Almost immediately after the final whistle sounded in Tashkent. The Palestinian Football Association announced on its Facebook page that it would convene a technical committee to investigate and study the reasons for Palestine’s dip in performance.
The full statement in Arabic appears below.
The PFA had convened a similar committee in the wake of the AFC Asian Cup but decided to stick with the embattled Noureddine Ould Ali. That decision was in part due to the organization unwilling to reappoint former manager Abdel Nasser Barakat and an unwillingness to work with the fiercely independent- Ayman Sandouqa who had preformed quite well in his role as the Olympic Team Manager.
The technical committee will be headed up by the PFA General Secretary Abdulmajeed “Abu Jihad” Hijjeh and will include Abdel Nasser Barakat, Saeb Jendeya, Emad Al-Zaatari, Jacqueline Jizrawi, and Basim Abu Awra.
The findings will then be sent to board for a decision on how to move forward.
Despite the dramatic timing of the statement- Ould Ali could still remain in his post. In closing the statement the PFA said “it understood the anger and disappointment of the fans but that results in football naturally fluctuate on the road to improvement and achieving a greater goal.”
Palestine sits in last place in Group D on four points and have scored a meagre three goals in five games.
