Jordan needs to beat Uzbekistan in U-23 qualifiers

AMMAN  — The women’s national football team plays host Uzbekistan on Saturday in its match of Round 2 of the Asian qualifiers for 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The team lost an opportunity to lead in Group B when it was held to a goalless draw with Hong Kong on Wednesday as Vietnam scored a vital 2-1 lead over Uzbekistan. Jordan will play Vietnam on April 9. 

Only the group leader will advance to Round 3 of the qualifiers. India, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Nepal are in Group A while Group C includes Taiwan, Palestine, Iran and the Philippines.

This year, Jordan won the 6th West Asian Championship for the fifth time and the national team is now the leading Arab team at 54th in FIFA world Rankings. 

In Asian qualifying, the men’s national team was eliminated in the Round of 16 at the Asian Cup 2019 as Qatar won the title for the first time. 

The U-23 men’s national team qualified to the 4th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Championship which acts as a qualifying tournament for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 2018, the team was knocked out of Round 1 of the 3rd Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Championship. In 2016, Jordan reached the quarterfinals and in 2014 Jordan finished third. 

The U-16 men’s team has just concluded a training camp in preparation for the U-16 AFC Championship in September. Last year, Jordan bowed out of the Round 1 of the 2018 AFC U-16 Men’s Championship. Held once every two years, the competition serves as a qualifier for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, with the top 4 countries qualifying. The U-16 women’s squad was also eliminated from Round 1, Group A qualifiers for the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship. 

In U-19 competitions, the women’s team was eliminated from Round 1 qualifiers for the AFC U-19 Championship. Likewise, the men’s U-19 national team was eliminated from Round 1 of the AFC U19 Championship as the semifinalists advanced to the FIFA U-19 World Cup.

Jordan was hoping to advance in the Asian event after they failed to qualify to the Championships in 2014 and 2016. It was the fifth time for Jordan at the Championship with the best showing when it finished fourth in 2006 and advanced to the FIFA Youth World Cup in Canada in 2007. Jordan exited the first round in 2008 and 2010 and reached the quarters in 2012.