August 21 – Despite the ongoing military crisis in Gaza, Palestinian football has managed to achieve its highest ever world ranking by surging to 85th.
Having qualified for the first time for next year’s Asian Cup in a group including Japan and Iraq, who made such an impact at the World Cup in Brazil, Palestine, a national team without a country as such, has defied the conflict to celebrate a footballing landmark.
“Gazans are football crazy,” Bassil Mikdadi, editor of the Football Palestine blog, was quoted as saying by Metro. “Obviously, they have more pressing issues to deal with but I don’t think it has tempered their passion for the sport or the excitement of seeing Palestine playing in the Asian Cup.”
Last month, Ahed Zaqout, 49, arguably Palestine’s most famous midfielder, was killed after an Israeli bomb struck his apartment in Gaza. He had no known connection to Hamas.
“Due to the occupation, it is incredibly difficult to organise games and training camps in Palestine,” said Mikdadi. “Israel’s occupation has presented the vast majority of challenges. They have barred player movement, preventing Gaza-based players from leaving the Gaza Strip. Unfortunately, many Gazan players – who play in a separate Gaza league – have been barred from joining the national team because of the blockade on Gaza. This has been a blow for the national team because Gaza is the factory of Palestinian football.”
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