“Maybe you guys [the media] didn’t believe, maybe others outside didn’t believe — but we always believed.”
These were the words of Palestine forward Oday Dabbagh, speaking to FIFA after his nation pulled off another late show at the FIFA Arab Cup™.
Three days after grabbing a second half stoppage-time winner to secure a stunning 1-0 result against hosts Qatar, the Lions of Canaan were back at it against Tunisia.
After the 2021 runners-up had taken a 2-0 lead early in the second half, and roared on by a largely pro-Tunisian crowd that pushed 50,000, few gave Palestine a chance of turning things around.
Yet turn them around they did. Firstly, a rasping volley from the top of the box off the left foot of Hamed Hamdan reduced the deficit just after the hour before Zaid Qunbar lashed home a second through the legs of a pair of Tunisian defenders to salvage a 2-2 draw.
That never-say-die attitude is something that is hard-wired into the Palestinian psyche, according to defender Yaser Hamed.
“For sure it looks like in the second half we play better or we make greater effort but we feel we are doing something special at this tournament. All the national team, all the staff and the players, we want to say thank you to all the people who are supporting us and who are trusting us,” he said.
“We receive a lot of messages from everywhere, from all over the world and it’s really amazing for us.”
Hamed, whose father is from Gaza, is also keenly aware of just how much of an impact the team is having on raising Palestinian spirits in the midst of a time of loss and heartbreak.
“I’ve lost family in this conflict but what we are doing is making history for Palestine. We want to support and make a voice for all the people who are suffering in Palestine.
“With this point we can continue in the tournament. We have four points right now, but we still have one more game against Syria. It will be a difficult game but for me representing this shirt and this badge means everything.
“In this moment, it means something more because we are representing many, many millions all around the world who are suffering or have suffered in the past and we have this responsibility to make people proud.”
They were sentiments backed up by head coach Ihad Abu Jazar, who told FIFA post-match that he was thrilled with yet another stirring comeback by a side that refuses to give up.
“Our performance in the first match gave us belief and we came with a single motivation: to take points from a strong Tunisian side and thank God we were able to do it,” he said.
“This was down to the players’ high level of concentration, where they were always focused on their duties. The important thing is that we didn’t lose our focus. We fought until the very last minute to win or not to lose, so we played a great match, a truly special game.”
That pair of late shows has remarkably sent Palestine top of the Group A standings and on course to reach the knockout stage at the regional showpiece for the first time.
A point in their final match against Syria, on Sunday, would be enough to create history and that’s something that forward Oday Dabbagh, his nation’s all-time leading scorer, is desperate to achieve.
“It’s really an incredible feeling to be first in the group and to win against Qatar and draw against Tunisia. We played well, especially the second half where we just kept pushing and pushing. So we are proud of the group, proud of everyone.
“I also want to say thanks to the fans for the support. Now we are looking to the Syria game and hopefully we can qualify for the second round,” Dabbagh added.
“Everything for us is about belief. We know that if we believe and trust each other then we will keep fighting until the very last second and that is the secret of this group.”
That’s a secret that’s now well and truly out of the bag and one that all those involved in and around the national team hope can continue for many more matches yet at the regional showpiece.
