abujazr did well in shielding the defence. Going forward they needed to be better and quicker in their decision making. Khader Youssef is supposed to be the focal point in this formation, he gets the team moving from defence to attack. Mahmoud's instructions have him better positioned on the pitch and he is no longer shirking his defensive duties. That said, he still needs to work on timing and releasing the ball if this team is to emulate the counterattacking success Jordan has enjoyed in recent months.

Palestine's exuberance often leads to early goals and is great to watch but it can be exploited by smarter opposition. The statistics will show that Palestine played the ball into the box numerous times and got into the attacking third with regularity. That said they seem to lack patience around the box favoring a shot or ill-advised cross instead of an extra couple of passes.

Hopefully, the problems are solved before the Pan-Arab Games in December and the Challenge Cup in March.

Rapid Reaction: Palestine 1:1 South Africa B

2011-11-16T02:31:00.005+03:00

Highlights

Palestine Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Ramzi Saleh (C); Abu Saleh, Harbi, Al-Masri, Fares; Khader Youssef (Qasem), Musa Abujazr; Atef Abu Bilal (Amour), Obeid (Abugharqud), Nu'man; Keshkesh (Khaled Salem)

Goals: Ahmed Keshkesh 49'

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Jamal Mahmoud tinkered with his squad making six changes to the starting lineup that faced the same opposition on Friday. The most notable change was Ramzi Saleh making his much anticipated return to the national team. There was also some tinkering that saw Abu Saleh and Harbi play the entire match as a right back and centreback, respectively. Further up the pitch Musa Abujazr was played as a pivote whilst Atef Abu Bilal, Ashraf Nu'man, Ahmed Keshkesh were also handed starts.

Better Play

Both South Africa and Palestine seemed to benefit from the added days of practice and guidance under their respective managers. The first half saw fewer individual errors and better team play. South Africa was somewhat successful in imposing their will and preferred pace on the game- it was during this spell that they grabbed their goal. Palestine put two chances off the post and had many chances to win this game but in the end couldn't capitalize.

Keshkesh Goal

Not the prettiest goal- but a heads up play, goals are goals after all. It's important that Keshkesh show his value to the team- this marks his first goal since the unofficial friendly vs. FC Brussels in April 2009. Keshkesh is part of a team in crisis at Al-Am'ary so his call-up came as a surprise. He'll have to do more to seat the incumbent striker- Murad Alyan but this goal didn't hurt. It will be interesting to see how Keshkesh will be used going forward because he (and Attal for that matter) struggle as lone forwards- Palestine looked more menacing up front when Khaled Salem came on.

Amour Ejection

A very harsh call but I don't blame the referee. In fact, I think he did Amour and Jamal Mahmoud a favor. It is obvious that Amour is one of the most talented players in Palestine when he is on his feet. The problem is that Amour tends to go to ground way to easily and when he a foul isn't whistled the opposition are already racing down the other end of the pitch. Amour needs to be told that he can do so much more, that if he was a bit more patient shielding the ball he could be setting up teammates for goals. It's a kink in his game that needs to be ironed out.

What's Next: Pan-Arab Games are slated for December. Palestine in Group C alongside Libya, Jordan, and Sudan. Challenge Cup draw on December 1st.

My thoughts on Jamal Mahmoud, and why its a good thing

2011-11-16T00:40:00.013+03:00

So after the national team was in a coaching vacuum for what seemed like forever (3 and a half months) after Mousa Bezaz got canned, the PFA finally announced Jamal Mahmoud as the National Team Manager. Mahmoud had a distinguished tenure with Wehdat in the Jordan top tier before taking charge of Hilal AlQuds last season leading them to second place in the league. What is more impressive is the club's performance under him this year: they are on top of the league with a perfect record.

Knowing my co-blogger Bassil, and his attention to detail, Mahmoud is in for a thorough vetting. So I will focus on more general analysis.

Firstly, when I heard of the appointment, it immediately made sense! We considered many different candidates in our frustration and we even got in touch with former manager Alfred Riedl (we are big fans). But I'll be honest, I did not even think of having a WBPL coach take the reigns (though Bassil did mention Hisham al Zoabi in a previous post). I always maintained that we need a manager that understands Palestinian football and at the same time has technical excellence. Mahmoud should have been obvious had we considered the possibility of simultaneous jobs.

If Jamal Mahmoud's resume can tell you anything, its that hes a winner. He won multiple championships with Wehdat both as a player and a coach and is doing fantastically with Hilal. I don't care how many coaching certifications one has, a winning mentality isn't something that can be taught(I'm talking to you Mousa Bezaz, if it wasn't obvious).

Jamal also knows the league inside out..he practically lives in it! What better way to scout for players than by seeing them play every week?

Now this may be subjective, but I sense a charisma from him off the bench. During the South Africa games he was standing up and barking orders at the players on the pitch. Compare that to Bezaz...who if you mistook for a spectator during matches, you could be forgiven.

Lastly, Mahmoud will definitely have a stronger connection with the players than any foreign coach would have.

This is probably my most optimistic post in the past two years..My optimism however doesn't always translate..just for fun, heres the post on Bezaz's appointment back in '09.

Preview: Palestine vs. South Africa B (Unofficial Friendly)

2011-11-15T00:38:00.004+03:00

International Football comes to Nablus

What: Unofficial Friendly

Where: Municipal Stadium, Nablus, Palestine

Kickoff: 1500 (Local)

TV: Palestine Satellite Channel

Stream: ?

Previous Encounters:

11/11/2011: Palestine 1:1 South Africa (developmental)

NT in Nablus

Many Neopolitans will get to see their national team in the flesh for the first time when Palestine takes on South Africa on Tuesday. Entering and exiting Nablus has become an arduous task due to Israeli checkpoints which surround the city.

Ramzi's Return?

According to Kora Baladna Ramzi Saleh has made the trip to the West Bank and will start tomorrow's game. This is not one of the source we lean heavily upon here at Football Palestine but it has resulted in some chatter. According to the article (which cites a telephone conversation with the goalkeeper) there may even be a chance he participates at the Pan-Arab Games- contingent on how long Egyptian league play is suspended while the U23 team attempt to qualify for London 2012.

Shuffling the Deck

Jamal Mahmoud will look to give an opportunity to players to the players who did not see the pitch in Friday's game. A goalkeeping change will most likely be instituted with Shbair making way for Ramzi Saleh (or Abdullah Saidawi- if Ramzi's presence in camp turns out to be a rumor). Atef Abu Bilal and Ahmed Keshkesh should get a start here in place of Suleiman Obeid and Ismail Amour the latter of which will most likely start on the right of midfield.

Injuries- The PFA reported that Hussam Abu Saleh and Ahmed Harbi picked up knocks in Friday's encounter. Hani Abu Bilal is likely to get the start if one or both are not able to recover in time.

Rapid Reaction: Palestine 1:1 South Africa B

2011-11-12T02:58:00.004+03:00

Palestine Starting XI (5-3-2): Shbair (GK) Abu Saleh, Barghouthi, Al-Masri, Fares, Harbi; Kawre', Obeid, Khader Youssef; Amour (c), Alyan.

Substitutes On: Ismail Qasem, Eyad Abugharqud, Hani Abu Bilal, Musa Abujazr, Khaled Salem, Ashraf Nu'man.

Goals: Ismail Amour 9'

Recap: Palestine rebounded well from last month's rout at the hands of Iran. Jamal Mahmoud's side included plenty of familiar faces but produced a different result. For one, their was better tactical awareness and players knew what to do when they had the ball and when they lost the ball. More importantly, we saw players being played in positions that highlighted their strengths. Harbi and Abu Saleh were deployed as marauding wingbacks, free to attack and provide service for the forwards. Amour was played more centrally making his runs and his ability to score from outside the box more of a factor. As for the opposition while certainly not South Africa's finest they were by no means a poor team. Palestine was the stronger team in the first half. The Bafana Bafana or Amabinneplaas as the development team is called came into the game in the second half and grabbed a deserved equalizer in the 80th minute. For a managerial debut made on short notice Jamal Mahmoud can be pleased with the performance of his team. There are still several kinks that need to be ironed out but this was a positive first step.

What I liked: The new shape unveiled by Jamal Mahmoud helps Palestine mask their deficiency at fullback. This could be used to great effectiveness with the starting backline Roberto Bishara rarely plays left back anymore and could form a dominant triumvirate alongside Omar Jarun and Abdelatif Bahdari.

What I didn't like: The politicization of every football match is nauseating. Can't we just play a football match without having see the players run past giant posters of controversial foreign leaders? Just fly the Palestinian Flag next to the flag of the other country we are playing, no need for the posters and slogans. Since Rajoub took charge of the FA posters of Ramzan Kadryov, Vladimir Putin, Dimitry Medvedev, Zine El-Abedin Ben Ali, Silvio Berlusconi, Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Mohammed Bin Hammam, and Jacob Zuma have been hung in our stadiums. Take a look at that list- not a lot of international credibility there.

The Opponent: The developmental team allows players in South Africa the chance to increase their stock by playing international matches. Some are youngsters on the fringes of the first team others are established players without a club and some are guys the South African FA would like to see get more experience. The team has previously represented South Africa at the COSAFA Cup and the African Nations Championship. As for an official squad list- I haven't been able to find one. It's easy to dismiss them but let's remember that Palestine's team is without its starting keeper and back line.

What's Next: The two teams will face off again on November 15th in Nablus.

Preview: Palestine vs. South Africa (Unofficial Friendly)

2011-11-10T23:27:00.004+03:00

The Bafana Bafana take in Bethlehem

When: 11/11/11

Where: Dora, Palestine

Kickoff: 1530 Local

Streams/TV: TBA

Previous Encounters: None

Palestine will face a 'developmental' South Africa squad twice in the next week. The first of such encounters is tomorrow (November 11th) with another slated for Tuesday (November 15th). For the fourth straight encounter Palestine will be led by a different manager- Jamal Mahmoud- the current Hilal Al-Quds manager. Unlike his predecessors he will be given the role on a permanent basis with Rajoub announcing that Mahmoud will be in charge for the Pan-Arab Games next month and the 2012 Challenge Cup in March (more on his hiring in a later post).

The squad selection was most likely made before Jamal Mahmoud got the call (I have a hard time believing he would overlook Raed Fares, Ehab Abujazr, Murad Ismail, and other key players in his Hilal Al-Quds side) and it is perplexing as per usual. Despite both friendlies falling on FIFA dates the PFA has failed to secure the services of any of the players based abroad. Furthermore, seven Al-Am'ary players have made the squad despite the club dropping four out of its previous five matches- an event which led to the resignation of Hesham Al-Zoabi.

There is also a prevailing imbalance in the squad with four keepers and five forwards being listed. If no more than two goalkeepers will see action why take more? The goalkeeping hierarchy is pretty clear- Ramzi Saleh is the starter Abdullah Saidawi and Mohammed Shbair are his backups. Toufic Ali is promising but very raw and can learn a lot from being present in camp but Assem Abu Asi's inclusion serves no purpose.

In defence, the exclusion of Jehad Rabie is frustrating. The Shabab Al-Khaleel man he has consistently outshone Nadim Barghouthi who has been played more often as a holding midfielder. Seeing Hussam Abu Saleh listed as a defender gives more credence to the theory that the PFA picked this squad. Jamal Mahmoud deploys Abu Saleh as a winger, his RB is Raed Fares-who hasn't been called up. Ismail Qasem is a holding midfielder- which is precisely the type of player Palestine needs more of but is most certainly not a defender.

Unless there is an impending change in the way Palestine plays its football the inclusion of five forwards is simply unnecessary. Eyad Abugharqud and Murad Alyan have been on form but the others have been average. Attal and Keshkesh are experienced but there needs to be a realization that form can outweigh experience. Mahmoud's greatest challenge will be getting Keshkesh and Attal to replicate their form while with Wehdat. Khaled Salem is ongoing project- he he is fast, strong, and great in the air but still has a lot to learn- and should take this opportunity to learn as much as he can from Murad Alyan.

