Palestinian football to return after three-year absence with ‘Thousand Martyrs Cup’

Palestinian football will resume on Friday after a three-year absence with the launch of the Thousand Martyrs Cup, featuring 226 clubs from the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon.

The Palestinian Football Association has invited supporters to attend the opening of the competition, which will begin at 18:00 local time with three matches taking place simultaneously.

Jabal Al-Mukaber will face Shabab Al-Khalil at Martyr Faisal Al-Husseini Stadium in the most prominent of the opening fixtures.

In Gaza, Khadamat Rafah will play Shabab Rafah at the Ittihad Deir Al-Balah Club Stadium. In Lebanon, Al-Ansar will meet Al-Nahda at Martyr Abu Jihad Al-Wazir Stadium in the Ein el-Hilweh refugee camp.

The association urged Palestinian supporters to attend the matches and take part in the return of competitive football, describing the event as a tribute to the martyrs of Palestine and a show of support for the Palestinian game.

Palestinian Football Association president Jibril Rajoub said on the association’s official account: “We will head next Friday to the stadiums in the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon to launch the Palestinian league and the Thousand Martyrs Cup, and our collective priority is to make this league a success.”

The tournament will bring together 226 clubs. The association said 146 clubs would come from the northern governorates, including 48 from the northern West Bank, 60 from the central area and 38 from the south. A further 44 clubs will represent the Gaza Strip, while 36 will take part from Lebanon.

The figures mean the competition will span the main Palestinian football centres as well as the Palestinian football community in Lebanon. Matches in the three regions will form part of the opening programme on Friday evening.

The return of activity marks the end of a three-year period in which Palestinian football competition had not resumed. The Palestinian Football Association has presented the tournament as both a sporting event and a commemoration, using the name Thousand Martyrs Cup to honour those who have died.

Supporters have been encouraged to attend in large numbers as the tournament begins across stadiums in the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon. The association said their presence would help underline the importance of restarting Palestinian football and provide backing for clubs and players returning to action.

The opening schedule gives the competition an immediate cross-regional character, with fixtures in the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon all beginning at the same time. Jabal Al-Mukaber and Shabab Al-Khalil will meet at Martyr Faisal Al-Husseini Stadium, Khadamat Rafah will host Shabab Rafah at Ittihad Deir Al-Balah Club Stadium, and Al-Ansar will play Al-Nahda at Martyr Abu Jihad Al-Wazir Stadium in Ein el-Hilweh.