The Athlone Stadium was awash in the colours of the Palestinian flag as thousands of mense stieked uit for the first of two exhibition matches between South African teams and the Palestine national football team.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola, Department of International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor, and Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa were some of the high-profile guests in attendance, donning symbols of Palestinian resistance.
Legendary football coach Boebie Solomons said he knew support would be overwhelmingly in favour of the Palestinian team, with even the local team rooting for their opponents as they took to the field.
The Palestine National Football team played their inaugural match on South African soil against a Western Cape XI invitational team, in the “Football 4 Humanity” solidarity campaign, initiated by Sport Stepping Stones (SSS) in partnership with the South African Football Association Cape Town (Safa CT).
The first match was a momentous occasion, coinciding with the date on which former president Nelson Mandela, known for his staunch support for the Palestinian cause, was released from the Victor Verster prison on 11 February, 1990.
Thousands of people were in attendance, chanting “Free, Free Palestine”, and liberation songs with the fence lined with the Palestinian and South African flags.
During their first training session on Friday morning, team captain Mus’ab Al-Batat said they were “very happy” to have arrived in South Africa on Thursday, where they were greeted by throngs of supporters at the airport.
He said they feel bolstered as they know many in South Africa support their cause and share their feelings and hopes for his home country.
Al-Batat says: “The people here love the people in Palestine and we have come here to play a game and to give all the people a message, we are Palestinian... we can play in any country and we need to play in Palestine.”
Solomons, the technical director of coaching for Safa CT and Safa National Technical Committee member, adds: “It’s the first time that they are here and I love the idea that we play international games here in Cape Town because normally the international games are played in Johannesburg.
“So, it is our way that we can help and support the people in Palestine through sport and sport does play a major role in the world.
“Like former president Madiba said, it can change a country, it can change people and it can unite people. And this is our objective.”
The match ended in a 1-0 win for the hosts.
Next week Sunday, February 18, the Palestinians will take on a South African Invitational XI team as they vie for the “Freedom Cup”, also at the Athlone Stadium.
shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za