Palestine Squad:

GK: Abdullah Saidawi (Hilal Al-Quds), Mohammed Shbair (Shabab Al-Khaleel), Assem Abu Asi (Al-Am'ary), Toufic Ali (Tarji Wadi Al-Nes)

DF: Nadim Barghouthi (Shabab Al-Khaleel), Ahmed Harbi, Ahmed Salameh (both Al-Am'ary), Haitham Dheeb, Hussam Abu Saleh (both Hilal Al-Quds), Mohammed Al-Masri, Ismail Qasem (both Shabab Al-Dhahrieh)

MF: Ismail Amour, Suleiman Obeid, Ma'ly Kawre', (all Al-Am'ary), Atef Abu Bilal (Shabab Al-Dhahrieh), Khader Youssef (Tarji Wadi Al-Nes)

FW: Murad Alyan (Hilal Al-Quds), Ahmed Keshkesh (Al-Am'ary), Khaled Salem (Shabab Al-Dhahrieh), Fahed Attal, Eyad Abugharqud (both Shabab Al-Khaleel)

South Africa Squad*

*This was the squad announced in September when the fixture was first scheduled to be held. There is no confirmation of the squad at the time of writing.

FP's Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Saidawi; Salameh, Al-Masri, Dheeb, Harbi; Barghouthi, Qasem; Atef Abu Bilal, Khader Youssef, Ismail Amour; Murad Alyan.

2011/12 WBPL Midseason Assessment

2011-11-07T23:43:00.003+03:00

With 9 games played, Hilal Al-Quds have a 100% percent record (counting the abandoned match vs. Al-Am'ary as a win). Their closest rivals- Shabab Al-Khaleel are 8 points adrift on 19 points and it is becoming increasingly harder to find anyone serious challengers to the Jerusalem club's dominance. The team has come under pressure this season- but from outside forces. The team's chairman accused of Shabab Al-Khaleel of trying to buy the result of their Week 7 matchup. There was also a feud with the PFA over the right to wear a jersey with a Wataniya sponsorship- which resulted in them wearing a red jersey in one of their games. To top it all off, Hilal Al-Quds suspended one of their best players Ali El-Khatib indefinitely.

Al-Am'ary, last season's champions, have been underwhelming to say the least. Despite abundant attacking talent and a hot start (the team won it's first three games of the season) Al-Am'ary have wilted under the pressure. It's not the first time league champion has struggled in a title defence. Jabal Al-Mukaber finished a mere four points above the relegation zone last year and in the year before that Wadi Al-Nes finished in a distant fourth- an equal 10 points off first place and relegation.

Hilal Al-Quds: Destined to lift the League Trophy?

If Hilal Al-Quds look certain to lift the title then Merkaz Tulkarem look certain to go down. The Yellow and Blue have yet to win a game and although they miraculously escaped relegation last year they don't look like doing it again this year. Part of this is because key players like Khaled Salem and Maen Jamal moved to other clubs in the offseason. Unfortunately for the Yellow and Blue, the talent needed to succeed at this level is simply not there.

The rest of the league is a jumbled mess. Tarji Wadi Al-Nes started out slow but have since found their form thanks in part to the return of Said Al-Sobakhi. Shabab Al-Dhahrieh started off hot but have since lost their form. The Oryxes of the South have a side bursting with quality: Mohammed Al-Masri is one of the league's best defenders and Atef Abu Bilal is relentless attacking machine. If Khaled Salem, Yahya Al-Sobakhi, Ahmed Maher, or Amir Abu Arrar (who have all scored this season) can develop into a double-digit scorer then this team will be a force in the second half of the season.

Balata have retained that pesky resilience from last year but have suffered a sophomore slump of sorts. The team has become less effective in attack- averaging half a goal less as compared to last season. Through 9 games Balata has a mere 9 goals (they had 15 at this point last year) part of this has to do with Abdelhamid Abuhabib's form which has been poor by his lofty standards. That said he has played well enough to ensure Balata are one point above defending champions Al-Am'ary. Abuhabib hasn't been doing it on his own either- Arafat Abu Serhan has been a revelation in midfield playing well enough to earn a national team call-up.

The rest of the league sees Thaqafi Tulkarem battling Al-Bireh and Jabal Al-Mukaber for the right to remain in the WBPL. One word sums up these sides- inconsistent. Al-Bireh started off the season by finding ways to throw away points from winning positions. They have bolstered their position with back-to-back wins vs. the Tulkarem sides. Thaqafi had to wait until the fifth week of the season to earn its first points. A pulsating 3-2 win over neighbors Merkaz which feature three goals inside 90 minutes sealed it for the Maroons. They followed up that success with a 2-0 win over Balata but have only managed an additional point since. If the season ended today, both Tulkarem sides would be relegated.

Which brings us to Jabal Al-Mokaber who can't seem to find out if they're magnificent or moribund. The Jekyll and Hyde performance throughout the season has left fans guessing as to which team might show up from week to week. The Mt. Scopus based club lost its opener 4-0 to Hilal Al-Quds but won their next game against Thaqafi by the same score. In the 3rd week they beat Merkaz Tulkarem 3-0 only to lose to Balata the following week by a 2-0 scoreline. They also 5-0 and 4-0 losses to the Hebron clubs on their record this season but have also pulled off a 3-2 upset of Al-Am'ary following those disappointing results. Where they go from here is a mystery but one thing is for sure- it will be a fun and unpredictable ride.

Team of the (Mid)Season:

GK- Mohammed Shbair (Shabab Al-Khaleel): Slightly edged Saidawi whose team has often left him with not a lot to do. Shbair has played a more direct role in Shabab Al-Khaleel's success this season.

CB- Haitham Dheeb (Hilal Al-Quds): Nicknamed 'The Octopus' by Hilal fans, Dheeb has been an omnipresent force in the team this year. Anchors a defence that has allowed a paltry two goals.

CB- Mohammed Al-Masri (Shabab Al-Dhahrieh): Handed an unfair task in his first national team cap but make no mistake Al-Masri is one of the best in the WBPL.

CB- Jehad Rabie (Shabab Al-Khaleel): Probably the main reason why Shabab Al-Khaleel are in second place now. Nadim Al-Barghouthi also owes his defensive partner a great deal of gratitude as his play has masked Barghouthi positional deficiencies.

RW- Ismail Al-Amour (Al-Am'ary): The only consistent element of a very inconsistent side, tireless runner always able to create something out of nothing.

CM- Mahmoud "Al-Koori" Salah (Al-Am'ary): Grabs a place on this list simply because Al-Am'ary look lost without him shielding the defence. The team went into a tailspin after he left to captain the U-19 side in AFC Championship qualifying.

CM- Arafat Abu Serhan (Balata): Probably will not land on many team of the season lists but his presence in midfield make Balata dangerous. He frees up Abuhabib to go forward and puts in solid work that make results like the 1-0 defeat of Shabab Al-Khaleel possible.

CM- Maen Jamal (Hilal Al-Quds): Will not get the headlines Murad Alyan or Fadi Lafi get but he has made Hilal more dynamic. His movement makes it possible for the team to win even if Alyan fails to score- something they struggled with last season.

LW- Atef Abu Bilal (Shabab Al-Dhahrieh): The Oryxes best player, is involved in nearly every build-up and goal the team puts together. Has had a more convincing season than his national team competition Ashraf Nu'man.

FW- Eyad Abugharqud (Shabab Al-Khaleel): Despite departing Al-Am'ary in the offseason he has not missed a beat. His 8 goals make him the second top scorer. Its hard to see how he'll fit in with the national team as his style is predicated on balls being played through to him. He'll need to adapt and learn how to play as a lone striker.

FW- Murad Alyan (Hilal Al-Quds): Perhaps the best player this season (again) he plays with exuberance and urgency of a man ten years younger. Averaging more than a goal per game.

Flop of the Season: The Yasser Arafat Cup- a preseason tournament has yet to be concluded and we're halfway through the league calendar.

2011 Pan-Arab Games: Palestine drawn in Group 3

2011-10-30T16:02:00.002+03:00

Palestine has been drawn alongside Jordan, Sudan, and Libya in Group 3 of the football tournament at the Pan-Arab Games. Considering Palestine's status as one of the lowest ranked teams it is a manageable group as Al-Fursan have traditionally fared well against their group opponents.

The other groups are as follows:

Group 1: Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain, Syria

Group 2: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Somalia

Group winners will advance to the semifinals alongside the best second place team.

Palestine has played Libya once before- a 2-2 draw at the 1999 Pan Arab Games helped Palestine win the group enroute to a third place finish. They also boast a similar record against Sudan- drawing 2-2 at the 2002 Arab Cup (I can't believe that great competition no longer exists!) and more recently drawing 1-1 in Ommdourman in June 2010.

And of course there is Jordan- Palestine's second most frequent opponent (7 encounters, 4 D 3L) since joining FIFA in 1998. Palestine have drawn the last three encounters 1-1 in 2002, 2004, and 2008. Jordan's last win came in 2000 in Asian Cup qualifying- Palestine's first qualification campaign.

The form book can thrown out the window, however, if Palestine don't hire a new manager soon. The first match, against Jordan, is slated for December 11th and at this point it looks likely that Palestine will be led by an interim manager.

Ali El-Khatib in a spot of bother

2011-10-17T15:35:00.002+03:00

El-Khatib (L) had been off to a great start with Hilal

As you may know Hilal Al-Quds beat second place Shabab Al-Khaleel to continue their perfect start to the league season. The Jerusalem based side have won their first six games, scoring 20 goals whilst only conceding once. So it was a little strange to read that Ali El-Khatib was being investigated for "manipulating the results of games".

What exactly has the club charged El-Khatib with?

According to the higher ups at Hilal Al-Quds, Ali El-Khatib had agreed to throw away the game against Shabab El-Khaleel. The club said that a fee had been agreed between El-Khatib and his former manager Samir Eissa. They point to the fact that Ali El-Khatib had refused to suit up for the crucial tie against the Hebron based side.

After the news broke, El-Khatib responded by saying that he was forced to miss the match because it happened to coincide with his wedding day. In an even more bizarre twist, the young midfielder claimed that Chairman Abdel-Qader El-Khatib (no relation) had sent henchmen to kidnap him and forced him to sign papers altering his financial compensation.

Needless to say, Shabab Al-Khaleel manager Samir Eissa isn't too happy about being accused of match fixing. He has asked the PFA to formulate an investigatory committee to look into the matter.

For their part, Hilal Al-Quds have formed their own investigatory committee and have reached the decision to suspend Ali El-Khatib for the remainder of the season.

Ali El-Khatib has three senior caps with the national team and came on as a substitute against Thailand in the first and second legs. He has shown a knack for providing a spark coming off the bench and seemed to be destined for a bright future with the National Team. It is a shame to see his reputation be tarnished in such an explicit manner especially with accusations that seem questionable at best.

PFA...

2011-10-10T16:35:00.002+03:00

Y U NO HIRE MANAGER?!

Who gets the blame?

2011-10-06T02:29:00.004+03:00

Let me be clear. I didn't think Palestine was going to win this one, nor did I think they could grind out a draw. In the past, when we have met Iran or teams in the Top 8 in Asia we tended to put in a valiant performance and succumb to a 2-0 or 3-0 loss. Those were my expectations. To see your team get blown out 7-0 is demoralizing, even if it is just a friendly.

In the boardroom:

The PFA has to be held to account they seem to not realize the urgency of putting a manager in place. Palestine can improve, as I've said before talent wise Jordan isn't any better, the difference is that they have had Mahmoud Al-Gohary in charge for a decade. As a result they have completely revamped their domestic league and national team. Palestine needs a guy like that. Jibril Rajoub said he was on the look out for a foreign coach who could take Palestine to the next level. He has yet to deliver on his promise.

To further compound the problem- the PFA decided to select a team and send them to far away lands to play two friendlies. Both resulted in disaster Palestine's 4:1 loss to Indonesia was masked by the fact that Palestine was up 1-0 after 65 minutes. But there is no hiding from a 7:0 result, even if you did send a relatively inexperienced side.

Jibril Rajoub's regime is a joke. I'm glad he has announced that he will not run for another term next year because he has struggled to achieve the same results with eight times the budget. Yes, he has got the league up and running without interruption, he has secured Palestine the right to host games, but what has he done to transform Palestinian football? ZERO. Before Rajoub the team played under ridiculous circumstances but still managed to put in spirited performances. The teams of a previous generation never had league play, training camps, and stipends they had an excuse. What is Rajoub's excuse?

On the bench:

The players and coaching staff don't get a pass here. The moment you put on that shirt you have a moral obligation to run yourself ragged defending it. I saw that attitude in the first half- but in the second half- especially after Nekounam's penalty the team just quit. Quitting is unacceptable, I don't mind losing after seeing the team gave 110% but to see a team shut down mentally with more than half an hour to play is pathetic.

