Palestine and Syria through to the quarter-finals of the Arab Cup! They came to at this after a nervy scoreless draw at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan. This surprising turn of events remarkably underscores Qatar’s success. For although they are ranked much higher in FIFA ranking standings, the hosts suffered a humiliating loss to Tunisia that resulted in their elimination from the tournament.
In the high-stakes, winner-take-all match with Tunisia, Qatar’s Akram Afif defended Tunisia’s Ferjani Sassi. Despite their low opening position in FIFA rankings (40th), Tunisia proved their strength by completing an impressive 3-0 victory against hosts Qatar. It took just 15 minutes for Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane to break the deadlock, smashing home after a savage cutback. Yassine Meriah doubled the lead in the 62nd minute. The deadliest cut however was delivered by Mohamed Benali, who scored the match-winner in the dying minutes of the match.
Even with their high FIFA ranking of 51st, Qatar underwhelmed. Coming in as one of the favorites for the tournament, they suffered a surprising collapse during their deciding group stage game against Tunisia. Tunisia striker Seifeddine Jaziri was shown a red card with 25 minutes to go in the game. Despite this competitive edge, Qatar was unable to capitalize on the opportunity.
Palestine, ranked 96th in FIFA, had already made waves this tournament by beating Qatar in their first match of the tournament to earn a historic upset. Their story of determination and perseverance didn’t stop during their historic opening match against Syria, as they held on for a scoreless draw and a point to their name. As in previous tournaments, Tunisia’s upset victory over Qatar was critical to making this outcome possible. Therefore, Palestine and Syria both qualified for the next round of the tournament.
Syria, ranked 87th in FIFA rankings, was another team to enjoy the luck of the draw with Palestine. To reach this qualification is a huge accomplishment for both teams. Palestine, especially, has achieved remarkable advancements in recent years given its much higher rank.
The tournament has been marked by an incredible run of upsets, riveting games and historic and incredible moments. The match illustrated Palestine’s spirit and resilience, the team fighting their way back from 2-0 down. They held Tunisia to a surprising 1-1 draw earlier in the tournament. It’s an impressive enough performance that they’ve put themselves in the dark horse category in the competition, and they have the respect of their peers.
