Palestine's women's soccer team plays historic match in Dublin

EMILY IBRAHIM GIVES INSIGHT INTO THE TEAM’S EXPERIENCE IN IRELAND AND WHAT THE SUPPORT IN DUBLIN MEANT TO THE WOMEN ON THE TRIP

Palestine’s national women’s soccer team defeated Bohemian FC 2-1 in a friendly match hosted at Dalymount Park in Dublin, Ireland on May 15.

Emily Ibrahim, a member of national team and a senior at Loyola University in Chicago, joined the Palestine in America podcast to discuss the team’s first ever match in Europe, student organizing around the world and FIFA’s looming decision on Israel’s future in the organization. 

FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, delayed a vote to suspend the Israeli Football Association saying they need legal counsel before they can take up the motion by the Palestinian Football Association.

“I think the right thing to do would be to ban Israeli clubs, or put sanctions against Israeli clubs,” Ibrahim told Palestine in America. “I think [FIFA] did the same thing for Russia. So I don't see why there should be any difference in the way the two [states] are treated, I think if FIFA does not choose to carry out sanctions against Israeli teams, I think it would really reveal the hypocrisy of the organization.”

In 2022, FIFA suspended Russia without using legal counsel.

Last time we spoke to Ibrahim, she was one of the youngest players on Palestine’s national women’s soccer team and they had just finished competing in two Asian Football Confederation Cup qualifying matches. 

In our most recent conversation with Ibrahim, she painted a hospitable picture of the team’s time in Dublin. She was proud of all her teammates but she made sure to mention how Nour Youssef scored the go-ahead goal with 12 minutes remaining and Palestine’s goalkeeper, Charlotte Phillips, made several great saves to help hold Bohemian’s strong offense to one goal.

“I feel like everybody stood out in their own ways,” Ibrahim said. “Everybody played their own role. Our goalie did an incredible job. Lots of incredible saves by Charlotte Phillips and then getting that goal [by Youssef] was so, so important, obviously.”

The game, which was played on the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, was meant to highlight human rights violations committed against Palestinians by the Israeli occupation. 

According to Ibrahim, the team will play two games in Bahrain later this month.