Emotionally charged Palestine determined to make winning start in World Cup qualifying

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Palestine preparations for their opening match of second round World Cup qualifying in Asia have been severely hit by the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, an official said.

Palestine take on Lebanon in Sharjah with the players' thoughts understandably elsewhere as they anxiously wait for news of loved ones back home.

Some members of the squad were forced to move to neighbouring Jordan to maintain basic fitness before moving to Sharjah to begin preparations for the Group I match five days ago.

“Everything changed after October 7 with the start of the conflict in Gaza,” Ahmed Rajoub, the Palestine Football Association media manager said at a pre-match conference.

“All sporting activities stopped completely in Palestine, and the football team was forced to move to Jordan to maintain the minimum level of fitness of its players before the start of the qualifiers.

“The first real training for the national team, which brought together a mix of local players and professionals plying their trade in international leagues, took place on Monday in Sharjah four days ago.

“We had some training sessions in Jordan and that was limited to local players supported by members of the Olympic team, and in the absence of Gazan players, this was not enough to prepare for an ideal match in the qualifiers.”

Rajoub said morale within the camp has been severely affected by the suffering of their families and loved ones in Gaza.

As Israel intensifies its ground assault on the tiny enclave and with telecommunications cut, Rajoub said players' minds were focused on keeping up with events back home.

“We just can’t get the players focused on the game when people are killed and injured every day since