Palestine and Bangladesh meet on Thursday in the first of back-to-back 2026 World Cup qualification games.
They currently occupy the bottom two places in Group I with a point each, as they both look to pick up their first victory to boost their chances of being involved at the tournament.
Match preview
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Palestine heads into Thursday's fixture on the back of a positive run in the Asian Cup where the team registered its first-ever victory in the competition.
While the Lions of Canaan were ultimately knocked out in the round of 16 in the competition earlier this year, the team is focused on trying to bring some positivity to their supporters.
Due to the Israel-Hamas war, Palestine has not played a match at home since 2019, and that will continue to be the case this week as the game will be taking place in Kuwait.
Despite that, Palestine did pick up a point in the opening match of the group stage in a goalless draw against Lebanon, where Oday Dabbagh ended up being denied in the closing stages.
That was followed up by a defeat to Group I favourites Australia, but they certainly faired better than their opponents this week, which should give the team some confidence.
The visitors were blown away by the Socceroos when they met in November as they conceded seven without reply, a result that has left them bottom of the group due to goal difference.
Much like Palestine, Bangladesh did manage to pick up a point against the Cedars, with Shekh Morsalin finding the back of the net to bring his team level in that game.
That point certainly gives Javier Cabrera's men some confidence coming into this match, as they attempt to qualify for a World Cup for the first time in their history.
Bangladesh will play consecutive matches against Palestine during this international break, so a positive result on Thursday will bring obvious benefits heading into the reverse fixture next week.
While they do trail Australia by five points at the moment, a couple of good results can quickly change things, but an improved performance on their previous meeting against Palestine will be required, as it was the Lions of Canaan who walked out the victors on that day in 2021.
Team News
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Dabbagh scored three times during the Asian Cup, playing a key part in Palestine's success in the tournament, which should lead to him featuring from the first minute this Thursday.
Wessam Abou Ali suffered a calf problem which stopped him from being selected for this match, while Tamer Seyam and Ataa Jaber are both dealing with Achilles injuries.
Team captain and most-capped player Jamal Bhuyan is expected to lead the line for the Bengal Tigers on Thursday, but he is still searching for his first goal of the 2026 World Cup qualification process.
Saad Uddin has been dealing with minor injuries lately, but Cabrera has made it clear there have been improvements with him which could lead to the full-back starting.
However, Bangladesh will be without Tariq Raihan Kazi and forward Sheikh Morsalin as both of them are dealing with injuries at the moment.
Palestine possible starting lineup:
Hamadeh; Al-Batat, Termanini, Saleh, Saldana; Warda, Mahajna, Kharoub, Seyam; Dabbagh, Qunbar
Bangladesh possible starting lineup:
Marma; Ghosh, Kazi, Hossain, Faysal; Rana, Ridoy, Hasan; Morsalin, Fahim, Bhuyan
We say: Palestine 2-0 Bangladesh
Palestine might not have picked up a win in the Asian Cup, but their performances showcased a lot of quality and their defensive abilities could be a key factor here.
Considering the poor start that the visitors have made to this group stage, it is the Lions of Canaan who will be considered the favourites.
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