Palestine loses to Jordan in weird fashion, again
Al-Fida’i must win their final three games in order to make the playoff round
International football is marked by rivalries of a peculiar nature. In league football, familiarity breeds contempt which is only exacerbated by the fact that teams will play each other multiple times over a league season.
National teams might go years without facing each other but the stakes—especially in confederations where World Cup berths are limited—are much higher. On Thursday night, Palestine knew their margin for error was shrinking and heroic efforts in defeats or draws was not going to get them any closer to a maiden World Cup berth.
Entering the seventh of ten match days, Palestine was the only team in Group B to take points off of continental powerhouse South Korea—drawing 0-0 in Seoul and 1-1 on neutral ground. The problem for Al-Fida’i (The nickname for Palestine’s national team which translates to Warriors) is that results against Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, and Oman have generated a single point from four games.
The top two teams in the group qualify directly to the World Cup next year. While third and fourth place advance to a playoff. Given their dire start, Palestine is realistically competing for a playoff spot. Jordan on the other hand had their sights set on qualifying directly.
Jordan and Palestine are rivals but the rivalry is hard to define. When two Arab teams meet on the football pitch the opponent is often referred to as Al-Muntakhab Al-Shaqeeq (The brotherly national team). Much of that is lip service as the Arab World is home to the sport’s fiercest and underreported rivalries. On Thursday night, neither side was in the mood to share the spoils in their race towards the World Cup finals.
In eleven official encounters since Palestine joined FIFA in 1998, they have never beaten Jordan—five draws and six losses. Over the past ten years, the derby has only grown in importance with the teams meeting twice at an Asian Cup, once at the Arab Cup, and now in World Cup qualification.
Palestine were eliminated by Jordan at the 2015 and 2019 Asian Cup and the 2021 Arab Cup as a result. The encounters featured bizarre turns of luck that seemed to always go Jordan’s way. From comedic own goals to Palestine’s strikers missing wide open goals.
The backdrop of the latest encounter was a cold and wet Amman International Stadium. The 61 year old concrete colossus offered no shelter to the fans. In the line to get in the stadium one fan remarked “All this trouble- if we don’t win tonight- I swear I’ll break everything!”
That tension disappeared mere seconds into the match with Jordan’s centre back Yazan Al-Arab scoring a soft goal from a corner kick. In the eleventh minute, Jordan doubled their lead from a free kick with the same scenario repeating itself this time it was Al-Arab’s partner Abdullah Nasib who headed home. In reality it was another centre back who took center stage for both goals- Palestine’s Mohammed Saleh- who lost his mark on both set piece goals.
To their credit, Palestine fought back and pulled back a goal when debutant Ahmed Taha’s cross found Tamer Seyam who slotted past the Jordanian goalkeeper.
There would be no departure from the script. This game would be marked by the same weirdness as many that came before it. Palestine were the better team from open play- they created more and completely stymied Jordan’s feared counter attack.
Tamer Seyam’s goal meant Al-Fida’i were back in the game until Mohammed Saleh did the unthinkable… again. With his goalkeeper screaming to pass back to him the 31 year old inexplicably tried to dribble out of danger, turned into Musa Al-Tamari, lost the ball and gifted a third goal for Jordan seconds before half time.
Palestine boasts considerable depth in talent and manager Ehab Abu Jazar went to his bench to search for a spark in the second half. Bringing on Slask Wrolcaw’s Assad Al-Hamlawi and NAC Breda’s Adam Kaied for their international debuts. A comeback was not on the cards as Jordan managed the rest of the game en route to a 3-1 victory.
Palestine now faces the daunting prospect of having to win their final three games in order to make the playoff round.
Relations between both sets of fans were surprisingly cordial. Domestically, a nasty war of words between Jordan’s two biggest clubs descends into intercommunal violence. Al-Wehdat, the team of the Palestinian refugee camps is the bitter rival of Al-Faisaly, the team of the Monarchy.
Al-Faisaly fans have not spared anyone in racist chanting before insulting Palestine and even going so far as to insult their own Queen and Crown Prince (Queen Rania’s family hails from the Palestinian city of Nablus).
Discourse online on many Facebook pages is anything but brotherly.
In order to avoid strife, The Palestinian flag is not allowed in stadiums. Thursday’s match was a rare departure from that direction. Members of Celtic’s Green Brigade were in attendance and had planned to unfurl a tifo as a part of their grassroots Show Israel the Red Card campaign. Tight security meant that plan was foiled and the tifo did not appear.
When asked about the campaign. Jordan’s Mahmoud Al-Mardi stated bluntly “We support any campaign that is against the Zionist entity.” he stated bluntly. “This is the least we can do- to take advantage of the attention we get to raise awareness of what is happening in Gaza- in my opinion that is the least we can do.”
For all the animus online it was different in the stadium. Palestine’s national team was cheered when they entered the pitch. One chant for Al-Aqsa rang out around the stadium in the second half.
At full time, Yazan Al-Arab grabbed Palestine goalkeeper Rami Hamadi and whispered to him “Pull yourselves together we need you to beat Iraq on Tuesday”
A dejected Ehab Abu Jazar summed up the night perfectly in the post match press conference
“Individual mistakes cost us and football at this level is about avoiding mistakes- the teams that do usually win.”
“The third goal is what killed us. Especially after getting ourselves back in the game and scoring the goal- to concede like that really hurts.” concluded Palestine’s goalkeeper Rami Hamadi.
In the mixed zone Jordan’s star player Mousa Al-Tamari was effusive in his praise for the opponents “Palestine are a good team and they can continue in this challenge. They are capable of winning the coming matches…. Inshallah we will meet once again for the big celebration in Al-Aqsa.”
Palestine’s next match is March 25th against Iraq.
