“We thank the players for their efforts in both halves of the match, and we also extend our greatest thanks to the fans who supported us despite the difficult weather conditions, and we dedicate this precious victory to them,” said Sellami.

“Ending the first half with a 3-1 lead gave us a great sense of relief and importance, as we substituted a number of players, especially since we had four players with yellow cards.”

With a top-of-the-table clash with Korea Republic to come on Tuesday and Jordan leading 3-1, Sellami opted to replace several players, with Al Tamari among those afforded less playing time.

“Al Tamari was substituted for two reasons - the first because he had a yellow card and the second because he suffered a minor injury.”

As for Palestine, the defeat left Ihad Abujazar’s side with little chance of getting a direct qualification spot but the playoffs are still within reach, with Tuesday’s face off with Iraq a must-win match for them.