LAHORE: Pakistan's football team will be making their first-ever visit to Palestine from May 24 to 27 this year, a Palestine's chef de mission Mohammed MI Abu Srour said at a news conference at the FIFA House here on Sunday.

Comprising 21 players and seven officials, Abu Srour is heading a 28-member delegation from his country that would play two Test matches of the four-match bilateral series against Pakistan from March 1.

The delegation is scheduled to leave for home on March 5 after their second and last game of the Pakistan leg of the series in Lahore.

Abu Srour said the tour, the first by Palestinian footballers to Pakistan, would further strengthen existing bilateral relations between the two brotherly states.

Palestine's head coach Bezaz Moussa, meanwhile, expressed that his team would simultaneously teach and learn from their Pakistani brethren.

“My team changes on every tour abroad owing to restrictions. To us it is not so important. The important thing is to play with [foreign] teams,” he remarked.

Pakistan team coach Tariq Lutfi, speaking on the occasion, said development of a player has been a long journey.

“In fact, our present team is an under-21 brigade. The focus during the recent tour to Thailand and Malaysia has been to reduce [defeat] margins. We lost to Malaysia by two goals only,” he stated.

Earlier on Sunday, 10 players and two officials of the Palestinian squad were accorded a warm welcome upon their arrival here at Allama Iqbal International Airport by officials of the Pakistan Football Federation.

In the evening, the Palestinians participated in a practice match at the Nishtar Sports Complex.