Amman — The national football team begins, this morning, a new journey in its path, as Moroccan head coach Badou Zaki opens a new chapter with the Nashama, amid high ambitions to continue the string of achievements that have given Jordanian football a notable presence at both the continental and international levels, leading up to the 2027 AFC Asian Cup finals, which Saudi Arabia will host from January 7 to February 5.
اضافة اعلان
The Nashama begin their closed camp, held at one of the capital's hotels, with the participation of domestically based players, alongside a number of professionals playing for foreign clubs, with the squad set to be complete over the next two days, through the first training session held at the Nashama's stadium.
The national team's squad list includes 28 players: Yazeed Abu Laila, Abdullah Al-Fakhouri, Alex Samir, Ahmad Jaidi, Abdullah Nassib "Diara," Mohammad Abu Al-Nadi, Hadi Al-Hourani, Yazan Al-Arab, Saad Al-Rousan, Ihsan Haddad, Muhannad Abu Taha, Ahmad Assaf, Anas Badawi, Mahmoud Shawkat, Youssef Qeshi, Amer Jamous, Ibrahim Saadeh, Youssef Abu Jalboush "Sisa," Noor Al-Din Al-Rawabdeh, Nizar Al-Rashdan, Mohammad Abu Zureiq "Sharara," Ali Al-Azayzeh, Tamer Bani Odeh, Ahmad Al-Ersan, Odai Fakhouri, Musa Al-Taamari, Mahmoud Marzi, and Ali Alwan.
The coming phase is expected to give Zaki the chance to get to know the players closely, follow their levels, and identify the team's needs, especially since the Moroccan coach needs to form a clear picture of the group before moving to the decisive phase of preparation. The start of Zaki's journey carries doubled importance, given the tight timeframe available to the new technical staff, with the actual period available to him not exceeding around 108 days before entering the Asian competition, putting the Moroccan coach before a major challenge: building a cohesive team, selecting the most prepared players, and establishing a clear technical identity, ensuring the Nashama's strong presence continues in the upcoming competitions.
The preparation journey for the Asian Cup finals spans 3 main periods, beginning with the current international break, which continues until October 6, during which the Nashama squad plays two friendly matches, the first against the Syrian national team next Sunday at King Abdullah II Stadium in Al-Quwaismeh, in the national team's first match under the technical staff led by Zaki, before facing Venezuela's national team on the evening of the 6th of next month, at the same venue, in his second friendly test during the current international break.
These matches come at an important time for Zaki, who will be tasked with using them to get a better sense of the players' abilities, try out more than one technical and tactical option, and identify the initial features of the team he wants to build, beyond simply chasing results, especially since the current phase represents the start of a relatively long preparation process, though limited in terms of actual gathering periods.
Zaki faces a challenge that isn't just about leading the national team in a new Asian tournament, but also involves continuing a string of successive achievements that began with his compatriot, former head coach Hussein Ammouta, who successfully led the Nashama to the 2023 Asian Cup final, an achievement that placed the national team among the continent's most prominent teams during that tournament. After Ammouta, his compatriot, former head coach Jamal Sellami, continued the journey, leading the Nashama to the historic achievement of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup finals, alongside reaching the final of the 2025 Qatar Arab Cup, making Zaki's task tied to a new phase in the national team's history, one centered on preserving these gains and building on them, rather than starting from scratch.
The second international break runs from November 11 to November 19, and will also include friendly matches for the national team, with the Nashama playing two matches, the first against Indonesia's national team on November 13 at Amman International Stadium, before facing Australia's national team on the evening of Tuesday, November 17, at the same venue.
The matches against Indonesia and Australia carry significant technical importance in the preparation program, as they give the technical staff a fresh opportunity to test players and tactical options, raise the level of cohesion, and get closer to the lineup it can rely on at the finals.
Before entering official competition, the Nashama enter the final stage of preparation through the third break, which extends from December 20 to January 6, coinciding with the national team's entry into the atmosphere of the Asian Cup's official competitions, with two friendly matches held during this period, aiming to reach the finals at the highest level of readiness.
Resource: Al-Ghad. Reporting: Yahya Qteishat
