Malaysia To Host Palestine-Jordan Football Qualifier Match

By Naveen Prabu A/L Kuppusamy

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 (Bernama) -- Palestine’s Youth and Sports Minister, Jibril Mahmoud Muhammad Rajoub, announced that the country has chosen Malaysia to host the upcoming Palestine-Jordan match for the World Cup Asian Zone Qualifiers despite receiving offers from several other countries.

"More than one country, including Indonesia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, offered to host our matches. However, we chose Malaysia because it is not part of the 18 teams competing in the qualification process and is a friendly country to both Palestinians and Jordanians,” Jibril said during a press conference today at the Embassy of Palestine. 

He said that the Palestinian national team faces challenges due to the Israeli occupation, which restricts their ability to host international matches on home soil. However, he expressed optimism that Palestine will play in Jerusalem soon.

“We are fighting and investing a lot to play in our territories, in Palestine, in Jerusalem, and we hope that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) will exert enough pressure on Israel to enable us to host teams on our land,” he said.

Besides that, Jibril expressed Palestine’s gratitude to Malaysia for its continued support not only in football but also for its long-standing political and moral stance toward the Palestinian cause.

“Malaysia’s hospitality in hosting the Palestinian national football team during our World Cup qualifying campaign is a powerful demonstration of its historical solidarity with Palestine.

“We are deeply grateful to His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the Malaysian Government, and the people of Malaysia," he added.

He also said that the international community needs to take action on the significant negative effects of the Israeli occupation on Palestinian sports.

“That includes the tragic loss of over 410 athletes, youth, and scouting members, as well as the extensive destruction of sports facilities,” he said. 

Looking ahead to the match against Jordan, which is scheduled tomorrow at the Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium in Cheras, Jibril called on Malaysian football fans to show their support for both teams, given the deep historical ties between Palestine, Jordan, and Malaysia.        

 -- BERNAMA