Palestine start prep for crucial UAE qualifier in Germany

Palestine get training underway in Frankfurt 

Palestine flew to Frankfurt this past weekend to start the preparations for next month's crunch 2018 FIFA World Cup/2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifier against group favorites UAE. The camp, which will run until the end of the month, will pit Palestine against teams from the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga.

National team manager Abdel Nasser Barakat is expected to join the team later on this week after attending a summit for national team bosses in Kuala Lumpur.

This trip comes on the heels of an internal training camp that featured a larger pool of players. It's unclear if any additions from the domestic player pool would be made to this squad.

Palestine's foreign contingent will not be participating in this camp as most of them are otherwise engaged with their clubs. One player, Sweden-based Ahmed Kanjo, was with the national team in the West Bank but has since been forced to pull out with an injury.

According to Kamel Gharbi of Korapal, Alexis Norambuena has been invited to participate in the two week expedition. The right back has been without a club since GKS Belchatow released him during the close season. An achilles injury saw him miss all but the initial six games of the season including Palestine's maiden AFC Asian Cup voyage.

More after the jump...

'Al-Koori' takes in Mainz v. Ingolstadt

The team has taken to its surroundings well- they attended Mainz's Bundesliga opener vs. Ingolstadt on Saturday. Despite not being able to avail of their services at the current moment, it's widely expected that the team will use this opportunity to touch base with Amir Fallahen of Freiburg and Mohammed Darwish (Hannover 96 u19).

Palestine's relatively young team should be well served by this camp- pitting their relative youth against German sides should serve as excellent preparation for UAE. If the players can absorb the intensity of the training camp and the finer points of playing disciplined positionally then Palestine can reasonably expect a result next month. Ahead of the trip back home, Palestine will face Lebanon in Saida on the 31st of August.

For their part, the UAE will start training on August 23rd but will be without seven Al-Ahli players due to their participation in the Asian Champions League until August 26th. Two days later they'll host Myanmar in a tuneup before hosting Malaysia on the 3rd of September.

Palestine's 24-man squad for Germany camp is as follows:

GOALKEEPERS:

 Toufic Ali
Club: Shabab Dora
Age: 25 (08/11/1990)
Appearances: 19 (0)
Last Call-up: v. Malaysia (WCQ 16/06/2015)

 Ghanem Mahajneh
Club: Shabab Al-Khaleel 
Age: 24 (20/04/1991)
Appearances: None
Last Call-up: v. Malaysia (WCQ 16/06/2015)

Azmi Shweiki
Club: Ahli Al-Khaleel
Age: 29 (13/06/1986)
Appearances: 0 (0)
Last Call-up: v. Malaysia (WCQ 16/06/2015)

DEFENDERS: 

 Mohammed Abukhamis
Club: Taraji Wadi Al-Nes
Position: Center Back

Age: 24 (25/05/1991)

Appearances: 1 (0)
Last Call-up: v. Malaysia (WCQ 16/06/2015)

 Mus'ab Al-Battat
Club: Shabab Al-Dhahrieh
Position: Right Back
Age: 22 (12/11/1993)
Appearances: 11 (1)
Last Call-up: v. Malaysia (WCQ 16/06/2015)

 Mahmoud Dayfallah
Club: Ahli Al-Khaleel
Position: Center Back
Age: 25 (b. 1990)
Appearances: 0 (0)
Last Call-up: v. Malaysia (WCQ 16/06/2015)

 Haitham Deeb
Club: Hilal Al-Quds
Position: Center Back
Age: 29 (03/12/1986)
Appearances: 18 (1)
Last Call-up: v. Malaysia (WCQ 16/06/2015)

 Ahmed Harbi 
Club: Al-Am'ary
Position: Right Back
Age: 28 (16/07/1986)
Appearances: 24 (1)
Last Call-up: v. Malaysia (WCQ 16/06/2015)

 Abdullah Jaber
Club: Ahli Al-Khaleel
Position:  Left Back
Age: 22 (17/02/1993)
Appearances: 16 (1)
Last Call-up: v. Malaysia (WCQ 16/06/2015)

 Yazan Owiwe 
Club: Shabab Al-Khaleel
Position: Center Back
Age: 21 (06/06/1994)
Appearances: 0 (0)
Last Call-up: None

 Tamer Salah
Club: Hilal Al-Quds
Position: Centre Back
Age: 29 (03/04/1986)
Appearances: 5 (0)
Last Call-up: v. Malaysia (WCQ 16/06/2015)

MIDFIELDERS: 

 Abdelhamid Abuhabib
Club: Ismaily SC
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Age: 26 (08/06/1989)
Appearances: 32 (7)
Last Call-up: v. Malaysia (WCQ 16/06/2015)

 Mahmoud Abuwarda
Club: Merkaz Balata
Position: Midfielder
Age: 20 (31/05/1995)
Appearances: 0 (0)
Last Call-up: v. Malaysia (WCQ 16/06/2015)

 Mohammed Darwish 
Club: Shabab Al-Dhahrieh
Position: Defensive Midfielder
Age: 23 (b. 1992)
Appearances: 2 (0)
Last Call-up:  v. Malaysia (WCQ 16/06/2015)

 Ahmed Maher 
Club: Ahli Al-Khaleel
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Age: 24 (22/07/1991)
Appearances: 16 (5)
Last Call-up: v. Malaysia (WCQ 16/06/2015)

 Sameh Mar'aba
Club: Khader FC
Position: Forward
Age: 23 (18/03/1992)
Appearances: 2 (2)
Last Call-up: v. Malaysia (WCQ, 16/06/2015)

 Tamer Seyam
Club: Shabab Al-Khaleel
Position:  Winger
Age: 23 (28/11/1992)
Appearances: 6 (2)
Last Call-up: v. Malaysia (WCQ 16/06/2015)

 Mahmoud 'Al-Koori' Sheikhqasem  
Club: Al-Am'ary
Position: Holding Mid
Age: 22 (22/04/1993)
Appearances: 8 (0)
Last Call-up: v. Malaysia (WCQ 16/06/2015)

 Mohammed Yameen 
Club: Islami Qalqilya
Position: Midfield
Age: 21 (19/09/1994)
Appearances: 0 (0)
Last Call-up: v. Malaysia (WCQ 16/06/2015)

  Khader Yousef
Club: Tarji Wadi Al-Nes
Position: Midfield
Age: 31 (06/10/1984)
Appearances: 56 (2)
Last Call-up: v. Malaysia (WCQ 16/06/2015)

FORWARDS: 

 Ahmad Abu Nahyeh
Club: Shabab Al-Khaleel
Position: Striker
Age: 24 (07/07/1991)
Appearances: 0 (0)
Last Call-up:  none

 Mohamad Fode 
Club: Shabab Al-Dhahrieh
Position: Forward
Age: 26 (03/01/1989)
Appearances: 0 (0)
Last Call-up: none

 Qasim Mahmeid 
Club: Shabab Al-Dhahrieh
Postion: Forward
Age: 23 (b. 1992)
Appearances: 0 (0)
Last Call-up: v. Malaysia (WCQ, 16/06/2015)

 Fadi Salbees 
Club: Hilal Al-Quds
Position: Forwards
Age: 22 (01/05/1993)
Appearances: 0 (0)
Last Call-up: none

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