Arab Cup coach Ihab Abu Jazar is a native of Palestine with a storied football career as both player and coach. Hailing from Rafah in the southernmost part of Gaza, he knows exactly what it means to play football under war and grow up under siege.

And, he spent many years on the pitches of the Gaza Strip as a player and coach before becoming the technical director of the Palestinian national team. Undoubtedly, he is now carrying with him the memory of a city ravaged by conflict and a people waiting for any moment of joy in which to celebrate life.

From Gaza to the Arab Cup

Abu Jazar did not come to the national team from a traditional career path, but rather burdened with memories of war, the loss of friends, and the sound of rockets that were closer to the pitches than the goalposts. This background made his speech at half time in the qualifying match between Palestine and Libya a pivotal moment unlike any other familiar sporting speech.

Abu Jazar’s speech between halves of the Palestine-Libya match was not merely technical guidance. It was an explicit reference to the pain of Gaza, when he entered the dressing room and stood in front of his players, saying in his Gazan dialect, familiar to every Palestinian:

Don’t forget who we are playing for. We are excellent in the match, but there are people in tents, there is an entire people, there are people in Jerusalem, there are people who cannot find food because of hunger, siege and war. You are the ones who want to make them happy temporarily. They must be happy so they can forget death, destruction and war. We are about to die, but God willing, we will win.

The speech was not just meant to boost morale, but was a reminder of the pain of a nation living under fire. It was a reminder to the players, were it needed, that their performance was no longer just a game, but the only source of joy for millions who had lost the meaning of normal life.

Joy for Palestine

While the original 90 minutes ended in a goalless draw, the Palestinian players took their coach’s words to heart and won the penalty shootout 4–3. In doing so, they secured a place in the Arab Cup alongside Qatar, Tunisia, and Syria. Their qualification was not just a sporting achievement, but a crowning glory for a people trying to steal a moment of victory from the rubble of war.

Today, Abu Jazar is seen as more than just a coach. He is a living witness to a war that continues to ravage his city and a symbol of Gaza’s unbreakable spirit. Every time he stands on the sideline, he carries with him Rafah, with all its tears, salt, and renewed hope that football can still work miracles when the world is unable to stop the tragedy.

Qualifying was not just a sporting achievement, but a small window of hope for the people of Gaza, who today live in tents and under the rubble of war. Abu Jazar, whose home and city remain under fire, has taught us that sport is not an escape from reality, but sometimes a vital space for resistance.

With this qualification, Ihab Abu Jazar has become a symbol of a coach who came from the heart of suffering, leading his players with the spirit of a city that continues to resist, and with words that created an unforgettable moment in the history of the Palestinian national team.

Featured image via Instagram

By Alaa Shamali

This post was originally published on Canary.