'Fight for the people that are murdered,' Palestine football coach's half-time talk before historic win

Pep talks are so important in sports, and so often, they drastically alter the outcome of a match. Palestine men's football team head coach Ehab Abu Jazar has revealed the content of a stirring pep talk he delivered at half-time in a crucial World Cup qualifier against Iraq the other day.

Palestine went into half-time trailing 1-0 through Aymen Hussein's 34th minute strike in Amman, Jordan. It seemed like a repeat of a tale that dates back to the 1965 Pan Arab Games when Iraq and Palestine played for the first time.

Palestine had never beaten Iraq, with 14 of their 18 previous encounters ending in defeats and the other four draws. Moreover, in their last 10 meetings, Palestine had only scored once but conceded 20 goals. But Head Coach Jazar’s talk hit a nerve at the right moment.

"Remember that you play for Palestine. That you represent people that are living in tents, can’t even find bread to eat, that are murdered all the time. So go out and fight for those people," Jazar told his men at half-time.

Palestine came out of the dressing room with purpose, and put out a dominant display in the second period. Wessam Abou Ali scored an 88th minute equaliser before Ameed Mahajneh's 90+7 minute winner gave Palestine their first win in the World Cup qualifiers at Amman in Jordan.

Palestine have 6 points from eight matches, with three draws and one win. Their hopes of reaching the fourth round of qualification rests on the remaining matches against Kuwait (June 5) and Oman (June 10). In the context, the match against Iraq was significant for Palestine for staying alive in the race for the 2026 World Cup.

But it was also significant for the footballing nation that has been devastated by the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. More than 48,000 Palestinians, including at least 380 footballers, have been killed in the 15-month war that has reduced the Palestinian territory of Gaza to rubble.