PALESTINE
Head Coach: Ayman Sandouqa
Player To Watch: Mohammed Darwish
2017 was an amazing year for Palestinian football as they were able to qualify for the AFC U23 Championship for the first time in their history. More incredibly, they were able to do so by finishing as Group E winners in front of a home crowd in Hebron. Their recent form has been very encouraging as well, including two solid results against Oman and a morale-boosting 3-2 win over Qatar.
With six overseas-based players in the squad, the mood is surely one of hope. “I dedicate the qualification to the Palestinian people, especially as it’s the first in the history of the Olympic team,” head coach Ayman Sandouqa said. “I believe that the players worked hard during the qualifiers which resulted in this achievement.”
Trivia!
Mohammed Darwish is a product of Hannover 96’s excellent youth set-up and he played a huge part in helping them win the German U-19 Cup not too long ago. He currently plies his trade with Arminia Hannover in Germany.
Come back to Football Tribe tomorrow for our previews of Groups C and D!