The coaching staff was naïve in its formation and player selection. The midfield was flat and there was no effort from Kawre' or Khader Youssef to break up the Iranian attack. Instead they sort of just ushered them to our box and let another player in a redshirt deal with it. Playing with two forwards was such a tactical folly. No one plays with two up front in the modern era, the most common formations are 4-2-3-1, 4-4-1-1, and 4-3-3. Iran played a 4-3-3, we knew they were going to play this the most logical response would have been to pack the midfield with five. Instead what we ended up with was Khader Youssef and Ma'ly Kawre' vs. Teymourian, Karimi, and Nekounam.

The coaching staff failed in instilling a game plan. When you face a side ranked 112 spots above you, you need to be prepared to play without the ball. Palestine was not and their forwards never saw the ball. Why? Because in the few instances Iran lost the ball Meydavoudi and Khalatabari (or Rezaei/Kazemian in the second half) tracked back and we were outnumbered. The only way to get the ball to the forwards was to launch it in the air. Which is why Khaled Salem not starting was even more of asurprise (When he did come on he forced Gordan into making a save- Palestine's only shot of the game).

On the pitch

I'm not going to bother with rating the players. It was big giant F for anyone involved in this game. I thought Obeid and Amour could have been more effective if used properly they showed flashes here and there. Attal, Abugharqud, Khader Youssef, & Ma'ly Kawre' were invisible throughout. The latter two are joint hide-and-go-seek champions, whenever a white shirt was bursting through midfield they were nowhere to be found. On a positive note, I thought Raed Fares did a good job of shutting down the right flank. Seeing how the alternatives to Majed Abusidu are actually wingers (Adnan, Harbi, and Abu Saleh) this is the one positive we can take from this match.

After reviewing the tape, here is who gets the blame for the goals:

1st Goal: Samer Hijazi got schooled twice by Khalatbari whose cross deflected off of Al-Masri. With the ball's speed slowing down, Barghouthi should have turned around to deal with Ghazi (who scored the goal). He had plenty of time to do this but instead stared at the ball, unsure of what to do. Shbair's positioning wasn't the greatest but I blame Barghouthi for this one.

2nd Goal: A lot of people to blame, the midfield was doing a really crappy job of picking up their opponents. Hijazi was out of position so Al-Masri had to shift over to chase down Mahni. All credit to Al-Masri (he actually got a piece of the ball) he did his job but Barghouthi did not- Ansarifard was wide open. Shbair could have come to snuff out the danger but he hesitated. The culprits are the same: Barghouthi, Hijazi, and to a lesser extent Shbair.

3rd Goal: Again, plenty of blame. Abugharqud had just wasted a chance at the other end. After the ensuing goal kick, players were either slow to recover or wanted to attempt to pressure Iran in their own area. Shbair has to get the full blame here because Barghouthi and Fares were in the box along with Ansarifard. Even if Kazemian got past Shbair he would not have a clear sight on goal. There was no need to go to ground, especially when going to ground is not your strengths (Unlike Ramzi Saleh).

4th Goal: Weak goal, off a throw in. You can blame poor marking, Khaled Salem and Samer Hijazi rushed to cover Ansarifard- who was already covered by Fares and Barghouthi. Kazemian was left wide open. Despite the poor marking, Shbair has to come out for this one. He is glued to the line at all times. If he goes out and confronts Kazemian there is a 60% chance he wins a foul even if he doesn't get the ball.

5th Goal: A well taken corner and a powerful header. Credit to Iran for devising this set play.

6th Goal: Ridiculous 40 yard screamer from Pejman Nouri. Where is the midfield? Khader Youssef gets the blame along with whomever replaced Kawre'. There wasn't a red shirt within 10 yards of him.

7th Goal: Barghouthi had a good opportunity to intercept the ball, and fluffed it... badly. Shbair again came out (right decision) and promptly went to ground (wrong decision) even though Kazemian didn't have a clear shot at goal.

Rapid Reaction: Iran 7 : 0 Palestine (Friendly*)

2011-10-05T21:22:00.008+03:00

Palestine Starting XI (4-4-2): Shbair; Fares, Barghouthi, Al-Masri, Hijazi; Amour (c), K. Youssef, Kawre', Obeid; Attal, Abugharqud.

Goals: 1-0 (Ghazi), 2-0 (Ansarifard), 3-0 (Nekounam) p., 4-0 (Montazeri), 5-0 (Kazemian), 6-0 (Nouri), 7-0 (Kazemian) p.

Recap: The silver lining here is that this match might not enter FIFA's record books because the match officials were Iranian ([UPDATE] Iran used 7 subs, so it isn't an official game). That said it was an affair that seemed doomed from the very first minute. Palestine managed to hold on for the first 44 minutes in that span Shbair made at least half-a-dozen saves. Iran racked up 9 corners (Palestine had none) and were dominating in every single phase of the game. It isn't a surprise seeing how many key players were missing for Palestine. The best goal of the game was Pejman Nouri's wonder strike to make it 6-0. The worst goal was the opener not only was it a bad time to go down a goal but there was a lot of ball-watching going on the part of Shbair and his defenders. The two penalties awarded to Iran by their countryman were legitimate although Kazmeian did sell it.

What I didn't like: The 4-4-2. This just goes to show that the "interim staff" have no idea what they're doing. Abugharqud and Attal were invisible for much of the game, the midfield was overwhelmed and far too flat.

What I liked: Iran play some nice football, they're quite fun to watch (although not when they're beating Palestine 7-0). Abuhabib made his debut, Khaled Salem had the only shot on goal, Suleiman Obeid chipped the keeper but saw his shot hit the cross bar. [UPDATE] After looking over the tape, I have to say Raed Fares might have been the best player out there today- most the attacks came down Hijazi's side, Raed Fares cannot be blamed for any of the goals- which is weirdly impressive.

Wake up call: The PFA seems to think that it isn't really important to have a manager. They also don't put in enough of an effort to establish a relationship with clubs that have Palestinian players in their ranks. So you get situations were a player is called up only for the club to refuse his release (which is what happened to Bahdari). They've taken it upon themselves to send two weakened squads to Indonesia and Iran without a manager. I don't know how much wisdom and experience can be derived from 7-0 drubbings especially when the team so clearly lacks a game plan.

What's Next: Pan-Arab Games in December. Maybe the PFA will have a real manager and something representing a first choice squad by then.

(I will post more analysis in the comments section, some of my views/analysis just can't be contained in a RR piece).

Preview: Palestine vs. Iran (Friendly)

2011-10-03T21:35:00.006+03:00

What: International Friendly

When: October 5th, 2011

Where: Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran

Kick0ff: 1900 (Local Time)

TV/Streams: JaamJam2 (click the first link, click IRIB TV Channels, click on JaamJam2)

Link1 Link2

Previous Meetings:

2008: WAFF Championship L 0-3

2007: WAFF Championship L 0-2

2002: West Asian Games D 2-2

2000: WAFF Championship D 1-1

Palestine will face off against an Iran squad stacked with some of the biggest names in Asian football. Ali Karimi, Javad Nekounam, and Andranik Teymourian have all been included in Carlos Quieroz's 23-man squad.

One promising player called up for Iran is promising Wolfsburg forward Ashkan Dejagah. Some might remember him from his days as a German national at youth level when he famously refused to play against Israel in a U-21 Euro qualifier. Four years on, he is set to make the switch to the Iranian national team after accumulating a whopping 50 caps at youth level for Germany. His debut will have to wait though due to bureaucratic red-tape within the Iranian government.

Bureaucratic red-tape, has affected Palestine's squad for this game as well. The official line is that all the Palestinians with Israeli documents have turned down the call-up due to work commitments. This is very strange, especially seeing how the only player known to hold down a full-time job is Murad Alyan.

The more likely scenario is that players with Israeli travel documents were excluded either unilaterally by the PFA or at the behest of the Iranian counterparts. This means the squad will be without: Murad Alyan, Ahmed Harbi, Atef Abu Bilal, Ali El-Khatib, Haitham Dheeb, and new Shabab Al-Khaleel recruit Jehad Rabie.

The absences of established National and Olympic team players opens the door for some new players to make an impression. Khaled Salem will get an opportunity to strut his stuff with the full senior team. If Palestine are to retain the 4-2-3-1 formation he will most likely get the start as he is the only forward able to play as a lone striker effectively.

With Khaled Mahdi missing out through injury (and the exclusion of Omar Jarun and Roberto Bishara) there is also an opportunity for a center back to stake his claim for a spot in the team. Nadim Barghouthi is the most in form whilst Ri'fat Eyad is the most experienced. There is also an opportunity for Hilal Al-Quds's Raed Fares to show what he can do at right back. Samer Hijazi will most likely start on the left once again.

The midfield will be under tremendous pressure to keep Iran at bay and try and carve out some semblance of possession. Houssam Wadi returns to the squad but there are questions over his match fitness having not played a single match with Al-Am'ary this season. A premium will need to be placed on keeping possession of the ball- something the team struggles to do away from home. Abdelhamid Abuhabib should be given the role of playmaker if only for his ability to hold on to possession.

This match will be a struggle but could provide a valuable learning experience ahead of the Pan-Arab Games and Challenge Cup. Iran will most likely win this match. They're at home and are probably the best team in Asia in terms of raw talent but Palestine can and should make it difficult for them. Prediction: Iran 3 Palestine 1

Squad to face Iran announced

2011-10-01T19:40:00.005+03:00

Fahed Attal in action against Iran at the 2007 WAFF Championship

So keeping in true PFA tradition a friendly has been hastily organized, without a manager, and with overtones of brotherly cooperation.

Mazen El-Khatib will lead the squad out for this match in the absence of a fully fledged National Team Manager. Makram Dabdoub will assist him in his duties.

Abdelatif Bahdari is expected to captain the squad for the fourth time and is the only foreign based player included in the squad:

Goalkeepers: Abdullah Saidawi (Hilal Al-Quds), Mohammed Shbair (Shabab Al-Khaleel)

Defenders: Abdelatif Bahdari (Hajer FC/KSA), Ri'fat Eyad , Samer Hijazi (both Jabal Al-Mukaber), Nadim Barghouthi (Shabab Al-Khaleel), Raed Fares (Hilal Al-Quds), Mohammed Al-Masri (Shabab Al-Dhahrieh),

Midfield: Musa Abujazr (Shabab Al-Khaleel), Houssam Wadi, Suleiman Obeid, Ma'ly Kawre', Ismail Amour, (All Al-Am'ary), Khader Youssef, Ashraf Nu'man (Tarji Wadi Al-Nes), Arafat Serhan, Abdelatif Abuhabib (both Balata), Murad Ismail (Hilal Al-Quds), Thaer Qaraeen (Jabal Al-Mukaber)

Forwards: Khaled Salem (Shabab Al-Dhahrieh), Fahed Attal, Eyad Abugharqud (both Shabab Al-Khaleel)

First things first, let me congratulate Mazen El-Khatib on his ability to pick a balanced squad something Abdel-Nasser Barakat struggled with over the past two years (let's face it Musa Bezzaz was never in the country long enough to determine which players were in form). I think most would have liked to see Ramzi Saleh make his return after a one-year absence. Other foreign-based players would be better served by staying at their clubs (if only to cultivate better relations with them):

Imad Zatara is just coming back from an injury layoff and Syrianska are in a battle for Allsvenskan survival.
Polish Liga I does not suspend play during FIFA breaks and Omar Jarun's Arka plays 72 hours after the Iran friendly.
Mohammed Samara could be playing in the Egypt Cup Final if Arab Contractors beat ENPPI.
Roberto Bishara plays his club football seven time zones away and I'd rather get his release for the Challenge Cup and Pan-Arab games.

According to local press Murad Alyan, Ahmed Harbi, Atef Abu Bilal, and other Arab-Israelis have been excluded from the squad due to work commitments. Looks like they're saving up vacation days for the Pan Arab Games in December and the Challenge Cup in March.

Bahdari talks to the Saudi Press

2011-09-26T14:30:00.008+03:00

Source: Al-Watan (KSA)

Saudi newspaper Al-Watan had a half-page special on Bahdari today. He joined newly promoted Hajer this season in the Zain Saudi Professional league (background). After three matchdays, Hajer are at 9th place with three points from one win.
A lot of what is discussed in the interview was covered before on the blog so I only translated questions and answers selectively. (Here's an online link to the original interview.)

