Saudi soccer team visits Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem before historic match against Palestine

Record ID: 1436596

  • Title: Saudi soccer team visits Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem before historic match against Palestine
  • Date: 14th October 2019
  • Summary: JERUSALEM (OCTOBER 14, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** PEOPLE STANDING AROUND DOME OF THE ROCK PRESIDENT OF SAUDI FOOTBALL FEDERATION YASSER AL-MISHAL AND OTHER MEMBERS WALKING INSIDE AL-AQSA MOSQUE COMPOUND AL-MISHAL VISITING THE NOBLE ROCK WHICH IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE FOUNDATION STONE UNDER THE DOME OF THE ROCK VARIOUS OF AL-MISHAL AND TEAM MEMBERS PRAYING TEAM WITH MUSLIM LEADERS WALKING INSIDE COMPOUND (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PRESIDENT OF THE SAUDI FOOTBALL FEDERATION, YASSER AL-MISHAL, SAYING: "This is the most beautiful day in my life. Really, it's hard to express my feelings. I thank God that I could visit Al-Aqsa mosque and pray inside the mosque. This is a huge pride." AL-MISHAL TALKING TO DIRECTOR OF THE ISLAMIC WAQF IN JERUSALEM SHEIKH AZZAM AL-KHATIB (RED TIE) MEMBERS OF SAUDI NATIONAL TEAM STANDING ON STEPS, DOME OF THE ROCK IN BACKGROUND MEMBERS OF SAUDI NATIONAL TEAM AND PALESTINIANS LEAVING, ISRAELI POLICE OFFICERS OBSERVING RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (OCTOBER 14, 2019) (REUTERS) PRESS CONFERENCE BY PALESTINIAN AND SAUDI COACHES AND PLAYERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SAUDI ARABIA NATIONAL TEAM MANAGER, HERVE RENARD, SAYING: "But yes Salman (Al-Faraj) was not available for the first game against Singapore but I hope for him to be able to play this second game so now he is ready. It's very good news, because we need players with his experience so, so, far everything is fine." FLAGS OF FIFA AND ASIAN FOOTBALL CONFEDERATION (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN NATIONAL TEAM CAPTAIN, ABDELATIF BAHDARI, SAYING: "We welcome the Saudi team in their second home. The players are ready for the match, physically and emotionally. I hope that playing in our land and with our audience will give us a position consequence." BAHDARI AND OTHER SPEAKERS LISTENING TO QUESTION AL-RAM, WEST BANK (OCTOBER 13, 2019) (REUTERS) SAUDI NATIONAL TEAM STARTING THEIR TRAINING AT FAISAL HUSSEINI STADIUM IN AL-RAM TEAM TALKING AMONGST THEMSELVES DURING TRAINING GOALKEEPERS TRAINING TRAINER GIVING INSTRUCTIONS TRAINER KICK THE BALL WHILE GOALKEEPERS CATCHING VARIOUS OF GOALKEEPERS TRAINING TEAM MEMBERS CHEERING
  • Embargoed: 28th October 2019 12:37
  • Keywords: soccer Asia cup World cup 2022 Jerusalem Saudi team Palestinian team
  • Location: JERUSALEM / RAMALLAH, AL-RAM, WEST BANK
  • City: JERUSALEM / RAMALLAH, AL-RAM, WEST BANK
  • Country: Various
  • Topics: Soccer,Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA001B12KKSN
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Players from Saudi Arabia's national soccer team travelled to Jerusalem's Old City on Monday (October 14) to pray at one of Islam's holiest sites on the eve of their historic match against Palestine.
    The Saudi team are facing the Palestine national team in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday (October 15) for a World Cup qualifying match, the first time Saudi Arabia have played there. Previously, Saudi Arabia had played Palestine's home matches on neutral ground.
    On Monday, the players visited the Noble Sanctuary, a compound that houses the Golden Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest shrine in Islam.
    "This is the most beautiful day in my life," said Yasser Al-Mishal, president of the Saudi Football Federation "I thank God that I could visit al-Aqsa mosque and pray inside the mosque."
    The Dome of the Rock is built where the Prophet Mohammad is said to have ascended to heaven and it encompasses the Foundation Stone, a rock holy to Muslims, Jews and Christians. Jordan has custodianship of the holy sites.
    The area is one of the most sensitive sites in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is revered by Jews as Temple Mount, the site of two biblical Jewish temples, and is situated in a part of Jerusalem captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in a move that has not been recognised internationally.
    (Production: Saeed Hawari, Ismail Khadder, Sinan Abu Mizar, Roleen Tafakji, Suheir Sheikh)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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