Hundreds of spectators and football fans filled Al-Yarmouk Stadium in central Gaza City yesterday to watch the West Bank’s Al-Ahly club play Gaza’s Khan Younis Youth team.

Al-Ahly beat Khan Younis Youth 1-0.

A number of Al-Ahly’s players were unable to enter Gaza due to Israeli restrictions and players who were allowed in could enter only the day before the game.

The second leg is planned to take place in Al-Hassan Stadium in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron on 30 July. The winner will represent Palestine in international  tournaments.

The Khan Younis Youth team should be traveling to the occupied West Bank through the Erez crossing, but it is not clear whether the Israeli occupation will allow them to do so.

A number of Palestinian athletes had been imprisoned by the Israeli occupation while passing through the crossing.

Source: middleeastmonitor.com