FP's translation:

You have been dubbed Palestine's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, what does that mean to you?
I hold that nickname dearly and try to perform my best to reflect the level Palestinian football has reached. I hope to succeed in this new experience to motivate other Palestinians to play abroad and to encourage clubs to acquire Palestinian players.

Why did you choose the Saudi league? Did you get offers from other leagues?
The Saudi league has a high reputation and is very developed compared to other Arab leagues. It also has a huge following from all over the Arab world, especially in Palestine. Playing in the Saudi league is a dream and a significant milestone in any Arab player's career.
I received offers from a number of Kuwaiti clubs and from Smooha in Egypt and Al-Ansar here in Saudi.

You were delayed in joining Hajer's summer training camp in Cairo...
The Israeli authorities were stubborn in giving me an exit visa from Gaza and Jordan to be able to join in time..I had to catch up with the team later in Al-Ahsa'a.

How would you address the expectations of Hajer supporters?
They should be patient with the team as it is newly promoted and most of its players haven't played at this level and still need time to harmonize together. I promise them I will perform in a way that reflects the club's history and deliver good matches with the team.

How do you see your team's chances?
Our goal is to continue for a second season in the top flight to gain experience playing the big clubs. This will give us the confidence needed to give better performances in future seasons.

Do you have your eyes set on any other clubs besides Hajer in the league?
Every player strives to play for the big clubs..I have those ambitions and hope to realize them after I succeed here.

The search for a new NT manager continues... (part deux)

2011-09-25T17:08:00.000+03:00

Perhaps the most frustrating part of being a fan of Palestine is having to put up with the inept PFA and their disorganization. Granted, most fans across the world have nothing but hate for their Football Associations regardless of how the national teams are doing on the pitch. Palestine's situation, is as always, unique. The fans don't ask much from the PFA just organize the domestic tournaments, hire a competent coaching staff, and make sure the national team can meet up regularly to contest friendlies on FIFA sanctioned days. Well in the past two months the PFA has failed on all counts. They started by caving to popular demand and electing not to renew Moussa Bezaz's contract and immediately announced that they were searching for a foreign manager with international experience to guide the team.

So far, so good.

Three weeks later the PFA agrees to a hastily organized friendly against Indonesia. The team is without a manager, without many of its top players (both foreign and domestic based), and has to re-adjust the schedule of the Yasser Arafat Cup.

Four weeks into the WBPL season the preseason special that is the Yasser Arafat Cup has yet to be completed. There is no word on how close the team is to finding a new manager, or if a domestic-based manager will take charge on an interim basis, or a friendly against South Africa is still going to be held.

So in order to help our friends at the PFA out, we've decided to formulate a list of possible candidates. The right manager could make all the difference and very rarely do Arab teams make the right call when hiring a foreign manager. Those of you who follow us on Twitter (@FutbolPalestine) will know that I have been very excited about Bob Bradley taking over Egypt. This is the kind of coach who either doesn't get hired or isn't provided with enough support to succeed in this part of the world.

Palestine doesn't need a big name or a famous player to come in and take over the national team job. It needs someone like Bob Bradley. Palestine can become a much better team if it has a manager that stresses physical fitness, discipline, and organization. As I said before the talent that Jordan has is comparable to the talent on this side of the river. In fact, I would much rather have Ramzi Saleh over Amer Shafi' in goal. In front of him I would rather have Abusidu, Bahdari, Jarun, and Bishara than Abu Attieh, the Bani Yasseen Bros., and Fathi. The reason why they are still in the running for Brazil 2014 (asides from a favorable draw) and we aren't comes down to the factors I just mentioned.

Below is a list of every manager that has popped into my head as a possible contender for the job:

Avoid at All Costs:

Lothar Matthäus: Has spent the past 10 years building up experience as a manager in Serbia, Austria, Brazil, Israel, Hungary, and most recently with the Bulgarian National Team. If I were to put money on it I bet he'll land somewhere in the Gulf very soon. People know him for his amazing career with Germany but he has replicated that form with the Hungarian or Bulgarian National Teams. He has walked out on teams before when the going has gotten tough (Hungary and Atletico Paranaense) and is known to be a very, very abrasive person. He was called in to steady the Bulgarian National Team and did the exact opposite.

Ezzat Hamzeh: Sometimes teams return to old managers in a time of need. He would be my absolute last choice. Some notable achievements- failed to qualify for the 2010 Challenge Cup and deciding Majed Abusidu was a holding midfielder.

Recently Fired:

Srecko Katanec: His first game in charge of the UAE came against Palestine back in 2009. The game ended in a 1-1 draw and the team played very well in the first half. By his own admission, Katanec had a group of very lazy and unprofessional players in the UAE. If he took the Palestine job he would be in charge of a group of committed and passionate individuals but who would need to be coached up. Katanec has managed underdogs before he got Slovenia to Euro 2000 and the World Cup Finals in 2002 and did a solid job with Macedonia before taking the UAE helm.

Alfred Riedl: I took the liberty of contacting him. He would be interested in taking over the job and in his latest stint as manager of Indonesia had an 81% winning percentage. Indonesian fans rate him and blame and inept FA (notice the theme here?) for unjustly firing him. He was manager of Palestine during the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign- his finest hour were the 8-0 hammering of Chinese Taipei and a 1-1 draw with Iraq. Riedl managed these feats without organized training camps or a steady league from which to choose the players from. Imagine what he could do with the resources available today.

Zlatko Kranjcar: I had been suggested for his predecessor as manager of Montenegro- Zoran Filipovic but he has since taken a job in Kazakhstan. Under Kranjcar, Montenegro became masters of the 1-0 scoreline going on a seven game (including four Euro 2012 qualifiers) win streak without conceding a single goal.

The Wildcard:

Hisham Al-Zoabi: Recently left Al-Am'ary due to the club not paying him his wages. He won the league title with Al-Am'ary last year and left them at the top of the table this year after three matchdays. He has experience coaching and scouting players and has proven that he knows how to get the best out of his players. If the PFA is looking for someone to take control of the team on an interim role, Al-Zoabi is their guy.

On Home Support

2011-09-23T19:27:00.009+03:00

The Palestinian Authority is at the UN filing for full membership as rallies and demonstrations are being held in the West Bank. As I mentioned on twitter (just plugging @FutbolPalestine,follow us!), I believe our FIFA membership does us more good than any upgrade at the UN will at this point. But, though I am convinced the PA move is a political charade, I am compelled to follow the events on the ground and at the UN. We've been hearing the term 'state-building' a lot and the PFA is no exception to this process. Every home match is touted as a political achievement. So maybe it is not a coincidence I decide to post about Palestine home support on this "historic" day. As demonstrated in the past few days and years, we are a people accustomed to rallying so it should come real easy getting a football crowd organized, or so you would think. First I'll explore the effect of home-field advantage, then talk about the role Palestine supporters play, or should play, in making it a reality.

To what extent does home-field advantage exist?

We use the term home-field advantage quite often when talking football and sports in general. What the term refers to is a collection of factors that vaguely come together to possibly favor the home team over the visiting opponent. These factors are quite pronounced in Asia.

The AFC is geographically the vastest confederation and traveling teams often have to make one or more stops on their way to destinations. Travel fatigue is therefore a very real threat to 'away' teams. And as diverse Asia is in its cultures, it is diverse in its climates so traveling teams may very well find themselves playing in conditions they are not used to.

Far from Riyadh, Saudi players endure the Pyongyang winter in a World Cup 2010 Qualifier

Another important factor is, of course, the home fans. Whether they motivate their countrymen to give their best on the field, or influence the referee to give decisions in favor of the home team, they have such an effect on the state of play that they are often dubbed the twelfth man.

All of this is theoretical and there is a debate on the effectiveness of home-field advantage with quite a few interesting studies out there. Lets make our own little study here looking at the last two matchdays of AFC 2014 World Cup Qualifiers. Of course we will need a lot more than just two matchdays to more accurately assess things and surely enough there are studies that analyze seasons worth of data. But sometimes its nice to keep things simple, right?
To analyze how home teams perform, I've split the results for home teams into two categories:

Favorable: A win, regardless of relative FIFA ranking, or a draw against a higher ranked opponent. (Example: Uzbekistan 1-1 Japan = favorable for UZB)
Unfavorable: Loss, regardless of relative ranking, or draw against lower ranked opponent.

Using these definitions, we'll find that 14 of the 20 matches result favorably for the home side (70%). This should convince us fairly enough that the 'homefield' is effective in Asia. Palestine would therefore be wise to make the most of it.

Of the three international matches played at the Faisal Husseini, Palestine's senior side drew them all (hey at least we're undefeated!). Only being allowed to play at home in 2008, we Palestinians should know and appreciate its value. Of the factors mentioned above, we can't control the climate, nor can we control the visiting team's journey, but we can control fan support. It is on this note I would like to turn focus on our supposed twelfth man.

The problem with support at the Faisal Husseini

In the first match played at the Faisal Husseini against Jordan I was impressed by the support from the stands which was loud and energetic. The same goes for the support at the Olympic team's qualifiers earlier this year. However from behind my TV screen I couldn't help but feel the crowd wasn't doing what it was supposed to do at times and there were more than a few forum posts lamenting the lack of a "support culture" among the fans. I didn't fully understand what this meant until I went to the Faisal Husseini myself last July for a World Cup Qualifier. I don't remember hearing the whole stadium chant in unison at any point. Transportation and ticketing might have a lot to do with it. Many fans get to the stadium in private buses from their respective cities. The buses are organized by club supporter groups and what ends up happening as the large groups arrive one after the other is that the different sections fill up with supporters of particular clubs. If you want mass chanting, this seating doesn't help as you'd notice different sections each doing their own thing with fans cheering as they would for their club, but throwing in 'Falasteen', rather than their club name, every now and then.

You can't blame them, Palestine only started playing at home three years ago. For most of their lives, the only 'home' teams most of these fans knew were their club teams therefore it is no surprise there is a lack of unified 'support culture' for the national team. This could change with time as more home matches are played and a more organized 'National Team supporter club' is developed.

What about Dora?

Sitting in the main stand, I noticed the section to the right of me was the loudest and it was populated by Dhahrieh (a suburb of Al-Khalil) supporters. The supporters from Al-Khalil and its suburbs are passionate and plentiful, which makes sense as it is the most populated region in the West Bank. The Al-Khalil derby, played at Dora International Stadium, between Shabab Al-Khalil and Dhahrieh always records the biggest turnouts in the league.

The Al-Khalil derby last friday ended 1-0 for Shabab - Always impressive crowd support from both sides

It would therefore seem to be a fine idea to host international matches in Dora as it would guarantee a full house, and thus, maximum home support. But a couple of points might favor the Faisal Husseini over Dora at the end of the day...

1. Location
The Faisal Husseini is near Ramallah and just outside Jerusalem. Ramallah is already accustomed to receiving international visitors so from a logistical point of view, it more convenient to host international teams there. Compared to Al-Khalil, it also acts as more of a middle ground for supporters from other cities. In addition to being convenient, the Faisal Husseini's location is also symbolic. For political purposes the PFA considers it to be in Jerusalem and thus would prefer to host the National Team's matches there, especially the big ones.

2. Diversity of fan support
This builds on the location point. Lets be realistic, if a match is hosted in Dora, 90% of the people in the stands will be from the surrounding area. Shabab Al-Khalil and Dhahrieh fans will be the majority and I am sure this would create an amazing atmosphere, but it won't be good for developing that 'unified support culture' talked about above. If we do end up with a support culture coming out of Dora, it will have a distinct Al-Khalil character..which might not be a bad thing come to think of it. But I prefer the diversity in the Faisal Husseini stands.

It is safe to assume the PFA won't abandon the Faisal Husseini in favor of Dora and that's probably for the better. But it wouldn't hurt to host a few international matches in Dora, we could very well be impressed by the results.

Crisis brewing in Al-Am'ary

2011-09-22T18:39:00.004+03:00

Three games, three wins, 10 goals. Al-Am'ary started their defence of the WBPL league with aplomb. But less than a month into the season, cracks are beginning to appear and they have very little with Al-Am'ary's performance on the pitch.

Capitano reported this morning that Hisham Al-Zoabi has resigned as manager claiming that he had not been paid in months. To compound the clubs problems, a high profile recruit- Luab Kayal- has opted to void his contract and sign with Ashdod FC of the Israeli topflight.

