Just over a year ago, the Jordanian national team convincingly beat Kuwait 3-0 to clinch qualification for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
At Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium in Kuwait City, Adnan Hamad’s team completed their third round qualification from in style, after two earlier victories over Nepal (2-0) and Indonesia (1-0) in Group A.
However, a change of host venue from China to Qatar means that Al-Nashama will not enjoy the fruits of their hard work until 2024, when the delayed tournament will kick off in Doha on Jan. 12 and conclude on Feb. 10.
Jordan will take on Malaysia on Jan. 15 in their opening match of Group E at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.
They will then face South Korea on Jan. 20 at Al-Thumama Stadium and Bahrain five days later at Khalifa International Stadium.
Jordan’s chances of progress to the knock-out stages of the 24-team competition look promising, especially as the tournament format offers qualification for the top two sides in each group to the last 16, along with the best four third-placed teams in each of the six groups.
Jordan have never faced Bahrain or Malaysia in the AFC Asian Cup in their four previous participations. They have, however, faced South Korea in the group stages in China in 2004.
The Jordanian team, then under legendary Egyptian coach Mahmoud El-Gohary, drew 0-0 with South Korea, who finished top of Group B with seven points. Jordan, having beaten Kuwait 2-0 and drawn 0-0 with the UAE, came second with 5 points.
Jordan’s journey ended in the quarterfinals as they were eliminated on penalties by eventual champions Japan.
Hamad, who over the years has become synonymous with leading Jordan, also led the team in Qatar in 2011, where they reached the last eight after drawing with Japan 1-1, defeating Saudi Arabia 1-0 and beating Syria 2-1 in the group stages.
One again, they would exit the tournament at the quarterfinal stage after losing 0-1 to Uzbekistan.
Jordan’s worst participation in the competition was at the 2015 edition in Australia. Now under the leadership of former England midfielder Ray Wilkins, they were eliminated from the group stage after a 1-0 loss Iraq, a 5-1 victory over Palestine and a 2-0 defeat to Japan.
Things would improve significantly four years later in the UAE under Belgian coach Vital Borkelmans. Jordan kicked off their Group B campaign with an excellent 1-0 win over reigning champions Australia, before beating Syria 2-0, and drawing 0-0 with neighbors Palestine.
With a haul of seven points, Jordan topped their group at the AFC Asian Cup for the first time in history.
This time, their exit came in the last 16 with a 4-2 penalty shootout loss to Vietnam after the match had finished 1-1.
Preparations have already begun for the team with the training camp in Austria, which resulted in a 3-2 loss against Serbia and a 2-1 win over Jamaica. Jordan will resume their preparations next September by facing Norway and Azerbaijan in away friendlies, before taking part in a friendly tournament at home in October with Qatar, Iran and Iraq.
The camp, with matches against tough opposition, will have given Hamad a good picture of where his steam stands just over six months from the start of the Asian Cup
In defense, the coach has relied on the likes of Abdallah Nassib, Ihsan Haddad and Mohammad Abu Hasheesh, while Noor Al-Rawabdeh and Nizar Al-Rashdan are his midfield pivots.
Musa Al-Taamari and Mahmoud Al-Mardi occupy the wide positions, while Ali Olwan will provide support for the spearhead Yazan Al-Naimat.
Despite the preparations, Jordan, like the other teams heading to Qatar, will face important distractions. The qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup — for which the second round draw will be made on July 27 — starts in November, just weeks before the team heads off to Doha. It also doubles up as a pathway to the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.
For now, it is the 2023 edition, to be played in 2024, that will be on Jordanian minds.
The target? Advancing beyond the quarterfinals for the first time.
