KUALA LUMPUR – The participation of Palestine in the upcoming Merdeka Tournament appears to be increasingly doubtful due to the ongoing and escalating conflict with Israel.
Given the rapidly deteriorating situation on the ground, the Palestine Football Association has confirmed, in a Twitter post, that no matches will be played this week.
The post also highlights that travel is impossible due to the closure of all border crossings and Lod Airport because of the war in Gaza.
The PFA has announced that all #WBPL🇵🇸 and Gaza League matches will not be played this week given the fast deteriorating situation on the ground.
— Football Palestine (@FutbolPalestine) October 7, 2023
Palestine’s friendly fixtures in the #MerdekaCup could be under threat too. All border crossings and Lod Airport are closed.
Speaking with Scoop, an insider from the football fraternity said that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) is looking into the issue and might bring in a replacement team if necessary.
“It seems like the footballing body is in a meeting today to explore alternatives based on the current situation in Palestine.
“For now, it’s a status quo, and the footballing body will release an official statement soon regarding Palestine’s participation in the tournament,” the source said.
Previously, Lebanon was forced to withdraw from the Merdeka Tournament as the Cedars and Palestine had been drawn in the same group for the 2026 World Cup-2027 Asian Cup qualifiers in November.
Lebanon was quickly replaced by the world’s 110th-ranked Tajikistan to participate in the tournament, which is returning after a decade-long absence.
The 42nd edition of the Merdeka Tournament is set to be a proving ground for Kim Pan-gon’s Harimau Malaya, who will compete in the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar next year.
Harimau Malaya will kick-start its campaign on October 13 against the world’s 102nd-ranked India, while the world number 97-ranked Palestine is still scheduled to play Tajikistan in their opening match on the same day.
The winners of these two matches will advance to the final stage, while the losing team will compete in the third-place match on October 17. – October 9, 2023