Dabbagh double fires Palestine to historic Asian Cup win

DOHA — Palestine's captain said his team had fulfilled "a promise to the Palestinian people" after reaching the Asian Cup knockout rounds for the first time on Tuesday.

The 3-0 victory over Hong Kong, China, was also its first win in the history of the competition and enough to squeeze into the last 16 as one of the four best third-placed teams.

Oday Dabbagh was the hero in Doha with two goals, and at the final whistle, Palestine's players and staff celebrated on the pitch, hugging and waving flags.

The United Arab Emirates went through in second place from Group C, despite losing 2-1 to group winner Iran.

Palestine's victory came against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war in the Palestinian territory of Gaza.

Players and staff have lost loved ones in the conflict.

Captain Musab Al-Battat said that his men had made good on "a promise we made to the Palestinian people".

"I would like to thank all those who supported us," he said.

"We managed to put a smile on the faces of those who follow us ...inside or outside Palestine."

No side had played more Asian Cup matches without a win than Hong Kong (12 games) or Palestine (eight), but victory would offer either side a chance of making the last 16.

Palestine scored in the 12th minute, when Battat made an overlapping run from right-back and launched a cross into the box which Dabbagh headed into the net.

Heading over to their fans to celebrate, the players raised their hands to make "V" signs.

Hong Kong was dealt with a blow when centerback and match-day captain Vas Nunez sustained an arm injury and had to be replaced by Li Ngai-hoi.

But the team, ranked 150th in the world, started creating chances as the half wore on, Philip Chan and Everton Camargo blazing the ball over the bar.

'Everything is possible'

Throughout the game, the 6,568 people inside the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium were almost entirely supporting Palestine, like at most grounds during the team's campaign.

But, a dense and boisterous bloc of red-clad Hong Kong fans provided an unending beat of encouragement for the team.

Minutes into the second half, Palestine doubled its lead, Battat again playing the role of provider from the right wing, this time Zeid Qunbar taking him up on a generous invitation to score.

Palestine got a third after the hour, when Tamer Seyam's long-range effort hit the bar and fell to Dabbagh, who tapped in his second of the match.

It was given a scare during the eighth minute of added time when referee Shaun Evans awarded Hong Kong a penalty after a VAR review for a handball by Battat.

But, Camargo's spot-kick thudded against the bar as Hong Kong headed home, beaten but unbowed.

Winning coach Makram Daboub said his team "knew this match was decisive ... especially concerning the current circumstances that Palestine is going through".

Looking ahead to the next round he said he was realistic about the challenge, but that his team was "very confident in our ability and everything is possible in the second round".

Hong Kong coach Jorn Andersen rued his team's inability to get a goal in the game's opening stages, which might have changed the complexion of the contest.

"That's the difference between us and the better teams before us, because they have the quality to make a goal out of nothing," he said.

"We can try and get better. We need it for the future."

Worst performance

India produced its worst Asian Cup performance in 40 years after losing all three group matches without scoring, as head coach Igor Stimac bemoaned the lack of center forwards who could step up for the national team in Qatar.

India became the second team after China to finish the campaign without a goal, as losses to Australia and Uzbekistan were followed by Tuesday's 1-0 loss to Syria that ended its faint hopes of moving to the knockout stage.

"Overall in three games we proved that we can compete at this level," Stimac told reporters.

"Obviously everybody sees what the missing points are in India's play. Scoring goals, which comes with having good goal-scorers and people with confidence in front of the goal.

"The team produced enough chances to score. When we start having Indian players in the center forward position (in the domestic league) then we're going to have many more goal-scorers for the national team."

India's captain Sunil Chhetri has scored 93 international goals and is the third-highest active international goalscorer after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, but even the 39-year-old veteran was unable to find the net and was left frustrated by some near misses.

Agencies