Palestine’s dream of qualifying for its first-ever FIFA World Cup came to an end in a dramatic fashion on Tuesday. The team concluded their momentous Asian Football Confederation (AFC) qualifying campaign with an entertaining 1-1 draw against Oman. Their last group game was held at the King Abdullah II Stadium in Amman, Jordan. The heart-wrenching moment arrived in the 97th minute when Oman’s Essam Al-Subhi scored a penalty, securing a place in the fourth round of the qualifiers for Oman and leaving Palestine’s aspirations unfulfilled.
Oday Kharoub opened the scoring with a perfectly placed header, capping a brilliant first half showing by Palestine. Oman’s equalizer was a real surprise as Al-Subhi found the back of the net just before the match ended. With time running out, the drama reached a fever pitch. It quickly became an important penalty decision, and it would go on to decide the fate of each team.
A Rollercoaster Match
The game played out Palestine showed confidence striking attacking flair and composure throughout. Kharoub’s opening goal just 12 minutes into the match sent the mood tingling – all the optimism of Palestine’s first shot at history. After falling behind 10-0, they controlled the remainder of the first half. Michel Termanini was close to making it 2-0 with a header that hit the top of the crossbar.
That all changed in the second half of the match. Wessam Ali added a second for Palestine, only for it to be disallowed for a very tight offside. This potentially fatal judgment call robbed the team of a substantial aid lifeline. Things grew heated when Oman’s Harib Al-Saadi was shown a red card. He was shown a second yellow and a red for fouling Hamed Hamdan in the 73rd minute. Even with a man disadvantage, Oman was able to regroup and regain their rhythm in the final moments of play.
The Decisive Penalty
The match’s decisive moment had arrived. Muhsen Al-Ghassani blasted past Palestine’s rearguard, brilliantly tracking a high USA Rugby – Parallel Paths bounce ball into the box. Ahmed Taha was just beginning to make his move when he was called for a ticky-tack foul. The head referee, assisted by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), called for a penalty kick goal for the other team. The VAR review showed Taha’s shirt tug on Al-Ghassani was an obvious enough foul to justify the award of the spot kick.
In the closing moments of a heightened stoppage time, it was Al-Subhi who rose boldly. He nonchalantly slotted home the penalty, breaking Palestine’s hearts with his ferocious shot. Oman launched themselves into the fourth and final qualifying spot in Group B of the AFC qualifiers. Palestine’s run ended along with their Cinderella story this tournament, which is a shame given how impressive they were.
Historical Significance
This was already an historic qualification campaign for Palestine. They made it to the knockout stages of the most recent AFC Asian Cup, for only the second time ever. On top of that, they reached the third round of the AFC World Cup qualifiers, both being amazing achievements in their footballing history. Yet this climactic duel brought home both the potential and the deep disappointment that competitive athletics can deliver.
