Most caps Gdalyahu Fuchs (4) Highest 60 (March 1934) | Top scorer Werner Caspi (2) | |
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Nickname(s) Eretz Israel(Land of Israel) Captain Avraham Reznik (1934-1938)Pinhas Fiedler (1934)Gdalyahu Fuchs (1938) Association Israel Football Association (PFA) Head coaches | ||
The Mandatory Palestine national football team (Hebrew: נבחרת ארץ ישראל בכדורגל, Nivheret Eretz Yisrael Bekhadurgel- lit. "Land of Israel national football team"; also: התאחדות ארץ ישראלית למשחק כדור-רגל, Hitachduth Eretz Yisraelit Lekhadur Regel – lit. "The Land of Israel Association of Football") represented the British Mandate of Palestine in international football competitions and was managed by the Eretz Israel Football Association.
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The team used to play in the Maccabiah Stadium and Hapoel Ground, both are located in Tel Aviv, Israel.
History
Football was introduced to Palestine by the British military during its occupation of the territory in World War I. After the war, the sport's development was continued by "European Jews who had been exposed to soccer in their native countries". Palestinian Arabs, specifically those of Islamic beliefs, refrained from participating in football's early formation due to their resistance to "Western cultural institutions".
The Eretz Israel Football Association was founded in August 1928 and applied for membership in FIFA. It was accepted to FIFA on 6 June 1929 as the Eretz Israel Football Association. It was the first of 14 sports organizations which absorbed hundreds of leading sportsmen who immigrated in the wake of antisemitism in Europe.
Mandatory Palestine end up playing five international games before the end of the British Mandate in 1948 which resulted in Israel independence. During those five games, the national team fielded only Jewish players. Three anthems were played before each match: the British "God Save the Queen", the Jewish (and future Israeli) "Hatikvah" and the opposing team's anthem.
In 1948 the team became, officially, the national team of Israel.
Egypt qualified for the final round.
Greece qualified for the final round.
Last squad
22/01/1940
Coach: Arthur Baar