Jordan starts Dubai training camp

AMMAN  — The national football team lost 2-1 in a friendly against Uzbekistan in Dubai on Sunday as the team started the final phase of preparations for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) 2015 Asian Cup in Australia.

The team will continue their training camp in Dubai until December 23 and will leave for Australia to play two friendlies against the UAE and Bahrain ahead of the Asian Cup.

Ahead of the team’s departure to the UAE, head coach Ray Wilkins was quoted by the local media as saying the upcoming phase was “very crucial as the team strives to be competitive in the Asian Cup”.

Wilkins acknowledged the task was a tough one as Jordan was drawn in Group D and will play Iraq on January 12, Palestine on  January 16 and Japan on January 20.

The Kingdom qualified to the AFC Asian Cup after finishing second in
Group A qualifiers behind leaders Oman. Jordan reached the Asian Cup quarters in 2004 and 2011.

The Kingdom went up five spots to 81st in the latest FIFA Rankings after dropping 12 places the month before. 

Jordan last played Estonia and  South Korea losing 1-0 to both. Earlier, they hosted Kuwait in two matches, losing the first  1-0 and tying 1-1. They held China 1-1, lost to Uzbekistan 2-0 and Columbia 3-0.