The main question fans are now asking is whether or no there might be a liquidity problem within the club. Al-Am'ary spared no expense in the offseason bringing in Ahmed Keshkesh, Ismail Amour, Assem Abu Assi, Houssam Wadi (who is stuck in Gaza at the moment), and Hamudi Kayal. With such big name (and costly) talent coming into supplement a championship-winning squad could it be possible that Al-Am'ary be experiencing solvency problems?

We don't know much about the situation now but I will say this- I don't think Luab Kayal's departure has anything to do with money. His first choice was always to remain in Israel in the hopes that he could catch the eye of a scout and move to Europe. He only signed the deal with Al-Am'ary when it looked like no top tier teams were interested in him. The fact that he has two separate identities in the football realm meant that he could always unilaterally end his contract with Al-Am'ary. Moreover, there could have been a clause in his contract that allowed him to leave if he received an offer from abroad (much like how Abdelatif Bahdari left Shabab Al-Khaleel for Hajer).

From a footballing point of view, Kayal faced stiff competition getting into the side. Al-Am'ary is stacked with players that play for Palestine and they've all started the season well which has forced Kayal to settle for substitute's role. It seems that Kayal would have been a better fit in another WBPL club- one that might be a little short in midfield.

Either way, it will be interested to see how the league leaders and defending champions respond to this crisis.

Get to know Mohammed Shatrit

2011-09-17T21:00:00.012+03:00

Friend of the blog, and creator of the very well maintained 'Palestine national football team' Facebook page Amin Ziad got in touch with Palestine and FC Issy forward Mohammed Shatrit. France-based Shatrit, who was part of the AFC Challenge Cup qualification squad, details his experience with the National Team and the WBPL's Shabab Al-Khalil. Here is the text..

Football Palestine: Tell us Palestinian football fans out there a little bit about yourself and your football career..

Mohammed Shatrit: I'm 28 years old. I'm from Halhoul just close to the city of Khalil (Hebron). All my family is in Palestine. in 2006 I signed professional contract in Liga 1 in Tunisia. It was a very good experience. But I came back to France after that for a French team in liga 3 but I got injured few months after. Unlucky. But when I recovered I found another challenge with a team JA Drancy in 2007 till December 2010. We finished champions in 2008 and in 2009. I finished top scorer in 2008 with 21 goals in 27 games. I started in liga 6 with the team (JA Drancy) and I left them in liga 3. In 2011 I came to Shabab al Khalil. But I didnt play very well. I agree.

FP: Did you ever consider playing international football before? How were you approached to represent Palestine internationally?

MS: I was at work and a colleague told me that the Palestinian national football team would be in Belgium. So I took the train from Paris to Brussels the day after with my training clothes. I told the former coach Ezzat Hamza that I was a football player and Palestinian. He was very nice with me. He told me ok no problem change your clothes and come on the pitch. I would like to thank him and Moussa Bezaz too.

FP: When you scored your first goal for Palestine vs Dynamo Moscow, how did it feel?

MS: I did feel very good and proud really very proud maybe the best memory as football player.

FP: Who/which of the national team players did you get most closely acquainted with?

MS: All are my friend and more they are like brothers. I was very close to Abdallah Sidawi i really love him and Shbair, Al Amour, Eyad Abu Gargoud, Bahdari, Jarun, Said abu Salim, Khader Youssef and all of them.

FP: In your brief time with the NT, what were the negatives and the positives you experienced?

MS: Negative things are that I didn't play any minutes in Myanmar for Challenge Cup qualification but all the rest was very positive and wonderful. Wallah i enjoyed to come everytime.

FP: What did you think of the teams performance in the Challenge Cup Qualifiers?

MS: Very good, we qualified and that was what we came for. And now our FIFA ranking is better too.

FP: How do you see your chances to represent Palestine in the future?

MS: I think that they won't call me back. I'm sad but if anybody gives me chance I will be very happy and proud to play my best football.

FP: How was your relationship with former French-Algerian coach Mousa Bezaz? And how was he as a coach?

MS: At the beginning it was very good and he gave me chance to play. I would like to thank him. But after I was less good after my foot injury. I started to get less playing time. But hamdulila now I'm better. And Bezaz was a very good coach he tried to make us as professional as possible and thanks to him we improved.

FP: When you came to the WBPL and Shabab Al-Khalil from France, many fans had high expectations from you.. but you only scored 1 goal that season. What is your comment on that?

MS: I agree I scored only 1 goal but look I didn't play too much in attack because we needed players in midfield. And I was not very happy because Shabab Al-Khalil lied to me. They didn't give me my salaries. And they were not professional. It was better with coach Samir Issa. We didn't get a very good team when I came. But me too I was not on the top during my short experience. But my head was never quiet.. I always had to think about how to pay things in Paris and help my family. It was difficult but I would like to thank very much all the fans. They were good with me. So, I didn't score because I often played in midfield.

FP: What is your club situation?

MS: FC Issy in Liga 4. Very good team.

FP: Are you planning to come back to the Palestinian league?

MS: I don't know, why not. But next time I'll be more careful.

FP: What is your dream club, the club that you aspire to play for some day?

MS: Where destiny drives me!

FP: Lastly, would you like to say a word to Palestinian football fans?

MS: Thank you very much for supporting our national teams. And I would like to thank Mr. Jibril Rajoub for hosting me like a brother. I hope to play again for Palestine and Inchallah god Will give us better days.

WBPL Roundup

2011-09-13T18:41:00.003+03:00

With the first two weeks of WBPL action in the books let's take a look at the main talking points so far:

Status quo unchanged:

Last season finished with Al-Am'ary and Hilal Al-Quds joint top with Dhahrieh and Balata rounding out the top 4. Incidentally, that's the exact order of the top four two weeks into the 2011/12 season. It seems that many teams are still coming together after a slew of changes in the offseason, the most prominent example being Shabab Al-Khaleel. The Hebronites have added last season's top scorer Eyad Abugharqud and Palestine's second all time goal scorer Fahed Attal but have only managed two goals through two games.

PFA not hesitant in handing out fines:

It seems the PFA is adamant that the WBPL be a haven for good, positive play from the fans and players alike. On an individual level Ali El-Khatib is being fined $282 and will miss 4 matches after getting himself sent off against Jabal Al-Mukaber in the opener. There were minor fines handed out for what amounted to dangerous or negative play. Four players from Thaqafi Tulkarem who had received yellow cards were given $14 fines, they include:

Muath Mustafa, Fadi Hasasneh, Hassan Barhosh, & Abdullah Al-Tabl.

As expected, there was action taken to punish fans who threw projectiles onto the field during the Balata-Al-Bireh match. Both teams will lose two home games and have been fined $700.

The most surprising fines were handed out for "negative group chanting directed at the opposing team". I'm not sure what was said to merit a $700 fine but I don't think the FA should be attempting to silence the most vocal fans in the WBPL. Palestinian supporters are overwhelmingly positive, the banter amongst supporter groups is mostly civil as they know each other from following the national team. It is a situation not dissimilar from the one in Major League Soccer where the success of the American national team preceded the formation of a professional league.

Young keepers struggling:

There has been a concerted effort to find a successor to Ramzi Saleh in goal. Luckily for the National Team, Saleh is only 31 and has many years of football left in him because Toufic Ali, Mohammed Shbair, and Fahed Al-Fakhuri haven't exactly impressed this season. Shbair hasn't been horrible, he does after all, have a clean sheet to his name. But the goal he let in against Al-Bireh was soft. Shbair does this thing (he did it against Thailand when they scored on a free kick) where he stares at the ball almost wishing for it to go out instead of making an intervention. He's only 24, so hopefully he'll learn from these mistakes and become a better keeper.

Fahed Al-Fakhuri let up four goals against a Jabal Al-Mukaber side that just lost 4-0 the previous week. Obviously not all the goals were his fault but you really can't be considered the goalkeeper of the future and be leaking goals left and right.

Toufic Ali had a HORRIBLE game against Hilal Al-Quds. I am beginning to think that the only reason he is held in such high regard is because he's well over two meters tall. Instinctually, Ali just lacks a certain something. He let Murad Alyan free kick go in despite the fact that it wasn't hit with any particular pace and then flapped at a non-threatening cross which resulted in Maen Jamal's winning goal.

To put it simply, if I were the new manager I would lift Abduallah Al-Saidawi's suspension from the national team. He isn't as good as Ramzi Saleh- but he is definitely the best GK in the WBPL, it isn't even close. The PFA should also keep an eye on Samir Badr- a 19 year-old Palestinian American playing for FC Porto's reserves. It's a little early to start thinking about Ramzi Saleh's successor but its better to err on the side of caution. Badr is already part of the United States setup but he could fall through the cracks due to the sheer amount of competition he faces to break into the senior side. Tim Howard, at 32, is showing no signs of slowing down his backup, Brad Guzan (27), is his presumptive successor. Making Badr's task more difficult are the slew of good keepers in MLS and the fact that Klinsmann has picked DC United's Bill Hamid as his goalkeeping pet project.

WBPL Team of the Week (Week 2)*:

GK: Fahed Helseh (Jabal Al-Mukaber)

D: Adham Abu Rweis (Balata), Mustafa Abu Kweik (Al-Bireh), Murad Ismail (Hilal Al-Quds), Bashar Abu Nijmeh (Shabab Al-Khaleel)

M: Atef Abu Bilal (Dhahrieh), Thaer Qaraeen (Jabal Al-Mukaber), Mahmoud Awdeh (Al-Bireh), Ismail Amour (Al-Am'ary)

F: Murad Alyan (Hilal Al-Quds), Said Al-Sobakhi (Wadi Al-Nes)

Best Manager: Ayoub Jaber (Jabal Al-Mokaber)

Best Sub: Ahsan Sadeq (Balata)

*As selected by the fans on Kooora.com

Bahdari's Time to Shine

2011-09-10T11:53:00.023+03:00

Abdel-Latif Bahdari is one of the several success stories Palestinian football has seen in the past few years. From modest beginnings with Khadmat Rafah in Gaza, his breakthrough came in a loan move to Hilal Areeha(Jericho). The center back was subsequently called up that summer to partner Saeb Jendeya in the 2008 WAFF Championship in Iran where despite his rawness and inexperience, he demonstrated a smart sense of positioning and the potential to become a fixture in the national team back-line, especially given his height and strength. His emergence couldn't have come at a better time as veteran captain Jendeya was preparing to hang his international boots (surely enough Jendeya was later forced into premature retirement due to Israeli travel restrictions).

After a very brief loan to Shabab Al-Am'ary, he transferred to Jordan giants Wehdat in 2009 and spent a fruitful two years there. As his contract was coming to a close, there was much speculation as to where he would go next.

He was linked with a Kuwaiti club and Shabab al-Khaleel when the surprise announcement came that he signed a 2 year contract (~$280,000) with newly promoted Hajer in the Saudi top division. He is one of the four foreigners the club signed to bolster its ranks as it returned to the top flight for the first time in 13 years. At first there was a little scare as to whether he was going to actually join his new team as visa requirements and family issues were cited and it was even claimed Egyptian clubs were trying to woo him away. Whatever happened, he made the trip to Al-Ahsaa' in the East of the Kingdom and started preparing for the new season.

If forum posts are anything to go by, he has so far impressed his new fans. He even grabbed a goal in a friendly against fellow East-coasters Qadissiya. The Saudi Zain Professional League 2011/12 season started yesterday and Hajer play their first game tonight (17:30 GMT) against defending champs Hilal FC. The opponent from the capital Riyadh is the most cash-infused club in the league thanks to backing of princes and lucrative sponsorship deals and consequently boasts the biggest signings. Their offense has the likes of young Moroccan international Yousef Al-Arabi, Korea's Yoo-Byung Soo and Cameroonian Achille Emana. Bahdari and Hajer couldn't have asked for a tougher test in their opening game which they will play in front of home fans.

Playing in one of the strongest leagues in the region, Bahdari is the Palestine player to watch this season. We will be keeping a close eye on his Saudi adventure throughout as he and his club set out to prove themselves.

Hajer vs Al-Hilal
Zain Saudi Professional League

Saudi Sports 2 (streams TBA) 17:30 GMT

Asian World Cup Qualifying Roundup (September 2011)

2011-09-07T12:43:00.002+03:00

The first games of the Third Round, sans Palestine, kicked off last week. We'll be covering qualifying until the last matchday with observations on how the landscape of Asian Football is changing.

