He said the strong support of Malaysian football fans and their solidarity with Palestine made the squad feel very much at home.

Bassim said the facilities provided in Malaysia for their current training would greatly benefit his squad as they prepare to compete in the third round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers against South Korea and Jordan this September.

“I’ve seen many clubs give support and love for Palestine.

“It’s going to be a home ground. I don’t think I would say it’s a second home. I would say it’s our first home.

“It’s hard to play in Palestine. The camp here for five days before we go to Korea will be beneficial. Hopefully, it’ll help us in our games against South Korea and Jordan,” he said at a training session at the Kuala Lumpur Stadium in Cheras today.

The squad led by Tunisian coach Makram Daboud arrived in Malaysia on Monday to prepare for the third round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers against South Korea after the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) provided them with facilities and resources.

Palestine, ranked 96th in the world, will face South Korea in Seoul on Sept 5, then return to Malaysia to play Jordan in their second Group B match on Sept 10.

The Palestinian Football Association had chosen Malaysia as the venue for its national team’s home match against Jordan.

FAM has been given the responsibility of managing the match in terms of operations and technical aspects, including the team’s centralised training.