Amman — Jordan national football team head coach Badou Zaki continues his process of getting to know the team’s technical, individual, and organizational details after his first test against Syria ended in a 1-1 draw on Sunday at King Abdullah II Stadium in Al-Qweismeh, as part of the team’s preparations for upcoming competitions.
اضافة اعلان
Following the Syrian test, attention now turns to the upcoming friendly against Venezuela, scheduled for October 6. The match is expected to provide Zaki with another opportunity to test his options, address the mistakes that emerged against Syria, and move closer to the shape he wants the national team to adopt in the next phase.
The current period appears to be a foundational stage for Zaki, during which he is seeking to assess the players’ abilities, identify the team’s needs, and test more than one playing system before settling on the approach best suited to the squad at his disposal. The Venezuela match will offer Zaki a different test against a team from a contrasting footballing school, allowing the coaching staff to assess the Chivalrous’ ability to deal with a different style of play while continuing to experiment with personnel and tactical options.
The match will also provide an opportunity to determine how well the players have benefited from the coaching staff’s observations from the Syria game, particularly in terms of positioning, transitions between the lines, and the speed of building attacks details that can only become clearer through repeated tests and matches.
The Chivalrous continue their daily training during a closed camp at a hotel in the capital. Training sessions at the Chivalrous Preparation Center focus on correcting the mistakes that emerged in the opening match, particularly defensively, while also improving concentration in front of goal and the finishing of attacks, which was affected by rushed decisions on several occasions.
Zaki’s first task appears to be reorganizing the team’s technical setup, both in terms of its playing style and the positions of several players, in an attempt to find the most cohesive combination capable of implementing his ideas on the pitch.
At this stage, the Moroccan coach needs a comprehensive assessment of the national team’s components, not only through matches but also through daily training. Competition for several positions remains open, with a number of players capable of playing in more than one position, giving the coaching staff greater flexibility to make adjustments according to the nature of the opponent.
Zaki has previously stressed the importance of using friendly matches to test players and assess their abilities. This explains the scale of the changes and options the coaching staff are testing during this phase before moving into a more stable period as official competitions approach.
The first test highlighted the coaching staff’s need for more time to impose Zaki’s ideas, particularly as the national team appeared at times to lack the required cohesion between its lines. There was also a lack of organized attacking solutions and inconsistency in the playing system during the match, amid a transition from a 3-4-3 formation to a 4-3-3.
The observations were not limited to the result or the performance of individual players, but rather concerned the team’s overall appearance. Clear tactical patterns were absent for long periods, and the Chivalrous did not impose their style on Syria as effectively as required. This provided the coaching staff with important indications to work on during training and in the upcoming match.
Friendly matches remain an important platform for a coach to experiment, test players, and give new names opportunities. However, this does not eliminate the importance of establishing the first signs of the national team’s identity, particularly for a Chivalrous side that has reached the World Cup for the first time in the history of Jordanian football, raising expectations and hopes among fans more than ever.
The Syria match also provided an important indicator for Zaki by giving goalkeeper Alec Samir his international debut. He emerged as one of the main gains of the match in terms of testing new players, making a positive impression in his first appearance for the Chivalrous and strengthening the coaching staff’s options in goal.
Competition for the goalkeeper position also appears open, with Yazeed Abu Layla, Abdullah Al-Fakhouri, and Alec Samir all available. This gives the coaching staff multiple options while encouraging the goalkeepers to maintain a high level of readiness, particularly with upcoming competitions approaching.
National coach Issa Al-Turk told Al-Ghad that Zaki is trying as much as possible to use the friendly matches to test some of the ideas he has in mind, in preparation for settling on an ideal lineup. He described the friendlies as an ideal opportunity to assess certain details.
Coach Omar Abduljalil, meanwhile, called for giving the coach some time before judging him, reiterating his confidence in the national team’s ability to shine at the upcoming Asian Cup.
A large number of fans also agreed that Zaki’s abilities cannot be judged based on the Syria match alone, with further friendly matches needed before assessing the coach.
Resource: Al-Ghad. Reporting: Yahya Qutishat
