Saleh Al-Shehri starred for the second time in five days as Saudi Arabia won 2-0 in Jordan on Tuesday to maintain their perfect start to qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
The win leaves Roberto Mancini’s side in control of Group G with six points from two matches.
With Tajikistan moving into second place with a 6-1 win over bottom team Pakistan earlier in the day, the Green Falcons are five points clear of Jordan, who drew their opening game, in third. The top two from each of the nine groups advance into the final group stage.
The trip to Amman looked to be the toughest game in the round for the three-time Asian champions but it did not take long for Saudi to get the opening goal, just eight minutes in fact.
Abbas Al-Hassan whipped in a free-kick from just outside the penalty area and, using the pace on the delivery, Al-Shehri nodded home from close range.
Mancini had raised eyebrows by not selecting Al-Ahli striker Firas Al-Buraikan, but the man from Al-Hilal underlined there is currently no debate as to who is the more in-form player.
Jordan perhaps should have equalized seven minutes later. Ali Olwan caught the defense napping as he slipped the ball through to Mousa Tamari, but the French-based forward’s shot from the right side of the area was too close to Mohammed Al-Owais who saved smartly with his feet.
It signaled the start of Jordanian pressure and there were loud calls for a penalty after 20 minutes after a fierce shot from Nizar Al-Rashdan was blocked by Awn Al-Saluli. The majority of fans in the Amman International Stadium thought the Al-Taawoun defender had stopped the ball with his hand but no penalty was given.
Saudi Arabia extended their lead on the half hour following a well-worked move. Ali Hazzazi turned outside the area to take two defenders out of the equation and slipped the ball to Al-Shehri on the right side of the box. There was still work for the striker to do but he took a touch and then fired a perfect shot across the goalkeeper and into the far corner.
It should have been three seven minutes before the break. Al-Hassan’s shot from the left beat Yazeed Abulaila in goal but bounced back off the right-hand post. It almost bounced right back over the line off Mohammad Abu Hash but the defender managed to clear the danger.
The first half, though, had been a perfect one for Saudi Arabia who knew that a solid performance after the break would bring home the three points.
But Jordan came out fighting after the interval. Nine minutes into the second half Al-Rashdan headed down from the edge of the six-yard box only for the ball to bounce over the bar.
Jordan enjoyed plenty of possession but the expected onslaught never really came, with shots from distance and hopeful balls into the box rarely troubling the three-man defense employed by Saudi Arabia’s Italian coach.
In the end it was a comfortable win for the visitors, although the result and performance leave Jordan coach Hussein Ammouta under some pressure.
The Moroccan will be hoping he gets the chance to stay until March and back-to-back games against Pakistan.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, know that victory in the next match against Tajikistan at home will put them on the brink of the next round.
