KUALA LUMPUR: "Thank you, Malaysia for accommodating the Palestinian national team."
Palestine midfielder Mohammed Bassim Ahmed Rashid thanked the Malaysian government and the FA of Malaysia (FAM) for allowing his team to train here and prepare for their World Cup qualifying matches against South Korea and Jordan next month.
Palestine, which have never qualified for the World Cup, will travel to Seoul to take on the Son Heung Min-led South Korea on Sept 10 before returning to Kuala Lumpur to face Jordan five days later.
Palestine started their training camp at KLFA Stadium, Cheras, on Tuesday.
The arrangements were made possible thanks to FAM, which offered facilities and amenities for their qualifying matches.
Bassim, who plays in Indonesia's Liga 1 with Persebaya Surabaya, is also touched by the strong support from Malaysian clubs like Selangor and Terengganu, which have shown solidarity with the Palestinian people.
"I have seen the support from the Malaysian League. I have seen Selangor, Terengganu before. I have seen many clubs give support and love for Palestine," said the 29-year-old, who has 46 caps.
"To be honest, I think it will be a home ground for us (against Jordan). I won't say it's a second home; it's the first home. Right now, it's hard to play in Palestine."
"For us being here is beneficial. We hope that fans will show support and love that they have been showing. We have seen it and hopefully, we can see that in the match here."
Bassim is also proud of his team for qualifying for the third round of the World Cup qualifiers for the first time despite limited resources, and he believes they are capable of springing a surprise.
The Lions of Canaan are in Group B with South Korea, Iraq, Oman, Kuwait, and Jordan.
The third round features three groups of six teams, with the top two from each group qualifying directly for the World Cup.
The third and fourth-placed teams get another chance through additional rounds.
The 2026 World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is set to be the biggest ever, contested by 48 teams, compared with 32 at the last tournament in Qatar in 2022.
The number of qualifying places for Asian teams has doubled from four to eight, offering outsiders such as Palestine their best-ever chance of reaching the World Cup.
Against the background of Israel's war on Gaza, the Palestinian team hope to make history.
"We are in the third round of the World Cup qualifiers. It's the first time for the Palestine team; it's a big improvement, a big step for us.
"The camp here will help us prepare for our matches against South Korea and Jordan.
"The expectation is always high; reaching the third round of the World Cup is not easy. It proves we are a good team capable of doing something. In football, everything is possible.
"For example, Saudi Arabia beat eventual champions Argentina at the 2022 World Cup, and nobody expected it, and Jordan defeated Korea in the Asian Cup this year.
"There are more World Cup berths for Asia this time, so I see an opportunity. We will work hard and play hard and believe in what God has for us. We have to have faith."