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AMMAN — Jordan’s historic FIFA World Cup debut ended in a 3-1 loss to Austria on Wednesday in Group J at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, despite a spirited performance and a landmark goal from Ali Olwan.
The Nashama began brightly and almost struck within two minutes when Nizar Rashdan unleashed a powerful effort that narrowly cleared the crossbar.
Five minutes later, Musa Al Taamari tested Austria goalkeeper Alexander Schlager with a long-range strike, but his effort was comfortably dealt with.
Jordan continued to press and came close again when Odeh Fakhouri’s powerful shot inside the box took a deflection before being pushed away for a corner by Schlager.
Austria, however, made their first clear opportunity count in the 21st minute. Romano Schmid curled a superb effort into the top corner, leaving Jordan goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila with no chance.
Jordan responded quickly and almost levelled two minutes later when Ali Olwan rose highest to meet a cross, but his header struck the crossbar.
Schlager was once again decisive shortly after, producing a fine save to deny Olwan from close range as Jordan increased their attacking pressure.
The Nashama controlled the closing stages of the first half, and in stoppage time, Taamari went on a solo run, but his shot drifted wide of the target.
Jordan carried that momentum into the second half and were rewarded in the 50th minute. Olwan made history by scoring Jordan’s first-ever World Cup goal, calmly placing the ball into the right corner to level the score at 1-1.
Both sides then exchanged attacking spells in an open and competitive contest, with the game finely balanced heading into the final stages.
Austria regained the lead in the 76th minute when Yazan Arab turned the ball into his own net under pressure.
Jordan pushed forward in search of another equaliser but were denied, and Austria sealed the victory in stoppage time after a VAR review led to a penalty, which substitute Marko Arnautovic converted to make it 3-1.
Head coach Jamal Sellami expressed his full satisfaction with the team’s performance despite the result during the post-match press conference.
He said he was proud of what the players delivered in this strong encounter, noting that they successfully executed all defensive and attacking duties throughout the match.
Sellami added that the team had already turned the page on the Austria match, with full focus now shifting to the upcoming fixtures against Algeria and Argentina.
He also highlighted the importance of the Jordanian supporters, who backed the team in the stadium and provided a significant moral boost that helped the players deliver the required level of performance.
Despite the loss, Olwan’s historic strike earned him the Man of the Match award.
Jordan now sit third in Group J and will look to bounce back when they face Algeria in their next match on June 23.
