Manama: Palestine got off to a dream start in their bid to qualify for the AFC U23 Championship Thailand 2020, powering to a comprehensive 9-0 win over Sri Lanka in their opening Group B fixture on Friday.

Four goals in the opening half-hour paved the way to three points for Ayman Sandouqa's side, who made the most of their dominance to pile on another five after half-time.

Aiming to return to the Continental Finals after reaching the last eight in China in 2018, Palestine wasted no time in getting their 2020 campaign up and running, with Mahmoud Aliwisat opening the scoring in the seventh minute, before Yousef Emghamis added a second three minutes later.





Captain Oday Dabbagh made it 3-0 in the 24th minute, before German-based Emghamis scored his second to give Palestine a commanding four-goal lead with just a third of the match completed.





Sri Lanka managed to momentarily stem the flow, but Dawoud Iraqi kick-started another goal-rush when he scored at the hour-mark, with substitute Mahmoud Salma adding a sixth goal eight minutes later, before Mousa Farawi and Raed Dahla both converted from the penalty spot.

Saadou Abdelsalam put the final touch on the Palestinian scoresheet when he added the ninth and final goal in the 79th minute, putting Palestine in a strong position ahead of Sunday's clash with Bangladesh.





Source: the-afc.com