Jordan have been a staple of the AFC Asian Cup since making their finals debut in China 20 years ago. Al-Nashama have successfully plotted a path to the knockout stages in 2004, 2011 and 2019, having featured at every edition bar the 2007 Asian Cup.
Jordan are an outlier in Arab football. Unlike their Levantine neighbors, they do not have a large diaspora from which talent can be drawn. Their neighbors in the Gulf have huge financial resources which has enabled them to build world class facilities, hire renowned coaches, and lure top foreign talent.
In spite of all the shortcomings, the Jordanian Football Association has been able to field competitive teams in youth, women’s, and men’s competitions. When the draw for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup was held last May, Jordan were heavily tipped as the tournament’s dark horses.
Iraqi tactician Adnan Hamad had returned in June 2021 following Jordan’s failure to qualify for the third round of World Cup qualification, for the second straight edition. Hamad had led the side to the 2011 Asian Cup quarterfinals and to the 2014 World Cup playoff stage.
The Samara native needed a couple of friendlies to find his groove, but once he did, his team delivered. At the end of 2021, Hamad guided his team to the quarterfinals of the FIFA Arab Cup and a stacked Egypt team needed extra time to eliminate the brave Jordanians.
Al-Nashama followed that up with a perfect record in qualifying for the 2023 Asian Cup. Jordan had reverted to type under Hamad, becoming the continent’s best counter-attacking side — skilled at soaking up pressure and launching swift counters through the young attacking triumvirate of Mousa Al-Tamari, Ali Al-Olwan and Yazan Naimat.
The wins kept stacking up for Adnan Hamad as his two-year deal drew to a close. He won 16 of his 23 matches at the helm of the national team — the last stretch of friendlies featured nine wins and three respectable losses to World Cup finalists Australia (2-1), Spain (3-1), and Serbia (3-2).
Jordan were trending upwards and it was looking like the association’s bosses would renew their trust in Hamad. Not all were happy with the news.
In spite of the stellar record, certain results irked Jordan’s fans. A 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Morocco’s B-team at the Arab Cup was deemed a damning indictment of the Iraqi manager’s tactics.
There was also the worry that if Jordan did not learn to play a proactive, possession-type style they would struggle to break down weaker teams.
For all his success over two stints with Jordan, Hamad had few friends in the media and had to take to Facebook to deny reports that he had asked for a staggering $65,000 a month to renew his contract.
A surprise announcement following Jordan’s 2-1 win over Jamaica in June confirmed the JFA’s decision — Hamad would not be staying on. His replacement would be Houcine Ammouta, the man who inflicted the 4-0 defeat on Jordan whilst in charge of Morocco.
In the press conference announcing Ammouta’s arrival, the JFA’s Secretary-General Samar Nassar stated: “The dream of every Jordanian is to qualify for the World Cup, and as an FA we will do everything possible to try and make that dream a reality.”
Ammouta was handed a three-year contract and given the opportunity to appoint his own staff. The sporting public applauded the appointment of the man who had won the CAF Confederations Cup, the CAF Champions League, and the African Nations Championship.
Fans expected wins, and stylish ones to boot. They instead witnessed a 6-0 battering at the hands of Norway in Ammouta’s first game. Since taking the post, Ammouta has lost five times and drawn twice. Jordan currently languishes in third place in its World Cup qualification group behind Saudi Arabia and Tajikistan. Its sole point was secured courtesy of a last-gasp equalizer in Dushanbe.
Can Jordan turn it around at the finals? History suggests they can. In the lead-up to the 2019 Asian Cup, Jordan had recorded a single win in their previous nine games before recording shocking upsets of Australia and Syria at the finals.
That said, for all the attacking talent in the Jordan side they have a weaker spine than previous iterations.
Goalkeeper Amr Shafei has retired. The industrious midfield of Saeed Murjan, Bahaa Abdel Rahman and Yaseen Al-Bakhit are gone as well, wiping out 500 caps of experience. The 35-year-old Anas Bani Yaseen was a surprise recall ahead of the Asian Cup squad announcement. The centurion brings experience but this is a signal that Ammouta no longer believes his expansive style of play can be implemented.
An expanded 24-team Asian Cup means passage to the knockout stage could be secured with a single win. Jordan have managed that in three of their four participations to date. Jordan’s opener against Malaysia on Jan. 15 is, on paper, their easiest game in a group that also includes South Korea and Bahrain.
From Amman to Aqaba, fans are no longer asking how they will win but if they will win. Ammouta might need to consult his predecessor for advice on how to deliver such utilitarian results.