Rapid Reaction: Algeria 3:0 Palestine (Unofficial Friendly)
Individual mistakes and a disjointed performance in Annaba leaves Palestine with more questions than answers
Palestine Starting XI: Abdelhadi Yassin, Musa Farawi (Hamza Hussein 60’), Michel Termanini, Ali Rabei (Yaser Hamed Mayor 80’), Wajdi Nabhan (Felipe Massri 80’), Odai Kharoub (Hamed Hemdan 45’), Ameed Sawafta, Moustafa Zeidan (Ahmed Taha 70’), Tamer Seyam (Anas Bani Owda 70’), Mahmoud Abuwarda (Shehab Qunbar 60’), Assad Al-Hamlawi (Khaled Al-Nabris 70’)
Recap: One thing was expected before kickoff tonight in Annaba- changes- either by design or by necessity. The biggest surprised was Abdelhadi Yassin whose presence in the squad was kept hidden until the last moment.
The Abna Sakhnin goalkeeper had been blocked from joining the national team by his club for the last two years. This time however he decided to press his luck and defy his clubs’ wishes as is his right per the FIFA guidelines. As a reward for his commitment, a rare change in goal was made, and veteran Rami Hamadi spent the evening as a spectator.
Yassin was not the only fresh face. Ali Rabei was deployed as a left footed centre back alongside Michel Termanini and the second choice fullbacks were also given a start. Ameed Sawafta was the other fringe player to be given an opportunity while Moustafa Zeidan was handed the starting role so many fans had demanded.
The surefire starters that retained their place were Termanini, Kharoub, and Tamer Seyam. Everyone knew this was to be a baptism of fire but what they did not account for was how the punishment was to be doled out.
Odai Kharoub was Palestine’s most consistent performer over the last twenty competitive fixtures contested stretching back to November 2023. It was jarring to see him make a litany of mistakes. The first one a bad touch and loss of possession in the defensive third gifted Algeria the opening goal after one quarter of an hour.
In the 27th minute Algeria doubled their lead slicing through Palestine’s lines in what a passage of play that was emblematic of Al-Fida’i’s problems on the night. It was never clear when and where Palestine was supposed to press and how Algeria’s movement was to be accounted for. With new personnel being trotted out, Palestine could not count on wily veterans to come to the rescue when defensively exposed.
Algeria would add a third goal in the 37th minute from the penalty spot. The most concerning element of the first half was that Madjid Bougherra’s men never really needed to get out of second gear to score their three goals.
When Palestine did have the ball it was not clear what Abu Jazar wanted them to do with it. While Moustafa Zeidan and Assad Al-Hamlawi showed flashes of their quality there was no system to fully harness their abilities or to get them on the ball in the right area at that the right time.
Palestine did improve in the second half but a consolation goal was not forthcoming. Odai Kharoub was sacrificed for Hamed Hemdan who was sharper and did a better job snuffing out danger.
A corner kick attempt early in the second stanza was perhaps the team’s best chance to claw a goal back. Al-Hamlawi forced a save with a speculative effort from outside the box soon thereafter.
A flurry of changes were made at the hour mark. Once again it was a combination of changes by necessity and by design. Musa Farawi hobbled off with cramps and Ameed Sawafta played the rest of the game as a right back. The team’s midfield was completely changed by the time the final whistle sounded with Felipe Massri and Hamza Hussein deployed ahead of Hemdan. Both youngsters did not look out of place with the first team.
What I liked: Friendlies are meant for bold experiments and at the very least we learned things today. Ali Rabei is not ready for prime time and while he might be able to hit a switching ball to the right flank he never did negating the reason for his inclusion.
I think Ameed Sawafta might not be cut out to be a midfielder at this level but he looks a capable right back. Many people forget that his first opportunity abroad in Iraq saw him deployed in that position and I liked what I saw in the final 30 minutes of the game.
What I didn’t like: Does Ehab Abu Jazar have a plan? The result is not as jarring as the manner in which Algeria achieved it. There are no patterns of play in this team and that means in transition everything slows down as players have to take multiple touches before figuring out where the space or a teammate is.
A good football team is organized into neat little triangles. There was none of that tonight. Tamer Seyam’s last kick of the game saw him lose the ball because the closest three teammates were in a straight line to the left of him.
This is not a personnel issue. Better players will mask and not actually solve the problem. Palestine has no defined style of play.
Algeria Fans: What an amazing bunch who got behind the Palestinian team and really created a great atmosphere on a night when the number one footballing event in Algeria was the first team dispatching Somalia 3-0 and qualifying for their fifth World Cup.
What’s Next: The two sides will meet in Annaba again on Monday, October 13th. Kickoff is set for 20:00 Jerusalem Time.