From A Gaza Tent To The Touchline: Coach Ehab Abu Jazar Gets Tactics And Hope From His Mother

Palestinian Coach Draws Strength And Tactical Advice From Mother Living In Gaza Tent

Coach Ehab Abu Jazar leads a Palestinian national team that carries the hopes and sorrows of its people. Yet his primary source of inspiration and occasional tactical guidance comes from his mother, displaced by war and living in a tent in Gaza.

The outbreak of war after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel halted the Palestinian league and scattered many athletes. Amid that upheaval, Abu Jazar’s mother — known by the traditional nickname Umm Ehab — refuses to let the conflict dim her son’s sporting ambitions. From the rubble and tents of Gaza she phones him with questions, advice and encouragement.

“She talks to me about nothing but the team. She wants the focus to remain solely on the tournament,” the 45-year-old manager told AFP.

Abu Jazar says his mother asks detailed questions about who will start, who is absent, what tactics he plans to use, and how player morale is holding up. A former left-back who retired in 2017, he coached the Palestinian U-23 side before taking the senior job last year.

Ranked 96th by FIFA, Palestine saw faint hopes of World Cup qualification fade this summer. Still, the current squad — many players of whom have never been to Gaza — remain within reach of the Arab Cup quarter-finals. A draw against Syria in their final group match would secure a historic place in the last eight.

His family home was destroyed in the early fighting, and his mother and relatives were displaced like much of Gaza’s population. Reaching her by phone is often difficult: she can only speak when a generator provides power and there is a phone signal. From Al-Mawasi camp, she and Abu Jazar’s siblings sometimes struggle to afford fuel to watch the matches on television.

“We always say that we are a small Palestinian family representing the larger family,” Abu Jazar said. “Undoubtedly, it puts pressure on us, but it’s positive pressure.” He adds that his mother’s determination and the resilience of Gazans motivate him and his players: “This is what keeps us standing, and gives us the motivation to bring joy to our people. All these circumstances push us to fight on the field until the last breath.”

Why it matters: Progress in the Arab Cup would be more than a sporting achievement — Abu Jazar believes it would show the world that, given the right conditions, Palestinians can excel in many fields.