Jordanian football teams score wins as expectations soar

AMMAN —  It’s been a successful week for Jordanian football, with fans on a high note as Jordan emerged victorious heading into remaining Group G qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup as well as the 6th AFC U23 Asian Cup.

All eyes were on the senior team as Jordan beat Pakistan 7-0 on Tuesday evening, to climb to second in the group ahead of the return leg matches in June against Tajikistan and Saudi Arabia.After qualifiers kicked off in November 2023, Jordan held holding Tajikistan 1-1 and lost 2-0 to Saudi Arabia. However, after they finished runner up at the 2023 Asian Cup, and shot up 17 spots 70th in FIFA rankings, they returned full force to World Cup qualifiers, and scored an expected 3-0 away win against 195th ranked Pakistan while Saudi Arabia beat Tajikistan 1-0 and tied 1-1 in the return.

Expectations have clearly shifted after Jordan’s 5th time at the 2023 Asian Cup last month when the squad reached the final.

Now, fans hope Moroccan coach Hussein Amouta can take Jordan to the World Cup for the first time after FIFA expanded the format to include 16 more teams to qualify in the upcoming 2026 edition of the World Cup.  

U-23 team finishes 5th   Meanwhile, the U-23 national team beat Iraq 3-1 to take fifth spot at the 5th West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) Championship currently under way in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Jordan beat Thailand 3-1 to qualify to the 5th spot match after losing to Saudi Arabia in a dramatic, disappointing penalty shootout in their opening match.

The Kingdom is eyeing a spot at the Olympic Games which will be decided at the 6th AFC U-23 Asian Cup in April where they will play in Group A alongside hosts Qatar, Australia and Indonesia. Three teams will qualify to the Olympics while the fourth will play a play-off to advance. Similarly, the U-20 national team hopes to make it to the U-20 World Cup, and is currently preparing for the Asian Cup qualifiers in September. The team beat Japan 2-0 after losing 3-1 this week. They also beat Syria 4-1 earlier. 

The U17 team has their U17 Asian Cup qualifiers set for October while the women’s team won their 6th West Asian title after beating Nepal.