Squad shakeup: Barakat announces team to face Saudi Arabia & Malaysia

Palestine during last week’s training camp in Tunis. 

New Palestine manager Abdel Nasser Barakat has announced his first squad ahead of 2018 FIFA World Cup/2019 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers against Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.

Many changes were expected once the preliminary squad of players was released last month. Long serving goalkeeper and captain, Ramzi Saleh was omitted from a roster of 67 players signaling a shift to a younger generation of players.

Also falling victim to the generational shift were Husam Abu Saleh (who retired from international football), Raed Fares, Ismail Amour, and 2014 AFC Challenge Cup MVP Murad Ismael.

There are a whole host of new players that could receive their first caps against Saudi Arabia including Chile-based Matías Jadue and Pablo Tamburrini. Overall only 10 players in this squad were present with the national team in Australia for the Asian Cup. 18 Players in the squad are under the age of 25, with Barakat calling up many players that featured during Olympic qualifying and the 2014 Asian Games.

Injuries 

Missing out on selection due to injury are Goalkeeper Rami Hammadi, who was expected to back up newly minted #1 Toufic Ali as well as Palestine’s talisman Ashraf Nu’man. Palestine will be without a natural number 10 with Abdelhamid Abuhabib and Taraji Wadi Al-Nes’s Ayman Kharbat also withdrawing form the squad.

Alexis Norambuena, Imad Zatara and Javier Cohene were not included in the preliminary squad due to long standing injuries.

Full squad after the jump…


Note: Azmi Shweiki and Mohammed Yameen were eventually replaced by Khaled Azzam and Mahmoud Dayfallah in the final squad. 

GOALKEEPERS 

Palestinian territories Toufic Ali
Club: Tarji Wadi Al-Nes
Age: 24 (08/11/1990)
Appearances: 17 (0)
Last Call-up: 2015 AFC Asian Cup

Palestinian territoriesAzmi Shweiki
Club: Ahli Al-Khaleel
Age: 29 (13/06/2015)
Appearances: 0 (0)
Last Call-up: None


Palestinian territories Ghanem Mahajneh
Club: Shabab Al-Dharieh 
Age: 24 (20/04/1991)
Appearances: None
Last Call-up: 2014 Challenge Cup

DEFENDERS 

Palestinian territories Mohammed Abukhamis
Club: Taraji Wadi Al-Nes
Age: 24 (25/05/1991)
Position: Center Back
Appearances: 0 (0)
Last Call-up: None

Club: Wehdat 
Age: 31 (20/02/1984)
Position: Center Back 
Appearances: 35 (1)
Last Call-up: 2015 AFC Asian Cup

Palestinian territories Mus’ab Battat
Club: Shabab Al-Dhahrieh
Position: Right Back
Age: 21 (12/11/1993)
Appearances: 9 (0)
Last Call-up: 2015 AFC Asian Cup

Palestinian territories Haitham Deeb
Club: Jabal Al-Mukaber
Position: Center Back
Age: 28 (03/12/1986)
Appearances: 18 (1)
Last Call-up: 2015 AFC Asian Cup

Palestinian territories Ahmed Harbi 
Club: Al-Am’ary
Position: Right Back
Age: 28 (16/07/1986)
Appearances: 22 (1)
Last Call-up: 2015 AFC Asian Cup

Palestinian territories Abdullah Jaber
Club: Hilal Al-Quds
Position:  Left Back
Age: 22 (17/02/1993)
Appearances: 14 (1)
Last Call-up: 2015 AFC Asian Cup

Palestinian territories Thaer Jboor
Club: Shabab Yatta
Position: Left Back
Age: 23 (20/03/1992)
Appearances: 0 (0)
Last Call-up: None

Palestinian territories Tamer Salah
Club: Hilal Al-Quds
Position: Centre Back
Age: 29 (03/04/1986)
Appearances: 3 (0)
Last Call-up: 2015 AFC Asian Cup

MIDFIELDERS

Palestinian territories Mahmoud Abuwarda
Club: Merkaz Balata
Position: Midfielder
Age: 20 (31/05/1995)
Appearances: 0 (0)
Last Call-up: v. Pakistan (14/10/2014)

Palestinian territories Mohammed Darwish 
Club: Shabab Al-Dhahrieh
Position: Defensive Midfielder
Age:
Appearances: 0 (0)
Last Call-up:  v. Malaysia (WCQ 16/06/2015)

Sweden Mahmoud Eid
Club: Nyköpings BIS
Position: Winger/Forward
Age: 21 (06/23/1993)
Appearances: 7 (1)
Last Call-up: 2015 AFC Asian Cup

Palestinian territories Oday Kharoub
Club: Thaqafi Tulkarem
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Age: 22 (04/02/1993)
Appearances: 0 (0)
Last Call-up: v. Malaysia (WCQ 16/06/2015)

Slovenia Jaka Ihbeisheh
Club: NK Krka
Position: Winger
Age: 28 (29/08/1986)
Appearances: 4 (1)
Last Call-up: 2015 AFC Asian Cup

Palestinian territories Ahmed Maher 
Club: Ahli Al-Khaleel
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Age: 23 (22/07/1991)
Appearances: 14 (5)
Last Call-up: 2015 AFC Asian Cup

Palestinian territories Tamer Seyam
Club: Shabab Al-Khaleel
Position:  Winger
Age: 22 (28/11/1992)
Appearances: 4 (0)
Last Call-up: v. Vietnam (09/14/2014)

Palestinian territories Mahmoud ‘Al-Koori’ Sheikhqasem  
Club: Al-Am’ary
Position: Holding Mid
Age: 22 (22/04/1993)
Appearances: 8 (0)
Last Call-up: vs. China (21/12/2014)

Chile Pablo Tamburini 
Club: Palestino
Position: Midfielder
Age: 25 (30/01/1990)
Appearances: 0 (0)
Last Call-up: None

Palestinian territories Mohammed Yameen 
Club: Islami Qalqilya
Position: Midfield
Age: 21 (19/09/1994)
Appearances: 0 (0)
Last Call-up: None

 Palestinian territories Khader Yousef
Club: Tarji Wadi Al-Nes
Position: Midfield
Age: 31 (06/10/1984)
Appearances: 54 (1)
Last Call-up: 2015 AFC Asian Cup

FORWARDS 

Chile Matias Jadue 
Club: Deportes Antofagasta
Position: Forward
Age: 22 (16/05/1992)
Appearances: 0 (0)
Last Call-up: 2015 AFC Asian Cup

Palestinian territories Qasim Mahmeid 
Club: Shabab Al-Dhahrieh
Postion: Forward
Age: 23 (b. 1992)
Appearances: 0 (0)
Last Call-up: None

Palestinian territories Sameh Mar’aba
Club: Shabab Yatta
Position: Forward
Age: 23 (18/03/1992)
Appearances: 0 (0)
Last Call-up: 2014 AFC Challenge Cup