RIYADH: Saudi national football team manager Roberto Mancini spoke at a press conference on Monday about the Green Team’s preparations for the upcoming match against China in the second round of the third stage of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

He said: “The Chinese team has a good squad despite their recent loss against the Japanese team. I expect that the Chinese team will be better than the last match tomorrow, so we must be prepared well and take advantage of all opportunities.

“We are training intensively on scoring, and we must continue to create opportunities. I am confident that we will make better use of chances in the upcoming matches.

“Our match against the Chinese national team will be different for both teams. I hope our performance will be the same as it was in the second half of the last match and that we will create opportunities and score.”

Player Saleh Al-Shehri also addressed the match, saying: “It will be a tough match. We must be well-prepared tomorrow and work hard because the match will not be easy.”

LONDON: It is possible that the winner of Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier between Palestine and Jordan in Kuala Lumpur will go top of Group B, with two games gone and eight games to go. 

Given that Asia has eight automatic places at the 2026 tournament, twice as many as in 2022 and there are just 18 teams in the third round of qualification, it is not inconceivable that Palestine could make it all the way.

Such a thought would have been dismissed out of hand even a year ago, but no longer. It’s still unlikely, but not impossible. Just finishing fourth in the six-team group keeps the dream alive and after a 0-0 draw in their, on paper, toughest game of the 10, there is a growing belief.

After all, if you can hold the star-studded South Koreans — Asia’s most successful World Cup team with 11 appearances — to a draw in Seoul in front of 60,000 fans then Kuwait, Iraq, Oman and Jordan should not hold any fears. Indeed, a great result could have become spectacular had Wessam Abou Ali’s injury-time shot from a one-on-one not been saved by Jo Hyun-woo.

Palestine’s goalkeeper Rami Hamadeh also excelled but is one of a number of free agents in the squad. The lack of game time for some makes the result in Seoul even more impressive.

Due to the ongoing destruction in Gaza and elsewhere, there is no football in Palestine and no league. There was never really any question of hosting World Cup qualifiers on home soil. Israeli bombs are still falling, people are still dying and stadiums have been destroyed.

Facing Jordan in Gaza, the West Bank, or Jerusalem would have been unforgettable in terms of occasion, meaning and atmosphere. The clash in Malaysia won’t feel the same in that regard, but what does not change is the game’s importance. 

“Qualifying for the World Cup is a dream for every player or coach, but for Palestine it means a lot,” Palestine coach Makram Daboub told Arab News. “It will be a message to the whole world that despite the pain, there is always hope and there are people who deserve freedom and deserve a better life.”

This is a real rivalry heightened by the millions of Palestinians who live in Jordan. It has, however, been a little one-sided on the pitch. It is 48 years since Palestine beat Jordan, a 2-1 win in the Pan Arab Games. Since that 1976 clash, the men from Amman have been on top. 

The most painful defeat was a 5-1 thrashing at the 2015 Asian Cup, Palestine’s first appearance on the continental stage. There was a goalless draw when they met again four years later but, at the 2021 Arab Cup, Jordan won by the same scoreline.

Palestine have improved since. The mature, organised, hard-working and increasingly confident performance in Seoul showed that.

“We knew that it would not be an easy game and that is exactly what happened,” said Son Heung-min, Asia’s biggest star and captain of Tottenham Hotspur. “We had the chances to win the game and should have won but they were tough opposition.”

Just hours later Jordan slipped up, drawing 1-1 with Kuwait at home. Hosting the lowest-ranked of all the 18 teams — 136th in the world — should have been a comfortable three points for the home team. As Palestine drew what was, on paper, their toughest game, Jordan drew with, in theory, their easiest. It adds a little extra spice.

Just seven months ago, Jordan were in the Asian Cup final after defeating, and outclassing, South Korea 2-0 in the last four. The departure of coach Hussein Ammouta was a blow and the draw with Kuwait will heighten concerns that while new coach Jamal Sellami may share the same Moroccan passport as his predecessor, delivering the same success is far from certain.

The injury picked up by one of the stars of the Asian Cup, Musa Al-Tamari, has added to the gloom. The Montpellier attacker scored early against Kuwait but was unable to finish the game.

This may be a good time for Palestine to play their neighbours, who are suddenly without their star player and talismanic coach. They are also in need of points, so the pressure is on. After reaching the final at the Asian Cup, it was expected that Jordan would battle with Iraq for the second automatic spot behind South Korea. That may still happen, but last Thursday’s results have put a little doubt in the minds of everyone.

There is no doubt, however, that with the expanded World Cup, a couple of wins early in the third round could make a huge difference.

“Our goal is to be among the first four teams in the group, and we are capable of that and our chance exists,” Daboub said. “We have a good team.”