Palestine coach finds inspiration in his mother's advice from Gaza | OneFootball

The coach of the Palestinian national football team, Ehab Abou Jazar, carries the hopes of a war-torn people. But it is his mother, who lives in a camp in Gaza, who serves as his inspiration and motivation. The war triggered by Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, put an end to the Palestinian league football games.

But the coach's mother refuses to let the conflict erase her son's sporting dreams in the Arab Cup competition in Doha. When communications allow, she gives him advice and encouragement over the phone from her tent in Gaza, where she has lived since the family home was destroyed.

“She talks to me about nothing but the team and the championship,” says the 45-year-old coach, who lives in Doha, to AFP. “She asks me about the players, who will start, who will be absent, questions me about the strategy and the team's spirit,” he adds.

His mother, Huda Mahmoud Abou Jazar, 62, now lives in a tent in the Al-Mawasi displaced persons camp in southern Gaza Strip, along with her other son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. “I can't describe the immense happiness I feel for my son and his extraordinary team,” she told AFP.

Photo: BASHAR TALEB / AFP

“Forgotten Happiness”

Proudly, she recounts that the entire camp erupted with joy when the Palestinian team defeated Qatar in an Arab Cup match last week. “You could hear shouts of joy everywhere. They brought a happiness we had forgotten in Gaza,” she recalls. “It is a great honor for us.”

Ehab Abou Jazar, a left-back in his playing days, hopes to pass on his mother's optimism to his players. “We always say we are a small Palestinian family” representing the entire population, he explains. “Of course, it puts pressure on us, but it's positive pressure,” he continues.

The Palestinian national team ranks 96th in the FIFA ranking, and their hopes of participating in their first World Cup in June dissipated a few months ago after a draw against Oman in Jordan. However, the players, most of whom have never set foot in Gaza, made history on Sunday after a goalless draw against Syria secured their spot in the Arab Cup quarter-finals.

Historic Performance in the Arab Cup

This performance shows the world that Palestinians can “excel in all areas” if they are in good conditions, highlights Abou Jazar, who ended his playing career in 2017 before becoming the national team coach in 2024.

In Doha, he has been following the Gaza conflict with his players, anguished for their loved ones. “It was mental pressure, especially at the beginning of the war,” he says during a moment of greater calm due to the fragile truce in place between Israel and Hamas since October 10.

“We didn't understand what was happening. But we have resilience in our genes,” assures the coach. “If we give up, we will disappear as a people,” he emphasizes.

Before Sunday's game against Syria, Abou Jazar's mother managed to send a message to her son and his team. “I pray for them at all times, may God guide their kicks, and God willing, victory will be theirs today,” she said before the duel.

When the team plays, Ehab Abou Jazar feels he brings some relief to the people of Gaza, exhausted by two years of war. “It's what keeps us standing and motivates us, bringing joy to our people,” he says. “All this drives us to fight on the field, until our last breath.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.