Sharjah: Goalkeeper Rami Hamada hailed Palestine’s goalless draw against Syria in their first AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 match as a historic one for the nation.



The Palestinians weathered an avalanche of Syrian attacks to walk out of Sharjah Stadium with a valuable point to kick-start their continental campaign.

A string of excellent saves from Hamada and some resolute defending by coach Noureddine Ould Ali’s side saw Palestine deny Syria a win despite the 68th minute dismissal of defender Mohammed Saleh.



“It is an important point, not just the fact it’s against a strong Syria team, but also because it’s Palestine’s first ever AFC Asian Cup point,” explained the 24-year-old.

Palestine are making their second consecutive appearance in the competition, having lost all three group matches in their maiden campaign in Australia four years ago.

“It was a difficult match for us, so I really would like to thank my teammates for all their efforts. Even when we had a player sent off, every one of us fought for two."

“This is what sets us apart from our opponents; we always show strong character on the pitch.

“The players were alert for the entire 90 minutes and so was I. We looked after one another and were determined to achieve our objective.

“We fought for the name of Palestine and for the flag on our chests and that’s our biggest strength."

Palestine face reigning champions Australia in their second group B match at Rashid Stadium in Dubai on Friday.


Source: the-afc.com