Konyaspor and the Palestine national team drew 2-2 Wednesday in a friendly match in Konya that carried significance far beyond the scoreline, with tributes to Palestinians killed during the conflict and a symbolic early ending at 89 minutes, 59 seconds.
The match at MEDAŞ Konya Büyükşehir Stadium was played as part of Palestine Day events in Konya, with Konyaspor fans filling the stands and displaying messages of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
The home team took the lead in the second minute through Melih İbrahimoğlu, but Palestine forward Mohammed Sandouqa quickly turned the match around with goals in the 12th and 25th minutes.
Mustafa Muhammed restored parity for Konyaspor in the 28th minute, leaving the teams level at halftime. Neither side could find a winner in the second half.
The match was interrupted around the 10th minute, when the stadium lights were turned off and a video showing the names of children killed in Israeli attacks since Oct. 7, 2023, was shown on the stadium screens.
Fans applauded both teams and some threw stuffed toys onto the field during the tribute. The stadium also featured messages in Turkish and English expressing solidarity with Palestine and drawing attention to the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Konyaspor supporters prepared a large choreography before kickoff that read, “When children are sleeping, be silent, not when they are dying.”
The match also included a tribute to members of the Palestinian sports community who, according to figures cited during the event, have been killed since the start of the conflict. At the 10-minute, 14-second mark, the stadium lights were again turned off as part of the commemoration.
The most symbolic moment came at the end.
With the clock approaching the 90th minute, an announcement declared that the match was being ended at 89:59 as a reference to unfinished lives and hopes in Palestine.
“Until Palestine is free, the match has been postponed,” the announcement said, explaining that the game would not complete its full 90 minutes as a reminder of lives, dreams and childhoods left unfinished.
The final whistle brought an emotional response from the Palestinian players and the crowd.
Türkiye’s Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak, Konya Gov. Ibrahim Akın, Konya Mayor Uğur Ibrahim Altay and other officials met the Palestine players on the field and presented them with flowers. Some Palestinian players were visibly emotional as they received the reception.
Palestine coach Ibrahim Halil said the team experienced powerful emotions during the visit to Konya and expressed gratitude for the support shown by the Turkish public.
“The Palestine cause is for honorable people,” Halil said. “We will continue our struggle until Palestine gains its freedom.”
Halil also praised the atmosphere inside the stadium and said the reception in Konya had made the Palestinian delegation feel proud and welcomed.
Konyaspor coach İlhan Palut said the match represented much more than a football game and praised the Palestinian players for continuing to train, prepare for matches and pursue their sporting ambitions despite the circumstances facing their country.
“It is a great achievement for them to be able to function as a football team, train, prepare for matches and attend camps while living through this process,” Palut said.
Palut also highlighted the response of Konyaspor supporters when Palestine scored.
“The excitement that began with the development of the attack and the genuine celebration after the goal were, in my opinion, the most meaningful seconds of the day,” he said.
The match brought together a Konyaspor lineup featuring Bahadır Güngördü, Ahmet Oğuz, Rayyan Baniya, Chidozie Awaziem, Arif Boşluk, Melih İbrahimoğlu, Ömer Çobanoğlu, Deniz Türüç, Pedrinho Gonçalves, Louka Prip and Mustafa Muhammed.
Palestine started with Martin Antonio Aras, Ali Rabei, Tareq Basem Mohammad Awawda, Omar Ali Tawfiq Badarneh, Mohammed Hasn Rajab Sandouqa, Samer Mustafa Ramdan Zubayda, Omar Mahmoud Araft Hasanan, Anas Khairaldin Mohammed Baniowda, Bakir Mahmoud, Tamer Amin Ibsais and Machur Ivan Yunes.
Presidential Communications Director Burhanettin Duran also described the match as an example of sport bringing people together around a shared sense of solidarity.
Duran said the event showed that the occasion in Konya was about more than football and that the gathering represented a gesture of friendship and support for the Palestinian people.
