Preview: Palestine vs. Libya (2025 FIFA Arab Cup qualifier)
A depleted Palestine face a feisty Libya side led by Aliou Cisse for a spot in Group A of the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup
What: 2025 FIFA Arab Cup Qualifier
Where: Al-Gharafa Stadium, Doha, Qatar
When: November 25, 2025
Kickoff: 18:00 Jerusalem Time
TV/Streams: Subscribe to Football Palestine on Substack to receive a streaming link to your inbox one hour before kickoff.
Previous Encounters
14.12.2011: Palestine 1:1 Libya (2011 Pan Arab Games)
25.08.1999: Palestine 2:2 Libya (1999 Pan Arab Games)
01.04.1966: Palestine 1:1 Libya (1966 Arab Cup)
10.09.1965: Libya 4:2 Palestine (1965 Pan Arab Games)
03.08.1953: Libya 5:2 Palestine (1953 Pan Arab Games)
Selection Crisis
Ehab Abu Jazar could be without several players for one of the most important matches of the year. The national team concluded a successful tour of the Iberian continent on Tuesday with the feeling that, in spite of the two losses, the team was ready for the Arab Cup.
Unlike the matches against Euskadi and Catalunya, Palestine’s match against Libya comes outside the FIFA International Break. That means that the national team will be left to negotiate with several clubs to release their players not only for the finals, which begin on December 1st, but also this crucial playoff match.
Of the 26 players that were called up for the friendlies against Euskadi and Catalunya only 20 traveled onward to Qatar. To complicate matters Tamer Seyam, Michel Termanini, and Musab Al-Battat are slated to contest matches 48 hours before Palestine plays Libya. The participation of Oday Dabbagh, Hamed Hemdan, and Badr Moussa remains up in the air for the same reason.
In the case of Dabbagh, Zamalek SC is due to host Zesco SC in the African Confederations Cup tomorrow and then travel to South Africa to play Kaizer Chiefs on November 30th.
Moustafa Zeidan played 67 minutes for Rosenborg today while Amid Mahajna was an unused substitute for Al-Rayyan.
Mohamad Hebous and Muhamed Alghoul are set to miss out on the encounter as the former is injured while the latter could not be registered in time for the tournament.
That means only 14 field players are likely to be 100% fit ahead of a match that will determine whether or not Palestine gets to play in the FIFA Arab Cup.
Libya Prepares in the Shadows
A closed door camp and a single friendly is what Aliou Cisse opted for to prepare his charges ahead of the FIFA Arab Cup. Libya have not qualified for a major tournament (Arab Cup, AFCON, World Cup) since appearing at the 2012 AFCON tournament.
In the lead up to that match, Libya and Palestine locked horns at the 2011 Pan Arab Games in December of that year. The match ended in a 1-1 draw and group play concluded with Palestine punching their ticket to the knockout rounds.
Since that match the two sides have been on different trajectories. Palestine have qualified for four straight Asian Cups and successfully navigated the playoff phase of the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup. Libya have missed out on seven straight AFCON tournaments and the last Arab Cup.
There are signs of a turnaround for the Mediterranean Knights which have coincided with the hiring of Aliou Cisse an African champion as a manager and a three time veteran of the FIFA World Cups as a player (2002) and a coach (2018, 2022). Cisse’s remit is to get Libya back to the AFCON but an Arab Cup Finals participation would be a welcome bonus.
The bespectacled tactician turned around their World Cup qualification campaign following a 3-1 loss to Cameroon in his first match in charge. The team then beat Angola away (1-0) and Eswatini at home (2-0) and had eventual group winners Cape Verde on the ropes 3-1 with 30 minutes to go before being forced to settle for a 3-3 draw.
That result eliminated Libya from contention and a 0-0 draw vs. Mauritius away left a lot to be desired. The inconsistency might be down to normal growing pains as Cisse has started something of a youth movement in the national team. His last World Cup qualification squad included only five players over the age of 28. The starting lineup’s average age was 25.5.
Over the international break, Libya beat Mauritania at home 1-0 amid murmurs of problems with funding and an injury crisis that only now is beginning to ease up with the return of attackers Abdulmoneim Akasha and Mohammed Al-Wadani, Goalkeeper Mohammed Ayad, alongside midfielder Omar Harek.
Keys to the Game
Libya had all sorts of problems before Aliou Cisse took charge. Now, Libya have a clear identity- be tough to play against and capitalize off of set pieces. If a goal does not materialize from a set piece then it is likely to come from a cross. All of Libya’s goals since Cisse took over have been the result of a cross (3), free kick (2), or corner kick (1) bar the second goal scored against Cape Verde.
Palestine will have to clean up their own issues with set piece defending if they want to emerge victorious. The onus will also be on Al-Fida’i to take the game to Libya who will be content to sit back and use their five man backline to absorb pressure.
Palestine vs. Libya is a fixture that has generated goals galore and neither side has managed to shut the other one out in the five matches held over the past 72 years. If Palestine can do that, then they should have just enough firepower in their depleted squad to see the match out.
Failure to do so and things could get dicey. If the match is level after 90 minutes- as it was for the past three encounters- the teams will advance directly to a penalty kick shootout.