‘We want to give our people hope’: Palestine battle odds at Asian Cup

Makram Daboub speaks to his players during a training session in Qatar: 'Preparation has gone well despite the difficult circumstances’ Photograph: Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters

Hani Al-Masdar broke into the first team of the Gaza club Al-Maghazi in the late 90s when he was 16 and went on to have a fine career as a talented midfielder. After retiring in 2018, the genial father of four joined the Palestine Under-23s team, officially, at first, as kit manager.

A natural in dealing with players with an instinct for reading the game, he soon acquired the highest coaching licences in Asia and became assistant coach. The 42-year-old had a bright future but on 6 January, the Palestine Football Association (PFA) announced he had been killed by Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City.