Palestine scored their second-ever goal at the AFC Asian Cup courtesy of Tamer Seyam, who scored just before halftime on Sunday in the team’s game against Iran. Seyam’s team was already down 3-0 when he scored in the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time. Palestine earned a free kick yards from the penalty area but the forward took advantage of a deflection from an Iran defender before scoring on a header.
The team went on to lose 4-1, but the goal provided a silver lining to take away from the match from the fairly inexperienced Palestine team. This year marks only their third appearance at the continental championship, and they have never advanced out of the group stage.
Palestine’s latest trip to the Asian Cup takes place amidst the Israel-Hamas War, and their opening match took place on the 100th day of the conflict. The tournament recognized the occasion with a moment of silence before the match and advocated for a peaceful resolution.
More than 23,000 Palestinians have died in the war, per the Associated Press, accounting for around 1% of the population, while roughly 80% of the population is displaced. Around 1,200 Israelis were killed in the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas militants in the act that marked the beginning of the conflict.
