Palestine National Team To Play Home Matches In Algeria

The Palestine men's national team will play all home matches in Algeria until further notice.

Their first qualifier is an away game against Lebanon on November 16. That match will take place in the United Arab Emirates.

Palestine's first home game will be against Australia five days later.

Palestine's national stadium is based in the West Bank. However, the Palestinian Football Association was asked by the Asian Football Confederation to stage the Australia match in a neutral venue.

This came following multiple attacks on Israel by Hamas on October 7 - which left more than 1,400 people dead.

Israel has since retaliated with air strikes that have resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths, while an Israeli ground offensive is said to be imminent.

In a statement published on Monday, the Algerian Football Federation said it had "decided to host in Algeria all official and unofficial matches as part of the preparation of the Palestinian football team for the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup and the 2027 Asian Cup of Nations".

The statement added that the Algerian Football Federation will pay all transport and accommodation costs for Palestinian players.

Algeria's agreement to host Palestine's home fixtures must now be approved by football's world governing body, FIFA.

The Asian Football Confederation's group stage for World Cup qualifying will begin in November

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