[Reporter: Lam Cheuk Chun, Doha, Qatar] The second round of Group C of the Asian Cup final week started on Friday (19th) at the Southern Stadium, with Palestine battling against the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Palestine, who were the first to fall behind, lost 12 yards to Damar, but still relied on the opponent's defender Nassar to set up a goal, forcing the UAE, who were playing with 10 men for most of the match, to a 1-1 draw. A large number of fans in the stadium showed their solidarity with the war-torn Palestine, with some Palestinian fans who have settled in Qatar hoping to show their support for their favorite team.
Before the match, players from both sides lined up in the center circle to observe a moment of silence to pay tribute to the victims of the Israeli-Harajan conflict. During the match, Palestinian fans chanted "Free Palestine" and some displayed banners saying "Don't normalize ethnic cleansing". The match attracted more than 40,000 fans, most of whom were holding Palestinian flags. Whenever the Palestinians had a chance to attack, the stands were full of cheers, while when it was the turn of the UAE to attack, the boos were deafening.
The UAE were the first to enter the game, with Sultan's goal in the 23rd minute. In the 37th minute, Al-Hamadi committed a foul by pulling down Dibak in the penalty area, and the ball was pointed to the 12-yard box, and Al-Hamadi was shown a direct red card and expelled from the field, but the Palestinian winger, Damar, was the guest of honor. After the change of sides, Palestine, who had the superiority in numbers, took control of the game and frequently attacked with passes from the two wings, and the UAE's back was finally lost in the 50th minute, when defender Nassar accidentally scored into their own goal. However, the UAE fought back against Palestine in the remaining time and did not let the opponent score again, and the two sides ended up with a 1-1 draw.
