The head of the Palestinian Football Association has said political bias is behind the rejection of his Australia visa application that left him unable to travel with the national team for a FIFA qualification match tonight in Perth, Al Jazeera quotes a media report as saying.

Jibril Rajoub, who has pushed for Israel to be expelled from FIFA, told ABC News the decision was “shameful”.

“I should attend the game, I should be with our team,” Rajoub said.

Australia’s premier said the decision to deny the visa to Rajab, a former Fatah operative who spent years in Israeli prison in the 80s, was made “at arm’s length” by the Immigration Department.