AMMAN — Jordan will face Bahrain on Thursday at 2:30 pm Amman time in the third match of Group E of the 18th edition of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, currently being held in Doha, Qatar.
Jordan, currently ranked 87th in the FIFA rankings, has almost qualified for the second round, defeating Malaysia ranked 130th in the rankings 4-0 and holding off South Korea, ranked 23rd in the world, 2-2 to top their group. A draw with 86th place Bahrain would have been enough to qualify. difference. Thursday’s results will determine who the top two in the group will face in the next round, with Jordan’s next opponent potentially being either Japan, Saudi Arabia or Qatar.
The top two teams in each group and the top four teams in third place advance to the next round. In other matches in Group E, South Korea defeated Bahrain 3-1, while Bahrain defeated Malaysia 1-0.
This result boosted the morale of the team and fans, who had suffered consecutive defeats in friendly matches during the preparations for the Asian Cup and World Cup qualifiers. Under new Moroccan coach Hussein Amooutah, who took over in the summer, the manager’s task and line-up came under scrutiny as the team won just one of nine games, and the results caused concern.
Jordan led South Korea 2-1 in extra time and was on the verge of a historic first win, but the match ended in an own goal, but it was still a good result for Jordan heading into the third group match. Noureddine Rawabde will miss the match against Bahrain, but other players on the injured list could also be among the coach’s options, revamping the team and building a competitive line-up for the future While striving to improve their skills, they aim to advance to the top in future regional and international competitions.
Amuta admitted that there were defensive mistakes, adding: “We are working on addressing the gaps, but the players are fully focused and will be able to overcome the existing challenges.” .
The Moroccan player is looking forward to advancing to the Asian Cup and qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, with 8 spots available for the next tournament in addition to the zonal qualifiers, which have expanded the number of participants to 48 countries in Asia. is assigned.