Khaberni - This year, Palestinian defender Mohammad Saleh is competing in the Arab Cup of soccer under circumstances he considers "relatively better" than his previous experience in the Asian Cup held in Qatar at the beginning of 2024, despite the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip where his family lives.
In an atmosphere filled with joy, Saleh appeared in the mixed zone on Sunday after the Palestinian national team’s scoreless draw with Syria, which secured a historic qualification to the quarterfinals for "Al-Fedayeen." He explained that he is in a more stable personal situation, but his heart remains with his family, adding: "The war is still ongoing, and my family is still in Gaza."
Despite a ceasefire taking effect between Israel and "Hamas" last October, it remains fragile, with ongoing accusations of violations. These circumstances bring back memories for Saleh of the Asian Cup two years ago, which coincided with the war. Then, he apologized painfully to the children of Gaza after the loss against Iran, but today he feels a different kind of happiness: "This joy is for our people in Gaza, and for the souls of our fallen comrades."
Saleh (32 years old), whose house was bombed in the Rimal neighborhood, is now experiencing some peace after his mother and younger brother moved to Doha where he plays with Al Rayyan club. Meanwhile, his father and older brother remain in Gaza facing great difficulties in watching his games due to electricity shortages and rising fuel costs. His mother also faced a health crisis on the night of the match against Syria, but he sees the situation as better than a period when he lost complete contact with his family during the war.
Saleh and his teammates look forward to achieving a new milestone by reaching the semi-finals of the Arab Cup when they face "Al-Fedayeen" the Saudi national team today, Thursday, at Lusail Stadium. The Palestinian defender emphasizes that he does not prefer to face one team over another: "We study any team we face and play to our potential, and we are capable of facing any Arab national team."
Saleh believes his current sporting situation is excellent thanks to his professionalism at Al Rayyan, unlike the previous tournament when he was without a club. He praised the performance of the Palestinian national team, which topped its strong group with the presence of Qatar and Tunisia, confirming that the team played to its potential, and possesses a significant number of professionals.
Regarding the impact of Palestinian players' professionalism in the Qatari league on their understanding of the "Al Annabi" playing style, Saleh said: This factor might be helpful, as some of the Qatar players are our teammates in the clubs, and we know their playing style well.
