This is a different form of Palestinian struggle. Rather than taking up arms, a group of Palestinian footballers are representing their country on the pitch.

In 1994 the Palestinian national football team was accredited into Fifa, football's international governing body. This gave Palestine an opportunity to not only compete in the World Cup, but also to do so as a sovereign nation.

With no home stadium and a modest budget, the Palestinian side plays all its home games in Doha, Qatar, and struggles to put together enough funds for travel to away games and even for team strips.

Austrian coach Alfred Riedl finds getting the team together for training a logistical challenge. His committed group of players come from the occupied territories and the vast Palestinian diaspora - from Greece to Chile.

Is the Palestinian football team disintegrating as the Palestinian dream of an independent state seems more farfetched than ever before? Or it is still struggling as part of a society that longs for normality?

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First broadcast in June 2004. Produced by Dima Hamdan of the BBC's Arabic Service.