Last-minute penalty drama shatters Palestine’s hopes for next round

The Palestine national team failed to advance to the fourth round of 2026 World Cup Qualifiers Asian zone — a different outcome from Indonesia who had already secured qualification.

At King Abdullah Stadium in Jordan, Tamer Seyam’s squad initially took the lead through Oday Ali’s header in the 49th minute — a result that temporarily pushed them above Oman in Group B with 12 points.

However, drama unfolded in injury time when the referee awarded a controversial penalty to Oman after one of their players fell in the box. Issam Al-Sahbi successfully converted the penalty in the 90+7th minute — ending the match in a draw that halted Palestine’s progression to the next round.