PALESTINE’s key midfielder Mohammed Bassim Ahmed Rashid has described Malaysia, the team’s designated home ground for World Cup qualifiers, as their ‘first home’.
He said Malaysian football fans’ strong support and solidarity for Palestine made the squad feel very much at home.
He said the facilities provided in Malaysia will greatly benefit his squad as they prepare to compete in the third round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers against South Korea and Jordan this September.
“To be honest, I’ve seen it in the Malaysian league. I saw Selangor, I saw Terengganu before. I’ve seen many clubs give support and love for Palestine. I think it’s gonna be a home ground. I don’t think I would say it’s a second home. I would say it’s the first home.
“I think it’s hard to play there in Palestine. The camp here for five days before we go to Korea will be beneficial. Hopefully, it’ll help us in our game against South Korea and Jordan,” he said at a training session at the Kuala Lumpur Stadium in Cheras today.
Makram Daboud’s squad arrived here on Monday to prepare for the third round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers against South Korea, after the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) provided them with facilities and resources.
After facing South Korea in Seoul on Sept 5, Palestine, ranked 96th in the world, will return to Malaysia to host Jordan in their second Group B match on Sept 10.
The Palestinian Football Association has chosen Malaysia as the venue for their home match against Jordan.
FAM has been given the responsibility of managing the match in terms of operations and technical aspects, including the team’s centralised training.
