Ihab Abu Jazar, the technical director of the Palestinian national football team, announced the complete readiness of the "Fida'i" squad to play the crucial and anticipated match against the Syrian national team, scheduled to be held tomorrow evening, Sunday, at the Education City World Cup Stadium, as part of the third and final round of the group stage of the 2025 Arab Cup.
Bone-breaking challenge in the first group
All eyes in the Arab world are on Doha for this exciting "Levantine derby," as both teams enter the match with four points each, making it an early final. Palestine leads the group on goal difference, followed by Syria, after both teams delivered impressive performances. Palestine defeated Qatar and drew with Tunisia, while Syria triumphed over Tunisia and drew with Qatar.
In the pre-match press conference, Abu Jazar was decisive in his statements, emphasizing that playing for a draw was not an option. He said, "A draw against Syria and qualification? We are only looking for victory. Qualification is our primary and ultimate goal, and a team that plays for two chances risks losing both." He added, stressing the importance of the three points to secure first place in the group and send a strong message to their opponents in the knockout stages.
Historical context and regional significance
This match holds special significance that extends beyond the pitch, as it brings together two neighboring countries with a long history of friendly sporting rivalry. This edition of the Arab Cup evokes memories of past tournaments, with the Palestinian national team seeking to reaffirm its remarkable progress in recent years and its strong presence on the international stage, while the Syrian national team aims to regain its former glory and seriously contend for the title.
Holding the match at Education City Stadium, one of the 2022 World Cup venues, is an additional incentive for the players to give their best in front of the large crowds expected to attend to support both sides.
Physical and tactical challenges
The Palestinian coach did not hide his concern about the physical aspect, noting that "both the Palestinian and Syrian national teams were clearly physically exhausted during their previous two matches against Tunisia and Qatar," which presents a tactical challenge in managing the players' exertion over the ninety minutes. He explained that the tactical similarities between the two footballing schools could further complicate and make the match more difficult, as both rely on a high fighting spirit and defensive discipline.
For his part, player Ahmed Taha expressed his great optimism, drawing confidence from the heroic performance against Tunisia. He said, "We played a great match against a World Cup-caliber team, and God willing, we will continue the same performance against Syria and achieve victory." He emphasized that the players understand the magnitude of the responsibility placed upon them to bring joy to the Palestinian fans.
It is worth noting that the match will start at 7 pm Cairo time, and it will be the final word in determining the qualifiers from this tough group, whose calculations remained pending until the last moments.
