Palestine, Afghanistan
(pages: 15 to 17)
Tursunzode, Tajikistan. June 2011

The white-tiled dressing room is silent and hot. A single air- conditioning unit  is turned  up  high, fighting a losing battle against the  40  degree temperature as the  players from  the Palestinian national football team sit with their backs against the wall wearing green shirts and shorts. Around the neck of each man is a black and white keffiyeh, the desert scarf made famous by Yasser Arafat. Some choose to close their eyes, raise their hands and pray. Others simply stare at the only thing moving in the room.