Palestine and Iran Coaches: Basra Tournament a Chance to Prepare Young Players and Refresh Squads

The coaches of Palestine and Iran said the Basra International Tournament offers an opportunity to prepare players for upcoming competitions and refresh their squads, while giving young players a chance to participate and gain experience. Palestine coach Ehab Abu Jazar stressed that his team still aims to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Saturday’s match against Iran, Abu Jazar said the coaching staff had left out a number of players, called up new faces and changed its playing philosophy. He added that seven players were unavailable because of injury, while eight had declined to join the squad, and that the postponement of the Asian Cup had provided a suitable opportunity to refresh the squad. He described the match against Iran as a chance to assess the Palestinian team’s level and expressed confidence in his players’ ability to put in a good performance.

Abu Jazar said the team’s philosophy was to win or learn from every match. He said he was pleased to take part in the tournament and thanked the Iraqi Football Association for the invitation. He also noted that there were directives to help ensure the success of tournaments hosted by Iraq.

Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei thanked the people of Basra for their welcome. He said the coaching staff had made changes to the squad and brought in young players to give them the chance to participate, gain experience and prove their abilities. He said the tournament was a stage in preparing for upcoming competitions, and that Iran had not played on home soil for 500 days because of the war.

Iran player Saeid Ezatolahi said the team was taking part to prepare for upcoming competitions and give young players a greater opportunity, adding that the team aspired to compete for the title. Palestine player Amideh Sawafteh noted the large number of absences but said he had confidence in the players who were available.

The Iranian team had reached Basra by land on Tuesday through the Shalamcheh border crossing after its plane was unable to land at Basra International Airport and was diverted to the Iranian city of Abadan.