Saudi Arabia Advances to Semi-Finals, Palestine Exits Arab Cup with Honor

Palestine's national football team crashed out of the Arab Cup quarter-finals after a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia following extra time on Thursday. Despite the loss, Palestine delivered an exceptional performance that genuinely troubled the Saudi stars throughout the match.

The game started at a measured pace before Saudi Arabia created their first real chance in the ninth minute. Musab Al-Battat sent in a dangerous cross, but Palestine's defense managed to clear it away. Just a minute later, Salem Al-Dosari fired a powerful shot that hit the defense and deflected for a corner kick, followed by another attempt from Ali Majrashi that sailed wide of the goal.

Palestine showed they weren't just there to defend when Hamed Hamdan unleashed a fierce shot that rattled the crossbar in the 28th minute. This came just minutes after he'd picked up a yellow card. The Palestinians stuck to their game plan of organized defending with quick counter-attacks, and it nearly paid off.

But Saudi Arabia's quality eventually showed. In the 58th minute, Salem Al-Dosari's skill down the left flank drew a foul from defender Mohammed Saleh inside the box. Egyptian referee Amin Omar pointed to the spot, and Firas Al-Buraikan stepped up to convert the penalty.

Palestine's response was swift and brilliant. Just six minutes later, Adi Al-Dabbagh grabbed the equalizer with a clever finish. When a cross flew over the head of Waleed Al-Ahmad, Al-Dabbagh controlled it with his left foot before firing home with his right to level the score at 1-1.

The drama wasn't over. Late in regular time, Mohammed Saleh nearly gifted Saudi Arabia a second goal when he appeared to handle the ball following Ali Majrashi's cross. The referee initially awarded a penalty, but VAR intervened and overturned the decision.

Extra time revealed the physical differences between the two sides. Saudi Arabia's deeper squad began to tell, and they found their winner in the 115th minute. Salem Al-Dosari delivered a perfect cross that Mohammed Kanno met with a precise header, placing it into the far corner beyond goalkeeper Rami Hamada's reach.

For Palestine, this was another proud exit from a major tournament. They pushed one of the region's strongest teams to the absolute limit and showed they belong on this stage. Saudi Arabia advances to the semi-finals, but they'll know they were in a real fight against opponents who refused to be intimidated.