What We Learned:

1. Stability pays off: The AFC is notorious for high managerial turnover, with most coaches lucky to last two years in their position. Four out of the Five group leaders (Australia, Iran, Japan, & Korea Republic) replaced their managers in 2010 or 2011. That said the reigns of Holger Osieck, Carlos Queiroz, Alberto Zaccheroni, & Cho Kwang-Rae were preceded by a set of coaches who despite their unpopularity, brought stability to their national team set-up. Contrast that with the travails of the Saudi National Team who have had four different coaches in this past calendar year alone. Frank Rijkaard is a great coach but no one can be expected to deliver results after only a month on the job with no opportunity to see the domestic league in action.

2. Team spirit is an important ingredient: The shock of the second matchday was Lebanon defeating UAE 3-1 only four days after getting hammered 6-0 by Korea Republic. It remains to be seen whether or not this is an anomalous result for Lebanon or the start of a new more promising era. That said, you have to hand it to The Cedars for not giving up after going down early with the 6-0 reverse in their mind and with the Emirati supporters drowning out whatever home support there was. On the flip side, I have never such lazy play in a must-win game from an established Asian side. So much ball-watching, so little urgency, the Emiratis seemed to think that goals were owed to them. Srecko Katanec got the sack after the game but his players are far from blameless.

3. Asian football is improving: Asian football remains extremely underappreciated by outsiders. The acquisition of Park Chu-Young by Arsenal was widely mocked, the Asian Cup is perhaps the least covered continental championship (Oceania excepted), and players not from the "Big Three" of Australia, Japan, & Korea Republic are relatively unknown outside their homelands. It is safe to say that the Big Three will qualify for Brazil 2014 but they are sure to have their noses bloodied along the way. Japan and Korea Republic dropped points in Uzbekistan and Kuwait respectively while Australia were pushed to the brink at home by a tactically aware and organized Thailand. The advancement of the middle and lower tiers of Asia makes the football more fun to watch and will ensure that the World Cup representatives are better vetted ahead of Brazil 2014.

The Teams (In two sentences)

Group A:

Adnan Hamed- Jordan's master organizer

Jordan: One of only two teams with a 100% record after two matchdays. Adnan Hamed has them playing organized and effective counterattacking football; as I said before they're like a well-coached Palestine.

Iraq: Not quite the 2007 vintage but still a very good team, the loss to Jordan was unexpected but they recovered with a win against Singapore. Zico will need to solve problems in the final third; Iraq played some free-flowing football against Singapore that didn't result in goals.

China: Gao Hongbo had done a fine job in his two years in charge of the National Team so the decision to hire Jose Antonio Camacho last month is puzzling, to say the least. The Great Wall needed a questionable penalty to overcome Singapore at home and against Jordan they rarely troubled GK Amer Shafia.

Singapore: Singapore were victims of a poor refereeing that allowed China to equalize from the spot. The Lions are not to be underestimated and could spring an upset or two but their dependence on Aleksandar Duric (41) is troubling.

Group B:

Park Chu-Young: North London bound

Korea Republic: The Tigers got a point from their toughest away encounter in the group against Kuwait. Park Chu-Young has four goals to his name in qualifying and is a joy to watch.

Kuwait: Looked fantastic against UAE until leaking two late goals to set up a tense finish en route to a 3-2 away win. Bolstered their defensive credentials with a fine display against Korea Republic which earned them a point.

Lebanon: With their toughest fixture out of the way and only a point behind the group's leaders, qualification for the final round remains a mathematical possibility. Their win yesterday however was the product of truly atrocious defending from the UAE.

UAE: Ranked next to last among the 20 remaining teams in qualifying. Mohammed bin Hammam summed it up nicely in 2009: "The UAE has good facilities, stadiums, coaches, and the rest. But what is missing? The main factor is the players."

Group C

Ahmedov- One of Asia's finest

Japan: A late winner against Korea DPR at home and a late equalizer against Uzbekistan has given that Asian Champs a straightforward route to the Final Round. Maximum points against Tajikistan in back-to-back meetings should all but clinch qualification.

Uzbekistan: Not a recognized name on the world stage but make no mistake Uzbekistan has been a top 10 AFC nation for the past decade. The Uzbeks have some of the best off the ball movement on the continent with Server Djeparov and Odil Ahmedov pulling the strings in midfield.

Korea DPR: There are three possible score lines in a game involving Korea DPR: 1-0, 0-0, 0-1. Japan and Uzbekistan's quality should prove a bridge too far.

Tajikistan: Only here because of Syria's unexpected disqualification. They will benefit from this experience with the Challenge Cup around the corner.

Group D:

Australia- Kruse Control.

Australia: Made to sweat it out against Thailand but were excellent in their second game against Saudi Arabia. Six points in two tough encounters have them well on their way to the final round.

Thailand: Winnie Schaeffer has harnessed the potential of this Thai team. Rampant against Oman and tactically excellent against Australia the War Elephants can be proud of their accomplishments. Away matches in West Asia await where they have an atrocious away record (3W 9D 18L- Last win in 2004 vs. Yemen).

Saudi Arabia: If Rijkaard gets the boot you can forget about The Greens getting out of the group. Expect the Dutchman to shake up the squad and once he's had a chance to scout the Zain Pro League which kicks off this Friday.

Oman: Answered Saudi Arabia flatness in the first game with indifference. Looked absolutely horrible against Thailand and were lucky to escape with only a 3-0 score line, Paul Le Guen has his work cut out for him.

Group E:

Ansarifard- Misfiring for Iran

Iran: Fantastic skill on the ball is to be expected from Team-e-Melli and the new system put in place by Carlos Queiroz has preserved that. Much like their neighbors, Iraq, the problem has been their wastefulness in front of goal.

Bahrain: The supposed fifth best team in Asia according to the AFC's pre-tournament seeding. That title will be put to the test against Iran (twice) and Qatar away but at the time of writing are joint top of Group D on 4 points.

Qatar: The saving grace for Al-Enabi is that the three other managers in the group all took over in 2011. Getting something out of the Iran game was huge but they will need to take care of Bahrain at home now after letting two points slip away in Manama.

Indonesia: A very inconsistent team with a new manager at the helm so not much can be expected. Followers of Palestine will remember that the B-team was up 1-0 in Solo and looking comfortable with 25 minutes to play; I think that is more indicative of Indonesia's level than the four goals they scored afterward.

Will this be the greatest WBPL season ever?

2011-09-01T15:08:00.003+03:00

A fourth season of uninterrupted league football begins in the West Bank tomorrow with the start of the West Bank Premier League. The league has undergone some transformations with each passing season. In 2008, 22 teams played each other once to determine which teams would make up the Premier League, the Premier League (B), and the First Division.

Interestingly enough nine of the original top ten teams will be competing in this year's 10-team league (Shabab Balata was promoted last year replacing Shabab Al-Khadr). The great thing about the PFA's decision to reduce the league from twelve to ten teams is that mediocre performances will not go unpunished. Last year teams like Shabab Al-Khaleel and Jabal Al-Mokaber had horrific campaigns but were saved from a relegation by the poor quality ofnewly promoted Asker and Hilal Jericho. The preponderance of mediocre performances effected the opposite end of the table as well where only Hilal Al-Quds and Al-Am'ary were in the running for the title.

This year, we can expect to see a stronger league bolstered by the arrival of Palestinian citizens of Israel being brought by all 10 teams. Five out of the ten teams could conceivably contend for the title this year: Al-Am'ary, Hilal Al-Quds, & Shabab Al-Khaleel are the favorites while Shabab Al-Dhahrieh and Tarji Wadi Al-Nes have cemented their status as dark horses by clinching unexpected semifinal berths at this year's Yasser Arafat Cup.

Shabab Al-Khaleel have made the most news in the offseason by poaching Al-Am'ary and Hilal Al-Quds for talent whilst also bringing in Fahed Attal from Jordanian champions Wehdat. Shabab Al-Dhahrieh have also bolstered their attack- adding Olympic Team starlet Khaled Salem and 26 year-old Amir Abu Arrar who had previously played for Bnei Sakhnin amongst other clubs. Tarji Wadi Al-Nes have retained their stars (Olympic Team goalkeeper Toufic Ali, National Team midfielders Khader Yousef and Ashraf Nu'man) and also invested in a goal scorer- bringing back National Team striker Said Al-Sobakhi from Khadamat Rafah (In 2008 he had 17 goals in 21 games for Wadi Al-Nes).

Al-Am'ary have been the other big spenders, having lost top-scorer Eyad Abugharqud to the Hebronite revolution, they wasted no time in replacing him with proven veterans. Ahmed Keshkesh returns after a successful two-year stint in Jordan with Wehdat. Mohammed "Hamudi" Kayal perhaps better known for facilitating Celtic's purchase of his cousin-Beram- also arrives with vast experience in Israel's top two leagues. The defending champions have also poached Ismail Amour and goalkeeper Amr Abu Rweis from Jabal Al-Mokaber but perhaps their most exciting move is the signing of Luab Kayal.

Luab Kayal-The next big thing?

Kayal came through the ranks of Macabbi Haifa and was once considered to be on the same trajectory as his twin brother (Yes, Beram Kayal). He spent last season with Bnei Sakhnin and in the past two seasons managed 57 starts and 4 goals and can play as winger, central midfielder, or second striker . Kayal represents a departure from the normal WBPL signing, he's only 23 and has experience as a starter with the big clubs in Israel. If the WBPL is to grow and if the quality of the national team is to improve- these are the players that should be signed. Luab Kayal's stated goal is to play in Europe, he was never going to achieve that toiling in Liga Leumit, but if he becomes a national team player his stature will grow. Imad Zatara's loan move to Nîmes Olympique two seasons ago was a direct result of his performance in 2006 World Cup qualifying.

Haartez recently covered the courting of Palestinian citizens of Israel by WBPL clubs and while this phenomenon is not new it is definitely has become more common. At the time of writing seven Palestinian citizens of Israel have been capped by the national team:

Murad Alyan (Hilal Al-Quds) 7 caps/7 goals

Atef Abu Bilal (Shabab Al-Dhahrieh) 8 caps/2 assists (on Alyan's goals vs. MYA & AFG)

Hani Abu Bilal (Shabab Al-Dhahrieh) 2 caps

Husam Abu Saleh (Hilal Al-Quds) 8 caps

Ahmed Harbi (Al-Am'ary) 7 caps/1 goal

Hatem Karim (ex-Hilal Al-Quds, now with Umm El-Fahm) 3 caps

Mohammed Jamal Jebreen (Shabab Al-Khaleel) 7 caps/1 goal

The players listed above played mostly at the third and fourth tiers of Israeli football. Despite their lack of notoriety, some have become key members of the National Team. Ahmed Harbi is an excellent (if defensively deficient) wingback, Atef Abu Bilal is an old-school winger with frightening pace, and there are not enough words to describe Alyan's goal-poaching ability despite his advanced age.

What is slowly being constructed is one of the few (the only?) league without foreign players. The clubs exist solely to provide players to the National Team and the league schedule works to benefit the national team (cry your eyes out Fabio Capello!).

The Haaretz article points out some objectionable results of this policy:

Arab teams in Israel are being poached of their talent base without being properly compensated.
The PFA's refusal to recognize the player's registration (instead issuing the player with a new Palestinian ID) with the IFA might result in the wrath of FIFA- maybe even a suspension.
These players are lured to the WBPL by contracts that pay them respectable sums $60,000-$100,000/year. The concern here is where is this money coming from? Will the bubble burst as it has with several Spanish clubs?

I think it is unfortunate that Arab clubs are being affected by the PFA's policy but what I think is more unfortunate is that there isn't a club inside the Green Line in the mould of Athletic Bilbao. There needs to be a club in Israel committed to only buying Arab players- it evens the playing field for them. Racism plays a part in Arabs not being able to further their footballing careers. How Murad Alyan never got a shot at the big time is puzzling, to say the least. The ones that do make it often choose to play for Israel in order to further their careers in Europe. But in doing so are forced to listen to an exclusionist national anthem, are heckled by their own fans, and scorned by some in the Arab community as Uncle Toms. These players deserve a choice, another avenue of furthering their careers and the WBPL (and possibly the Palestinian National Team) is giving them that.

The hope is that competition from the WBPL will help these Arab teams get their houses in order and results in them taking better care of players starved for opportunities to further their sporting careers.

As far as ignoring the IFA's player registry most neutrals would agree that the PFA is in violation of FIFA's codes and statues. On the other hand, Israel is in violation of FIFA's code and statues every time a player is arbitrarily not allowed to leave or enter his own country. That said, I think WBPL clubs should avoid rocking the boat too much and should target players available on a free transfer in the interim.

