In the final match of Group C action at the Asian Cup, Hong Kong and Palestine are set to face off at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium.
Match Preview:
Hong Kong, still seeking their first point of the competition, will be hoping to secure a historic victory.
On the other hand, Palestine, yet to win a game in the tournament, must secure a win by multiple goals to have any chance of advancing to the knockout stage.
Hong Kong has put forth spirited efforts in their previous encounters, but their inability to finish chances has been their downfall.
Despite their valiant performances, they have suffered four successive defeats, scoring a goal or fewer each time.
However, there is still a glimmer of hope for Hong Kong to progress to the next stage if they secure a victory on matchday three.
Palestine, on the other hand, seemed to control their match against the United Arab Emirates, but failed to find a decisive breakthrough.
With a mere two goals in two group fixtures, they have already outscored their previous two group stage appearances.
However, Palestine has yet to make it beyond the group stage in any tournament since their 2020 Bangabandhu Cup triumph.
Team News:
Hong Kong made two changes to their starting lineup for their second match, bringing in Vas Nunez and Sun Ming Him.
Goalkeeper Yapp Hung Fai, the most-capped player in the national team’s history, is inching closer to his 100th appearance.
Chan Siu Kwan, who has scored their only goal in the tournament so far, is leading the goal-scoring charts for Hong Kong.
Palestine has been without striker Mahmoud Wadi due to personal tragedy, but they introduced newcomers Mohammed Saleh and Oday Dabbagh in their last match.
Tamer Seyam, their leading goalscorer, missed a penalty in their previous game but will be eager to make amends.
Possible Lineups:
Hong Kong: (4-2-3-1)
Fai
Defenders: Nam, Gerbig, Nunez, Chan
Ming, Wai, Kwan
Camargo, Orr, Udebuluzor
Palestine: (4-4-2)
Hamadeh
Al-Battat, Termanini, Saleh, Saldana
Seyam, Batran, Rashid, Warda
S. Qunbar, Z. Qunbar
Prediction:
In this crucial encounter, both teams have a lot at stake. While a victory may not be enough for Palestine to advance, they have shown more attacking prowess than Hong Kong. We predict a 2-1 victory for Palestine, with Hong Kong struggling to maintain possession and defend against their opponents’ relentless attacks.
