Striking range: Vietnamese midfielder Nguyen Van Quyet (right) in action against Palestine in the first friendly between the two countries. Palestine win 3-1. — VNS Photo Tuan Tu

HA NOI (VNS) — Palestine defeated host Viet Nam 3-1 in their first ever meeting yesterday at the Ha Noi's My Dinh Stadium.

Abdelhamid Abuhabib opened the score for the visitors about 10 minutes after the break. Receiving the ball from a counter-attack, Abuhabib had no difficulty finding the net with the Vietnamese goalkeeper To Vinh Loi drawn far away from his post to block a previous kick.

Errors by Vietnamese defenders Le Phuoc Tu and Nguyen Huy Cuong caused this situation. Their misunderstanding gave the ball to Ashraf Nu'man, whose shot was parried by Loi, only for Abuhabib to get an unobstructed opportunity.

Fifteen minutes later, the visitors went up 2-0 when midfielder Ramzi Saleh stole the ball from a halfback and found the net with a beautiful volley. Loi dived to the left in vain.

Mahmoud Eid scored the third goal seven minutes from the end.

Viet Nam narrowed the result in the last second of the match with Nguyen Van Quyet breaking into Palestine territory and beating keeper Toufic Ali.

Quyet's attempt was one of many opportunities created by the Vietnamese side. In the first half, strikers Le Cong Vinh and Nguyen Anh Duc and midfielder Le Tan Tai were responsible for many missed opportunities.

Next Sunday, Viet Nam will play their last friendly match against Malaysia before kicking off their ASEAN Football Federation Cup campaign on November 22 in Ha Noi. — VNS