As for the possibility of the bubble bursting- it remains a possibility due to the fragile financial situation. To my knowledge, WBPL clubs haven't overextended themselves with lines of credit and loans with usurious rates. The money they do receive comes from the PFA, Jawwal- the league sponsor, the financial backing of their chairmen, and to a lesser extent ticketing. If the Palestinian Authority's revenue dries up then there could be a domino effect that harms the WBPL but if that doesn't happen then the league has every chance of succeeding in the long term. Potential revenue sources in the form of a television contract and apparel sponsorships have yet to be exploited. These opportunities along with an increased following will arrive will arrive sooner rather than later but only if the product is good. And how do you ensure the quality of the product?

By buying the best Palestinian players around no matter what identity cards they hold.

PFA releases WBPL schedule for season's first half

2011-08-30T00:29:00.003+03:00

Palestine's league will kick-off in earnest on September 2nd- a day when most other leagues in the world have shut down whilst their players are away on international duty. Not really a surprise, football in Palestine tends to be markedly different- how many leagues still prohibit foreign players?

Strangely enough we still do not know when the preseason tourney- The Yasser Arafat Cup- will wrap up. It is likely that we will have midweek football in Palestine for the first three weeks of the season as a consequence of the hastily organized friendly against Indonesia.

The identity of the two other semifinalists to join Shabab Al-Dhahrieh and Thaqafi Tulkarem will be determined in the next round of matches. Defending champions Tarji Wadi Al-Nes look safe but could mathematically be eliminated with a heavy defeat at the hands of Merkaz Shabab Al-Am'ary. Shabab Al-Khaleel won't be in action in Week 5 but will be hoping for a result to send them to the semifinals.

As for the league proper, dates and times have only been included for the first three weeks of the season. This gives the PFA the opportunity to put the league on an impromptu hiatus should an opportunity to play a friendly comes along. The first nine weeks of the leagues look like this:

Week 1

(02/09/11)

Shabab Al-Khaleel vs. Tarji Wadi Al-Nes // (1700) // Venue: Al-Hussein

Al-Bireh vs. Balata // (1700) // Venue: Majed As'ad

Al-Dhahrieh vs. Merkaz Tulkarem // (1700) // Venue: Dora

Thaqafi Tulkarem vs. Al-Am'ary // (1700) // Venue: Nablus

Hilal Al-Quds vs. Jabal Al-Muakber // (1700) // Venue: Faisal Al-Husseini

Week 2

(09/09/11)

Shabab Al-Khaleel vs. Al-Bireh // (1700) // Venue: Al-Hussein

Balata vs. Al-Dhahrieh // (1700) // Venue: Nablus

Jabal Al-Muakber vs. Thaqafi Tulkarem // (1700) // Venue: Al-Khadr

(10/09/11)

Merkaz Tulkarem vs. Al-Am'ary // (1700) // Venue: Nablus

Tarji Wadi Al-Nes vs. Hilal Al-Quds // (1700) // Venue: al-Khadr

Week 3

(16/09/11)

Tarji Wadi Al-Nes vs. Al-Bireh // (1700) // Venue: Al-Khadr

Al-Dhahrieh vs. Shabab Al-Khaleel // (1700) // Venue: Dora

Al-Am'ary vs. Balata // (1700) // Venue: Faisal Al-Husseini

(17/09/11)

Jabal Al-Mukaber vs. Merkaz Tulkarem // (1700) // Venue: Al-Khadr

Hilal Al-Quds vs. Thaqafi Tulkarem // (1700) // Venue: Nablus

Week 4 (TBA)

Al-Bireh vs. Al-Dhahrieh // (TBA) // Venue: Majed As'ad
Shabab Al-Khaleel vs. Al-Am'ary // (TBA) // Venue: Al-Hussein
Balata vs. Jabal Al-Mukaber // (TBA) // Venue: Nablus
Hilal Al-Quds vs. Merkaz Tulkarem// (TBA) // Venue: Faisal Al-Husseini
Thaqafi Tulkarem vs. Tarji Wadi Al-Nes // (TBA) // Venue: Nablus

Week 5 (TBA)

Tarji Wadi Al-Nes vs. Al-Dhahrieh // (TBA) // Venue: Dora
Al-Bireh vs. Merkaz Al-Am'ary // (TBA) // Venue: Faisal Al-Husseini
Balata vs. Hilal Al-Quds // (TBA) // Venue: Nablus
Jabal Al-Mukaber vs. Shabab Al-Khaleel// (TBA) // Venue: Al-Khadr
Thaqafi Tulkarem vs. Merkaz Tulkarem // (TBA) // Venue: Nablus

Week 6 (TBA)

Al-Am'ary vs. Al-Dhahrieh // (TBA) // Venue: Faisal Al-Husseini
Al-Bireh vs. Jabal Al-Mukaber // (TBA) // Venue: Majed As'ad
Tarji Wadi Al-Nes vs. Merkaz Tulkarem// (TBA) // Venue: Al-Khadr
Hilal Al-Quds vs. Shabab Al-Khaleel// (TBA) // Venue: Faisal Al-Husseini
Thaqafi Tulkarem vs. Balata// (TBA) // Venue: TBA

Week 7 (TBA)

Tarji Wadi Al-Nes vs. Al-Am'ary // (TBA) // Venue: Faisal Al-Husseini
Jabal Al-Mukaber vs. Al-Dhahrieh // (TBA) // Venue: Al-Khadr
Al-Bireh vs. Hilal Al-Quds // (TBA) // Venue: Faisal Al-Husseini
Thaqafi Tulkarem vs. Shabab Al-Khaleel// (TBA) // Venue: Al-Hussein
Balata vs. Merkaz Tulkarem // (TBA) // Venue: Nablus

Week 8 (TBA)

Al-Am'ary vs. Jabal Al-Mukaber // (TBA) // Venue: Faisal Al-Husseini
Al-Dhahrieh vs. Hilal Al-Quds// (TBA) // Venue: Dora
Al-Bireh vs. Thaqafi Tulkarem // (TBA) // Venue: Majed Al-As'ad
Merkaz Tulkarem vs. Shabab Al-Khaleel// (TBA) // Venue: Nablus
Balata vs. Tarji Wadi Al-Nes // (TBA) // Venue: Al-Khadr

Week 9 (TBA)

Tarji Wadi Al-Nes vs. Jabal Al-Mukaber // (TBA) // Venue: Al-Khadr
Hilal Al-Quds vs. Merkaz Al-Am'ary // (TBA) // Venue: Faisal Al-Husseini
Thaqafi Tulkarem vs. Al-Dhahrieh // (TBA) // Venue: Nablus
Merkaz Tulkarem vs. Al-Bireh // (TBA) // Venue: Nablus
Shabab Al-Khaleel vs. Balata // (TBA) // Venue: Al-Hussein

What we learned: Indonesia vs. Palestine

2011-08-23T13:19:00.003+03:00

1. Palestine has depth in some positions

Ali El-Khatib's first start showed that Palestine has an array of attacking midfielders to choose from. Increased options means added competition and a guarantee that whomever starts for the national team doesn't do so out of default. It was disappointing not to see Abdelhamid Abuhabib get his first senior cap. He is different than the other options in the attacking midfield; less direct, but better at keeping possession and tracking back and is by far the best distributor in the WBPL.

2. ... and a dearth in others

As far as holding midfielders go only 3 players have played in that position in the past two years: Houssam Wadi, Khader Youssef, & Murad Ismail. Wadi wasn't in the squad for this one so it meant that the latter two started. There has been an influx of talent into the WBPL this offseason so it would be interesting to see if new players can force their way into the squad (perhaps the versatile Luab Kayal can fill this void).

3. Ramzi Saleh's job is safe

Mohammed Shbair has the reflexes- as evidenced by his two penalty saves in 10 caps- but is raw. He needed to hold on to the free kick that resulted in the first goal, on the third goal he could have cut out the danger if he was quicker off his line. These are things that can be fixed with professional development but until Shbair gets that his performances will be inconsistent. Hopefully the PFA can talk to Smouha FC and secure the release of Ramzi Saleh for the Challenge Cup.

4. ...so is Abusidu's

A fullback's first duty to the team is to make sure his positioning is sound. Abusidu might not have the attacking prowess of Harbi or Shareef Adnan but you'll never see him in a panicked run trying to chase a winger that has blown past him. Abu Saleh was all over the place in defence and it is perplexing how he was handed a start after an unsure performance against Afghanistan.

5. A new manager is needed ASAP

The most disappointing aspect of this game was how the team gave up its lead four goals in 20 minutes after having a 1-o lead. The team needs to learn how to manage these situations better, it might not be what the fans want but the team needs a manager who is committed to defensive discipline. Palestine is capable of playing attractive football but it can't afford to neglect its defensive duties whilst doing so. A well drilled team that concedes few goals can do great things in Asia- just look at the success Korea DPR has enjoyed over the past three years.

Comment: Indonesia 4-1 Palestine

2011-08-22T20:03:00.007+03:00

Indonesia outclassed Palestine in front of a packed stadium in Solo today. Abdelnasser Barakat was in charge of a squad made up of domestic players that was in for a tough test against an Indonesian side eager for a good show in front of the home fans before heading west for their World Cup qualifiers.

Starting XI (4-5-1): Shbair(GK), Samer Hijazi, Ra'fat Ayyad, Haitham Deeb, Abu Saleh, Khader Yousuf, Murad Ismail, Ashraf Nouman, Suleiman Obeid, Ali Khatib, Fahed Attal(C)

Substitutions: Khaled Salem, Eyad Abugharqoud

Goals

The first half was balanced. Ra'fat Ayyad did a good job marshaling the back-line which was missing the experience of Jarun and Bahdari. Samer Hijazi did a decent job in left back, a position we've had trouble filling, and provided needed width on occasion. Both sides came close to scoring on a few tries but were effective in shutting each other out and went into halftime scoreless.

Palestine had a strong start to the second half, keeping possession in the midfield. Sulaiman Obeid beat the offside trap to lob it over the keeper and give his team the lead. For a little while longer, Palestine seemed in control. The Indonesians stepped up their game with Cristian Gonzales and Bambang Pamungkas giving the Palestinian defence trouble and forcing fouls. The equalizer came from a set piece that was saved by Shbair but deflected right to Hariono's head. This is when things fell apart. The 25,000 home fans pushed their team for more and it was only a matter of time before the inexperience in the defence started to show. Abu Saleh was particularly vulnerable at right back, two goals coming from that side. Eyad Abugharqoud came on for Attal and Khaled Salem made his international debut coming in for Ashraf No'man as Barakat switched to a 4-4-2. The tactical shift had no effect on the game as Indonesia remained in control and finished it in style, scoring all four goals within twenty minutes.

The scoreline wouldn't suggest it, but perhaps we can take a few positives from the match, particularly from the youngsters. Ali Khatib was great in the midfield pairing up nicely with Suleiman Obaid and Samer Hijazi showed he has the potential to be molded into a decent left-back.

I am not going to say I was disappointed though I was expecting the scoreline to be a little less harsh. It is rather worrying to see a domestic squad take such a beating, especially when we might have to do without most of our foreign-league players for the Challenge Cup.

Lastly, to our Indonesian friends, thank you for your kind words on Twitter and on the blog, much love. You impressed us with your passion for your team, especially in the stands. We wish you the best of luck in your World Cup Qualifying group!

Preview: Indonesia vs. Palestine

2011-08-19T21:54:00.002+03:00

What: International Friendly

Where: Solo, Indonesia

When: August 22nd, 2011

Kick-off: 8 pm (UTC/GMT +7 hrs)

TV/Streams: Match will be aired in Indonesia on SCTV.

Link1 Link2 Link3

Past Meetings: None

Palestine will face off against Indonesia for the first time in Solo on Monday night in search for answers to a laundry list of questions. It comes as a surprise that the FA rushed to cancel the Tanzania friendly on August 10th (a FIFA date) only to schedule this one 12 days later. The team is still without a manager and former Moussa Bezaz assistant Abdel-Nasser Barakat has been handed the reins on an interim basis.

Barakat's squad does very little to inspire but he has committed to the youth movement including six Olympic Team members in his 21-man squad. Fans will be demanding that Abuhabib, who has bee in sensational form over the past year, finally get his first cap with the national team. It remains to be seen whether or not Barakat sticks with Bezaz's conservative 4-2-3-1- if he does look for Khaled Salem (who would be making his first appearance as well) to be played up top as the loneliest man in the world.

