Palestine and New Zealand played out a 2-2 draw in a friendly international on 24 September 2026. The match, played in the evening, produced a flurry of goals across the first half. And here's the thing — the final score belied the chaos on the pitch, where neither side could hold a lead for long.
New Zealand's Benjamin Waine struck twice early on, opening the scoring in the fifth minute before doubling his tally eight minutes in. Palestine responded through Ayman Al Hamlawi in the 27th minute, then took the lead when Oday Ibrahim Mohammad Dabbagh found the net in the 39th. Jesse Randall pulled one back for New Zealand in the 35th and added another just before half-time in the 45th. The match ended level after eight goals in total.
Palestine's recent form had been cautious. They drew 0-0 twice against Kyrgyzstan in June, then lost 1-2 to Saudi Arabia in December before a 0-0 stalemate with Syria. Their last outing before this match was a 2-2 draw with Tunisia in December, so they arrived with something to prove.
New Zealand's run of results told a starker story. They lost 1-5 to Belgium and 1-3 to Egypt in June, then drew 2-2 with Iran before losing 0-1 to England and 0-4 to Haiti. The visitors had hit a wall, and this match offered a chance to find some rhythm.
The result leaves both sides level on points in their preparations for whatever comes next. For Palestine, it was a chance to build on that draw with Tunisia. For New Zealand, it was a small reprieve after a string of defeats. The goals will be remembered longer than the form guide.
