Palestine make history by reaching Asian Cup knockout round

The Palestinian National Soccer Team have reached the 2023 AFC Asian Cup knockout rounds for the first time after beating Hong Kong 3-0.

With two goals from forward Oday Dabbagh and one from Zaid Qunbar, the Palestinians advanced in Group C at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium in the Qatari capital Doha on Tuesday.

Palestine Coach Makram Daboub praised his players as “heroes” following the match, as he congratulated the people of Palestine for qualifying for the next round.

“With a strong team spirit, our ambition is to advance far in this tournament. Now, with nothing to lose, we will give our best. We have demonstrated hope and I believe we can maintain this focus for the upcoming matches,” he said.

Many of those in the stands in Qatar waved Palestinian flags to show support for the team.

The historic victory for Palestinians comes as Israel is continuing its brutal war against the Gaza Strip

The Israeli regime waged the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime’s atrocities against Palestinians.

Since the start of the aggression, Israel has massacred more than 25,500 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

Syria also beat India 1-0 in Group B on Tuesday, reaching the knockout rounds for the first time.

Syria will face Iran in the next round, while the Palestinians’ next opponents have yet to be determined.

ME