Palestinian and Syrian players compete in the Arab Cup match
Palestine and Syria on Sunday, December 7, qualified for the FIFA Arab Cup quarterfinal after playing out a draw in Doha, Qatar.
The match ended in a 0-0 draw, and for both sides, reaching the knockout stage in the regional tournament hosted by Qatar was overshadowed by the recent memory of conflict in their homelands.
Only weeks ago in Gaza, the 2-year-long conflict came to a halt under a fragile ceasefire plan brokered by the United States. For the Syrian team, the match came on the eve of the anniversary of former President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster.
In a video circulating on social media, Palestinian player Mohammed Salesh was seen waving Palestinian and Syrian flags during a celebration.
The two teams were aware that a draw in their Group A match would secure Palestine’s top spot, with Syria moving up to second place. Even before the final whistle, around 40,000 fans at the Education City Stadium began dancing and chanting to celebrate the two sides’ entry into the final eight.
At the end of the game, players from both teams exchanged their jerseys and got photographed together. “We are very happy to top the group, which included two great teams like Qatar and Tunisia, and we congratulate all Palestinian fans,” Palestine striker Oday Dabbagh was quoted as saying by Arab News.
Syrian striker Mahmoud Al-Mawas said the result “means a lot to Syrians because it coincides with the Liberation Day celebrations. “Now, all our focus will be on the quarter-final,” he added.
This post was last modified on December 8, 2025 5:09 pm