The Algerian Football Federation (FAF) announced on Wednesday that it was suspending all football events “until further notice” in solidarity with the Palestinian people. “Expressing its solidarity with the resistant brotherly Palestinian people and out of respect for the memories of the venerable and glorious martyrs victims of Zionist aggression (...) the FAF has decided to suspend all competitions and football matches, until further notice” , we read in a press release.
The suspension was announced the day after a strike that killed at least 471 people in a hospital in Gaza according to the Hamas government which controls the Palestinian territory. Traditional and unconditional support of the Palestinian cause, Algeria announced on Sunday that it agreed to host “all official and unofficial matches as part of the preparation of the Palestinian football selection for the World Cup qualifiers 2026 and the 2027 Asian Nations Cup and to cover all costs related to these events.
Consequently, the official Palestine - Australia match, scheduled for November 21, 2023, which is part of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, will take place on Algerian soil.