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Gaza soccer players work hard for little pay

Professional Palestinian soccer players, especially those in the Gaza Strip, are bound by restrictive contracts and low pay.
A Palestinian goalkeeper practices fielding shots in a file photo at the Gaza football stadium where a large mural of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat hangs behind the goal. The Palestinian national football team is now playing in its first international tournament in Hong Kong in the Asian Group 3 qualifying competition for next year's World Cup finals. The team returns to the Middle East for its next World Cup qualifier on March 20 when it plays in Qatar.

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RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Basel al-Sabbahin, 27, has been the goalkeeper for Al-Shabab soccer club since 2007. His team has won many championships and he has been awarded several titles, such as best goalkeeper and best player, in local Gaza tournaments.

Sabbahin earned an annual bonus — not salary — of $2,000 in 2015, about $166 per month, making him the highest-paid player among his teammates.

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