Jordan plays Bahrain at Asian Cup

By Aline Bannayan - Jan 24,2024 - Last updated at Jan 25,2024

photo courtesy of freepik.com

AMMAN — Jordan plays Bahrain at 2:30pm Amman time on Thursday in their third Group E match at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, the 18th edition of the tournament currently under way in Doha, Qatar.

Currently 87th in FIFA rankings, Jordan has nearly qualified to Round 2 and a draw would be enough against 86th ranked Bahrain to secure qualification after they beat 130th ranked Malaysia 4-0 and held world’s 23rd ranked Korea 2-2 to lead the group on goal difference. Thursday’s results will determine who the group’s top two will face in the next round, and for Jordan its next opponents could be either Japan, Saudi or Qatar.

The top two teams from each group will move to the next round in addition to four best third placed teams. In other Group E matches, Korea beat Bahrain 3-1, while Bahrain beat Malaysia 1-0.

The results have boosted team and fans’ morale after a series of defeats in earlier friendlies during preparation for the Asian Cup and World Cup qualifiers. Under incoming Moroccan coach Hussein Amouta who took over the job in summer, the coach’s agenda and lineup came under scrutiny and results raised concerns, after the squad played 9 matches and only scored one win.

Jordan led Korea 2-1 in extra time and were about to score a historic first time win but the match ended with an own goal, that nevertheless gave Jordan a positive result heading into their third group match. Noureddine Rawabdeh will miss the Bahrain match while others who were on the injury list might be among the coach’s choices, as he aims for an advanced placement in upcoming regional and international competitions while striving to revamp the team and create a competitive lineup for the future.

Amouta acknowledged there were defensive mistakes adding “We are working on addressing the gaps but the players are fully focused and able to overcome existing challenges.”

The Moroccan is hopeful for an advanced spot in the Asian Cup, as well as qualifying to the 2026 World Cup, with Asia allotted 8 slots in the next edition in additional to a zonal qualifier after expanding the number to include 48 nations.