Palestine Completes Jordan Training Camp, Heads to Malaysia for Second Camp Ahead of South Korea Away

Palestine Players in Amman, Jordan ⓒPalestine Football Association

Football Bohemian Report

 

The Palestinian national football team, which will face South Korea in the first match of Group B of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, is diligently preparing for its away match against South Korea. Despite the turbulent political situation in the Middle East, the team has completed its training camp in Jordan for players based in the domestic league.

 

South Korea will face Palestine in the first match of Group B of the final qualifiers, scheduled for 8 p.m. on September 5 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. The Palestinian Football Association (PFA) announced on its official website, "On August 25, we concluded our training camp in Amman, Jordan, for domestic players. The team will now move to Malaysia to officially begin their training camp ahead of the away match against South Korea on September 5."

 

Makram Daboub, the Tunisian coach of the Palestinian national football team, expressed his satisfaction with the results of the training camp. He also expects the training in Malaysia to be more productive with the addition of overseas players. Coach Daboub shared his thoughts on the training camp as follows:

Makram Daboub, Head Coach of the Palestinian National Football Team ⓒPalestine Football Association

"This camp was a special camp for domestic players to prepare for the final qualifiers. We chose Malaysia as the second camp location because the time difference with South Korea is only one hour, making it easier to adjust to the time zone. Additionally, the distance between the two countries is relatively short, and we also have to play against Jordan in Kuala Lumpur on September 10." - Makram Daboub, Head Coach of the Palestinian National Football Team.

 

Indeed, there are valid reasons for Palestine's choice of Malaysia. As Coach Daboub mentioned, the one-hour time difference between South Korea and Malaysia makes it easier to adjust to the body's circadian rhythm. Furthermore, Palestine has been required to play its home matches in Malaysia for a while now.

 

There is a high probability that Palestine's home match against South Korea, scheduled for November 19, will also be held in Kuala Lumpur. As such, choosing Kuala Lumpur as a base is a strategic move to adapt to what effectively serves as their home ground. However, it should be noted that the travel distance between Kuala Lumpur and Seoul is not as close as Coach Daboub might think, as a direct flight takes about seven hours.

 

Palestine reached the Round of 16 in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar. While the team's name value may not be as high as some other Middle Eastern teams, its growth has been evident. South Korea will need to consider Palestine a "dark horse" and approach the match with caution.

 

There are also some threatening players on the Palestinian side. One of the players that Palestine is highly counting on is Wesam Abu Ali, who became the top scorer in the 2023-2024 Egyptian Premier League with 18 goals. Playing for the prestigious Egyptian club Al Ahly, Abu Ali has claimed the title of the first Palestinian to win the Egyptian league's top scorer, providing comfort to Palestinian fans suffering from the pains of war.

 

Originally an immigrant player from Aalborg, Denmark, Abu Ali was first selected for the Palestinian national team last June and made his debut in a match against Lebanon. Given his current form, he is likely to be named in the squad for the match against South Korea. Other names to watch include Oday Dabbagh (Charleroi, Belgium), Ata Jaber (Neftchi Baku, Azerbaijan), and Yaser Hamed (Zamalek, Egypt).

 

Coach Daboub is expected to finalize the squad for the South Korea match during the team's journey to Malaysia. We will bring you more updates once the final roster is announced.

 

This has been Football Bohemian.

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