An announcement at the end of the match said that in Palestine it is not only matches that are left unfinished, but lives, dreams and childhoods. It said the match was ended before the 90th minute to remember the unfinished lives, silenced hopes and suffering in Palestine.
Konyaspor took the lead through Melih İbrahimoğlu in the 2nd minute. Palestine turned the game around with two goals from Mohammed Sandouqa in the 12th and 25th minutes before Mostafa Mohamed equalized for Konyaspor in the 28th minute. Referee Mehmet Türkmen officiated the match.
Play was halted at 10:14 and the stadium lights were switched off to commemorate the 1,014 Palestinian athletes killed in Israeli attacks since October 7, 2023, while the names of children killed in Israeli attacks were shown on the giant screen. Fans threw confetti and toys onto the pitch to be delivered to Palestinian children.
Turkish and Palestinian flags filled the stands as Konyaspor fans unfurled a banner reading “Silence is for when children sleep, not when they die” and staged choreographies featuring Muhammad al-Durrah, Handala and Khaled Nabhan. Both national anthems were played before kick-off, white doves were released and singer Alper Kış performed the song “Kardan Aydınlık” with the crowd.
The match was the final event of a day-long Palestine program in Konya, named the 2026 Youth Capital by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. After the game, played under the slogan “Our home is your home” with free admission, Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak, Konya Governor İbrahim Akın and Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay presented flowers to the Palestinian players.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the match was an exceptional example of the brotherhood, solidarity and unity of hearts between Türkiye and Palestine. Thanking the people of Konya who filled the 42,000-seat stands, Erdoğan said the game had once again brought what is happening in Palestine and Gaza to the attention of world public opinion, and that Türkiye would continue to stand by its Palestinian brothers and defend their rights on international platforms.
Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub said they felt Turkish fans were their own supporters. Addressing the players before the match, Rajoub said, “We are ambassadors of a sacred cause,” and urged them to represent the will to endure on the pitch.
Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş also described the match as a strong and moral demonstration of solidarity with the Palestinian people. Thanking the fans who filled the stands in Konya, he said Türkiye would keep supporting the Palestinians’ just struggle and raising its voice on every international platform until a free and independent Palestinian state is established.
Rajoub also said the core message of the match was to keep hope alive among Palestinians, adding that the ultimate goal is for the Palestinian national team to play in occupied East Jerusalem. He said the warm atmosphere in the stands made the players feel at home.
