December 31st, 2023: This Week (and year) in Palestinian Football

Palestine's Asian Cup plans gradually come into focus as the year draws to a close.

As the year comes to a close there is no getting away from the massive amount of death and destruction we have witnessed over the past three months. As such, there is not much to look back on with any fondness.

Yes, 2023 was a breakout year for Oday Dabbagh in Europe, it was the year that marked the integration of many new and promising players into the national team, it was the year of Ataa Jaber.

In retrospect, the IDF’s attack on the Yasser Arafat Cup final between Jabal Al-Mukaber and Merkaz Balata was a harbinger of things to come. It is hard to believe that when the World Cup qualifying groups were drawn PFA President Jibril Rajoub had actually proposed using Al-Yarmouk Stadium in Gaza to host Lebanon in June 2024.

To see that stadium destroyed and used as a concentration camp by the IDF is a heavy blow to the hearts of football fans everywhere.

I hope that in the new year the same sporting sanctions placed on Russia are placed on Israel. If you agree that this is something UEFA and FIFA should consider- please sign DiEM25’s petition, here.

Football Palestine’s Asian Cup Coverage

In the new year, we will have at least one new piece of content (video or article) for our followers. We’ll kick things off with a tournament preview and then offer scouting reports for each one of our opponents in Group C.

Football Palestine will also be on the ground in Qatar for Palestine’s first two group games against Iran and UAE. To get full access to

Asian Cup Squad Announcement