PALESTINE considers their upcoming friendly match against Malaysia as a crucial testing ground for new player combinations ahead of the Asian Cup and World Cup tournaments.
Head coach Ehab Abu Jazar acknowledged his squad faces significant challenges with several key players unavailable due to injuries ahead of the Saturday match.
He emphasised the match’s importance for both team development and FIFA ranking points while providing opportunities for new squad members to prove themselves.
“We want to see the abilities of nine to 10 new faces who have joined the squad this time,“ Abu Jazar stated during a press conference on Friday.
The coach explained that preseason timing complications contributed to injury issues as many players lacked recent match practice.
He described his squad as a blend of experienced players dating back to 2013 and completely new faces making their national team debuts.
Notable absentees include Mohammed Saleh, Assad Al Hamlawi, Mohamad Hebous, Amid Mahajna, Musab Al Batat and Muath Barhous due to various injuries.
Abu Jazar acknowledged Malaysia’s steady progress and aggressive playing style enhanced by naturalised players in their squad.
“Malaysia are a strong team,“ he noted while recognising that the home team also faces some player absences for the match.
The Palestinian coach anticipated strong local fan support would create an exciting atmosphere for the international friendly.
Midfielder Oday Kharoub, former captain of Malaysian club Kelantan Darul Naim FC, expressed respect for all Malaysian players including naturalised squad members.
He observed significant changes in Malaysian football since their previous encounters particularly regarding player naturalisation policies.
Malaysia enters the match following a 2-1 victory over traditional rivals Singapore in a Tier 1 international friendly at Bukit Jalil National Stadium last Thursday. – Bernama