Who starts at the back is the big question mark for Palestine. Palestine's first choice back line (Abusidu, Bahdari, Jarun, Bishara) all ply their trades abroad and will not be available for this match. Their clubs will also have the right not to release them for the 2012 Challenge Cup so it is of the upmost importance that capable backups are identified.

Khaled Mahdi, Samer Hijazi, and Ahmed Harbi (who isn't with squad in Indonesia) started all the qualifying matches but had the luxury of Abdelatif Bahdari marshaling them and covering up their mistakes. Expect the former two to line-up in the middle and the left of defence, respectively. Haitham Dheeb, who played in the WAFF tournament against Iraq, could slot in next to Mahdi. Barakat could also opt for Olympic Team standout Nadim Barghouthi or the highly rated but rarely capped Rafit Eyad. My choice would be Eyad; the schoolteacher has had to turn down call-ups because of his job but is highly rated by watchers of the WBPL. That leaves the right hand side and after Abu Saleh's atrocious display against Afghanistan at home I would hope Barakat hands a chance to Ahmed Salameh who played on the left for the Olympic team but is more than able of deputizing on the right.

So what can we expect from Indonesia? They'll be looking to trim their squad and figure out how to approach their World Cup qualifying games against Iran, Bahrain, and Qatar. Indonesia might elect to field an experimental line-up against us while saving some of their starters for the tougher challenge of playing a full-strength Jordan in Amman five days later. Whatever the case might be, Tim Garuda were gracious enough to invite us so hopefully we'll give them a real test.

FP's favored starting XI:

Squad to face Indonesia announced

2011-08-19T00:11:00.004+03:00

After a two-day delay left us guessing the members of the squad who will face Indonesia we finally can confirm the identities of the squad members. National team stalwarts Murad Alyan and Ismail Amour will miss out through injury. Houssam Wadi's choice to move back to his native Gaza to be closer to his family complicated his call-up and he is also left out. Interim manager Abdel-Nasser Barakat will maintain the ban imposed on Abdullah Saidawi and Ahmed Keshkesh by his predecessor. In all 20 players- all who ply their trade in the West Bank Premier League- will make the trip to Jakarta. The team is currently in Amman and will continue its journey tomorrow.

Goalkeepers:

Mohammed Shbair (Shabab Al-Khaleel)

Fahed Al-Fakhuri (Thaqafi Tulkarem)

Toufic Ali (Wadi Al-Nes)

Defenders:

Ahmed Salameh (Al-Am'ary)

Khaled Mahdi (Al-Am'ary)

Haitham Dheeb (Hilal Al-Quds)

Hussam Abu Saleh (Hilal Al-Quds)

Rafit Eyad (Jabal Al-Mukaber)

Samer Hijazi (Jabal Al-Mukaber)

Nadim Barghouthi (Shabab Al-Khaleel)

Midfielders:

Suleiman Obeid (Al-Am'ary)

Abdelhamid Abuhabib (Balata)

Murad Ismail (Hilal Al-Quds)

Ali El-Khatib (Hilal Al-Quds)

Hani Abu Bilal (Shabab Al-Dhahrieh)

Mohammed Jebreen (Shabab Al-Khaleel)

Ashraf Nu'man (Wadi Al-Nes)

Khader Yousef (Wadi Al-Nes)

Forwards:

Eyad Abugharqud (Shabab Al-Khaleel)

Fahed Attal (Shabab Al-Khaleel)

Khaled Salem (Shabab Al-Dhahrieh)

Palestine to meet Indonesia in Friendly

2011-08-10T20:39:00.005+03:00

According to Palestinian and Indonesian sources, preparations are being made for a Palestine-Indonesia friendly. FIFA has the match date listed as the 22nd of the month.

The match is set to be played outside Jakarta in Solo Manahan stadium as the intimidating Gelora Bung Karno is being renovated. Indonesia will use the match as a warm up before the squad's trip to West Asia to meet Jordan in a friendly and Iran in a World Cup Qualifier. Indonesia overcame Turkmenistan to get to the group stage, Palestine missing out after losing to Thailand on aggregate.

No word yet on the Palestine squad that will take part. Palestine has been manager-less since Mousa Bezaz's contract was not renewed after World Cup qualification failure. A temporary local coach will likely be appointed for the match.

[Update]: Bezaz's assistant Abdel-Nasser Barakat will take charge of the NT on an interim basis. 1st game in charge will be vs. Indonesia.

The search for a new NT manager continues...

2011-08-08T19:19:00.005+03:00

After Moussa Bezaz's contract was not renewed by the PFA last week it was assumed that a candidate was in place. It is becoming abundantly clear that that is not the case and the abrupt cancellation of an August 7th friendly against Estonia and an August 10th friendly against Tanzania. Time is of the essence and the FA needs to ensure that a new manager is in place by the end of the month to that friendlies are organized on FIFA dates in September and October.

The Managerial Checklist

1. A Gameplan: One of the most glaring deficiencies with the previous regime was a complete lack of planning. Squads lacked balance, the manager didn't settle on a shape until the final 4 months of his tenure, there were no set piece plays, and you could forget about tactics. This lack of planning was glaringly evident during the return leg of the Thailand match- Palestine grabbed and early equalizer but some of the players were unaware of what they should be doing, should they press on for a second? Sit back and defend? That lack of preparation is unacceptable. Palestine needs a manager with a vision and a plan for its players to fit a formation and style. The reality of Asian football is that a well-drilled side can compete and succeed- Just look at the success Jordan has had in the past decade.

2. Poise: One of the worst things about Bezaz was his staunch refusal to take any blame for the team's failures. Bezaz has blamed the referee, the occupation, the weather, fatigue, and most puzzlingly- the fact that league play ended in mid-May. Palestine need a manager who can lift the team and instill confidence in them. Bezaz was too lassiez-faire, too reactionary. The argument over the captaincy between Abdullah Saidawi and Ahmed Keshkesh is the perfect example. National Team managers decide on a captain and a vice-captain early and in the absence of Ramzi Saleh there needed to be a conversation behind closed doors were this deal could be hammered out.

3. Scouting: Whomever is chosen to fill the post there needs to realize that being a national team manager is a full-time job. Bezaz would go back to France for months at a time and just show up in Palestine for training camps. The new national team manager has to spend time traveling to the Gulf, Europe, and Latin America to court new talent. At the same time he has to spend time in Palestine and keep his finger on the pulse of the league. When he's not in the country he should delegate this duty to an assistant coach and this shouldn't be limited to the West Bank. Although the league in Gaza is a lot less established the talent of its top players is undeniable.

The Candidates

1. Hossam Hassan: [UPDATE:Hassan will be taking over at Ismaily, so he is out of the running] An Egyptian footballing legend with 169 caps and 69 goals over a sparkling 20-year career with Egypt. He is the only manager whose name has been floated around by the media. As far as his managerial career is concerned he is relatively inexperienced having been in charge of Zamalek for a mere 18 months. Before that he had brief stints with Al-Masry, whom he saved from relegation in 2007/08. He resigned the next season but not before receiving a 6-match ban and a 50,ooo EGP fine. Hassan took over the helm at Egyptian Telecom later on in the 2008/09 season and nearly kept them up. He jumped to Zamalek midway through the following season and in 12 games took the team from 14th to 2nd, winning 31 out of a possible 36 points. Zamalek were in first before the league (9W 5D 1L) was postponed due to the revolution. After the league resumed the spark wasn't there and Zamalek endured a winless streak in the final weeks of the season that allowed El-Ahly to move past them and into first place. Hassan is insanely passionate and is a proven winner but has yet to really prove himself as a manger. That said, he would still be an upgrade over Mousa Bezaz whose only top-flight job before joining us was as a caretaker at AS Nancy in 2002.

2. Alfred Riedl: FA President Jibril Rajoub has stated that he wants to appoint a manager who is aware of the challenges facing Palestinian football. Then why not get a manager who has coached us before? Riedl has previously coached Austria, Liechtenstein, Vietnam (thrice), Palestine, Laos, and Indonesia. He came close to guiding Vietnam to the AFC Asian Cup finals in 2000 and 2004 (recording a famous 1-0 win against South Korea during 2004 qualifying). Vietnam brought Riedl back to the fold when they were set to co-host the Asian Cup in 2007. Riedl led Vietnam past the group stage (beating UAE, drawing Qatar) only to lose to eventual champions Iraq 2-0. In his three stints in charge of Vietnam Riedl had a record of 25W 10D 16L. His time with Laos was brief before jumping ship to take over the Indonesia post. Riedl did have an impressive record in competitive matches (6W 0D 1L) his overall record is an impressive (10W 0D 2L). He was let go ahead of the World Cup qualifying clash against Turkmenistan but the team that advanced to the third round had his fingerprints all over it. With Palestine he is best known for engineering the 8-0 hammering of Chinese Taipei and the 1-1 draw against Iraq that sent Palestine to top of their 2006 World Cup qualifying.

3. Someone else: Let's be real here who could have guessed Mousa Bezaz would get the job in July 2009? Most managerial appointments in the Middle East have a touch of random chance about them. Carlos Quieroz in Iran? Zico in talks to coach Iraq? Bob Bradley potentially taking over Egypt? We might not get a big name but we will probably get an appointment that nobody expected. In fact, I would say that odds are that is what's going to happen. Until then it's a lot of speculation- and the coaching carrousel is in full swing: Wolfgang Sidka did not have his contract renewed with Iraq, Milovan Rajevac was fired from his post as a coach of Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have probably fired a dozen managers since I started writing this post...

Bin Hammam, Rajoub and....Nepal?

2011-08-07T16:24:00.008+03:00

On July 26th, MBC's pan-Arab football program Sada alMala'eb hosted Mohammed Awada, editor-in-chief of Qatari sports magazine Staad alDawha(Doha Stadium). On the topic of Bin Hammam's FIFA ban, Awada said that the former AFC head was sold out by 'friends'. Asked by Mustafa Agha to name names, he casually hints at an FA that was allowed to play matches at home after years of not being able. Agha asks if its Hussein Sa'eed, head of the Iraq FA. Awada replies that there is another country, referring to Palestine and Jibril Rajoub. (Transcript). Awada had originally pointed the finger at Rajoub in this piece.

Whether or not there are any grounds to his claims, Awada's comments suggest there might have been a conflict between Rajoub and Bin Hammam, giving Rajoub a motive to target the latter's career. While we don't have any inside sources or investigative tools at our hands, we can at least try to connect the dots.

Palestine was in the running to host the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup along with Nepal and the Maldives. On July 29th, Nepal was chosen to host the event.

In its current post-Bin Hammam phase, the AFC is doing some restructuring to undo years of possible corruption and mismanagement. As James Dorsey reports for Al-Arabiya, a 'dismantling of Bin Hammam's legacy' is in effect. Among other issues, the Nepal hosting decision was brought into question:

"Jordanians who played in Nepal earlier this month described the pitch as a dirt field and the countries facilities as abysmal.

An AFC inspection team evaluating Nepal’s bid to host the Cup, much as what happened with FIFA’s evaluation of Qatar, advised against awarding the tournament to Nepal and in favor of its competitors, Palestine and the Maldives.
The AFC’s competition committee, headed by Yousuf al-Serkel, a UAE national and ally of Mr. Bin Hammam, backed the Nepali bid despite the inspection report, the sources and Mr. Velappan said.
Sources close to the AFC deliberations said Mr. Thapa as a member of the executive committee had acted improperly by lobbying the organization to ignore the inspectors’ report and award the hosting of the Cup to his country."

Interesting. Even though the AFC inspection team advised against Nepal being given hosting privileges, they were chosen anyways. If there was indeed corruption, the people behind it would definitely have crossed Mr. Rajoub as it came at Palestine's(and the Maldives) expense.

While we cannot say for sure that there was corruption in the AFC competition committee, or that Rajoub had something to do with Bin Hammam's downfall, this all does make for an interesting narrative.

Video Diary: Palestine Home Match

2011-08-06T13:22:00.004+03:00

A little video which hopefully captures the experience of attending a Palestine home match.

Date: July 28th 2011

Event: World Cup Qualifier 2nd leg vs. Thailand. Faisal Husseini International Stadium

Result: 2-2 (Palestine losing 2-3 on aggregate)

Watch in HD!