Asian Cup 2015: Palestine and Jordan prepare for a unique football derby
IN Melbourne we have Collingwood-Carlton, in Europe there’s the Real Madrid-Barcelona El Clasico, but as far as derbies go Jordan v Palestine is unique.
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THE loyalties are so blurry that Jordanian and Palestinian fans say “it’s almost funny”.
There has even been a scene-setting joke bandied around this week that in English translates to “Hello brother, can you please score a goal?”.
In Melbourne we have Collingwood-Carlton and in Europe there’s the Real Madrid-Barcelona El Clasico, but as far as derbies go Jordan versus Palestine is unique.
In Melbourne on Friday night, the two teams meet in a non-friendly match for the first time.
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There are 12 players in the 23-man Jordanian Asian Cup squad that are of Palestinian descent and it’s little wonder considering about 60 per cent of the Jordanian population has a Palestinian background.
Eight of those players played in the 1-0 loss to Iraq on Monday, ensuring there will be a distinct edge to hostilities.
But hostility is probably the wrong word, as this is not a derby at all fuelled with hatred.
The Jordan River separates Jordan from the Palestinian West Bank territory and some say the only difference between its people is the small star on the left of the Jordanian flag that differentiates itself from the Palestinian flag.
So, instead, this is a derby full of conflicting emotions.
Take Mo Hamdouna. Now based in Melbourne working for his creative agency Mo Works, Hamdouna — a Jordanian with Palestinian background — can’t even agree with his own brother as to who to support at AAMI Park.
“I’m following Jordan here but my brother, Aiman, is following Palestine,” Hamdouna said.
“So I will go to Jordan fans side, but carry the Palestinian flag, and he will go Palestine side but wearing the Jordanian shirt.
“It’s a chance for us to show that we are one people.”
While not recognised as a country by the United Nations, Palestine, comprising the West Bank and Gaza strip territories, was recognised by soccer’s governing body FIFA in 1998.
They have played seven friendlies against Jordan, with Jordan winning three and the other four ending in 1-1 draws.
They last met in October 2008 in what was the first game ever played on Palestinian soil, in the town of Al Ram.
As the Jordanian team walked on to the pitch that night several of its players of Palestinian origin knelt down and kissed the turf.
Striker Odai Al-Saify, one of the Jordanian players with a Palestinian background, said he would do as best as possible to treat tonight’s match the same as any other.
“There are players in Europe who are born in Brazil and they play for European teams,” Al-Saify said.
“Their allegiance is to their home team that they play for. The same thing applies for the Jordanian players with Palestinian backgrounds.
“The Late King Hussein used to say that ‘we are one, not two’, so we are all the same. It doesn’t matter that we have backgrounds, when you play you play for the badge on your chest — Jordan.”
Originally published as Asian Cup 2015: Palestine and Jordan prepare for a unique football derby
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