Jordan’s U-16 women’s football team concludes qualifiers

AMMAN — The U-16 women’s national football team concluded Group A qualifiers for the 2017 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-16 Women’s Championship.

It scored their only win 4-1 over Guam in its final match after it lost the chance to play for an advanced position for the top two qualifying berths from the group. Jordan went down 2-1 to Thailand then lost 2-0 to Laos  and 4-2 to Myanmar.

Thailand retained the group lead with an unbeaten run. In addition to Jordan, it beat Laos 5-2 and Guam 4-0. Laos finished second after they beat Jordan, in addition to Myanmar 5-2 and Guam 14-1 while Myanmar beat Guam 11-0.

The final day saw Thailand beat Myanmar 2-0 to clinch the top qualifying berth from the group alongside second placed Laos. The qualifiers have brought together 24 teams playing in four groups with the top team from each group advancing to the championship. Last edition’s top four — North Korea, Japan, China and Thailand — have qualified.

Japan has won three of the past six editions of the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship. Jordan’s U-16 team did not qualify to the 2015 AFC U-16 Women’s Championship after qualifying in 2013.

Jordan’s squad seems to have had a tough task with the line-up missing players who are on the U-17 team line-up currently preparing for the Women’s World Cup kicking off September 30 in the Kingdom.

Jordan’s U-19 women’s national team is also reading for Asian Group A qualifiers for the 2017 AFC U-19 Women’s Championship. The qualifiers set for October 29 will see Jordan plays alongside Australia, Singapore and Lebanon and the Northern Mariana Islands. The top team from each group moves to the championship in 2017. The women’s senior national team has also regrouped to start preparations for qualifiers for the 2018 AFC Women’s Championship starting in April 2017. 

Final Group A Standings