Palestinians Face One of Asia's Toughest Soccer Tests to Start the 3rd Round of World Cup Qualifying

A Look at the Challenges Ahead

The Palestinian national soccer team is set to face one of its toughest challenges yet as they embark on the third round of World Cup qualifying. Ranked 94th in the FIFA World Rankings, Palestine will be competing against some of Asia's top teams, including Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and China.

The third round of qualifying will be played in a round-robin format, with each team playing each other twice. The top two teams from each group will advance to the fourth round of qualifying, while the third-placed teams will enter a play-off round.

Key Matches

Palestine will open their campaign against Uzbekistan on September 5th, followed by a match against Singapore on September 10th. They will then face their toughest test of the group stage when they take on Australia on October 7th. The return match against Australia will be played on November 16th.

Other key matches for Palestine include their matches against Saudi Arabia (October 12th and November 11th) and Japan (October 16th and March 24th).

Challenges

Palestine will face a number of challenges in the third round of qualifying. One of the biggest challenges will be the quality of their opponents. Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and China are all ranked higher than Palestine in the FIFA World Rankings and have a wealth of experience at the international level.

Another challenge for Palestine will be the travel involved in the qualifying campaign. The team will have to travel to a number of different countries during the qualifying campaign, which could take a toll on their fitness and morale.

Ambitions

Despite the challenges, Palestine will be hoping to make history by qualifying for the World Cup for the first time. The team has never qualified for the World Cup before, and they will be determined to make the most of this opportunity.

Palestine's coach, Makram Daboub, has said that the team's goal is to finish in the top two of their group and qualify for the fourth round of qualifying. He believes that the team has the potential to achieve this goal, and he is confident that they can surprise some of their more highly-ranked opponents.

Conclusion

The Palestinian national soccer team faces a tough challenge in the third round of World Cup qualifying. However, the team is determined to make history and qualify for the World Cup for the first time. With a talented squad and a supportive fan base, Palestine has the potential to surprise some of their more highly-ranked opponents and achieve their goal.