Palestine’s football team made history by recording their first win in the AFC Asian Cup and qualifying for the knockout stage of the 2023 edition of the tournament in Qatar.

According to The Iran Project,Emotions ran high for the players on the pitch, their supporters in the stadium and Palestinians back home when the full-time whistle was blown in their 3-0 win over Hong Kong at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium on January 23.
While the result may have brought joy and momentary distraction from the ongoing war in Gaza, fear and anxiety continue to grip the team as they prepare to take on hosts and defending champions Qatar in their round-of-16 match on Monday.

In an exclusive interview after last week’s win, Palestine Football Association President Jibril Rajoub told Al Jazeera how the team is determined to carry on despite the war back home, how football’s governing body FIFA can “do more” to help the Palestinians and what the future holds for Palestinian athletes.

The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Al Jazeera: What does the success of the Palestinian team mean to the people in Gaza?

Jibril Rajoub: We, the Palestinian football family, believe that the sport can be a good tool to expose the suffering of the Palestinian people and to highlight their determination and commitment to achieving their goals.

The team’s success amid such a terrible situation – while people are being buried in their thousands amid the destruction, the atrocities, the genocide – is motivating our players to achieve something for their people.
The qualification in Asian Cup knockouts is a great achievement. It’s a good message to our people – it gives them hope.