Palestine players during a training session yesterday.
Doha, Qatar: Palestine coach Ihab Abu Jazar said his men are ready for a tough test against Tunisia today when the two teams face off in a crucial Group A tie at the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025.
The match kicks off at 5:30pm at the Lusail Stadium.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference yesterday, Abu Jazar recalled Palestine’s impressive start after their morale-boosting victory over hosts Qatar.
Palestine stunned the Asian champions 1-0 at Al Bayt Stadium when defender Sultan Al Brake turned the ball into his own net in stoppage time.
Palestine coach Ihab Abu Jazar
“Our win in the opening match against the Qatari national team, the Asian champions in the last two editions, gave us three very important points,” he said.
The former Palestinian international stressed his respect for Tunisia but warned that Palestine will approach the game with eyes on full points.
“We respect the Tunisian national team. They have great experience and are a strong side,” Abu Jazar said.
“They suffered a painful loss in their first match against Syria, but that result does not reflect their true level. We know the match will be difficult from a tactical point of view, but we have great confidence in all our players to perform their roles and manage the game as we hope.”
Abu Jazar said the win over Qatar had a special meaning for his squad.
“We are happy to bring smiles to the faces of the Palestinian fans. This team represents all the people of Palestine,” he added.
Palestine defender Mohammed Saleh said the result against Qatar lifted the morale of the entire camp.
“The atmosphere in the team is very positive after the win over the hosts,” Saleh said.
“We are determined to win again to improve our chances of reaching the next round.”
Meanwhile, Tunisia coach Sami Trabelsi said his players have moved on from their opening defeat against Syria.
Tunisia coach Sami Trabelsi
“I am satisfied with the atmosphere inside the team. Everyone has turned the page on the loss to Syria,” Trabelsi said as the former champions (1963) and the last edition’s finalists seek to come back to winning ways.
“We tried to prepare all the players and we hope the physical readiness will be good. We controlled the first match, but in football there are situations you cannot predict. The opponent waited for our mistake and scored from a set piece.”
Trabelsi confirmed that new today’s match will see new faces.
“Some new players will join us, including Hazem Al Mastouri and Al Hajj Mahmoud, after we reached an agreement with their clubs,” he said.
