Amman — Jordan’s national under-17 football team will face the United Arab Emirates at 6 p.m. today in the final match of Group B at the West Asian U-17 Championship, held at Aqaba Development Field. Both teams will be looking to secure top spot after already booking their places in the semifinals.
اضافة اعلان
The match carries particular importance despite both teams having qualified for the last four, as it will determine the group winner. The two sides are level on points after Jordan defeated Oman 3-1, while the UAE opened its campaign with a 1-0 win over the same opponent.
Jordan will be aiming to maintain its positive results and finish the group stage at the top. The players enter the match with a morale boost after securing qualification, while head coach Ashraf Shatat hopes to use the game to assess the team's technical and physical readiness ahead of the decisive stages of the tournament.
The UAE, meanwhile, will be seeking a second consecutive victory and a chance to claim first place. The encounter is expected to be closely contested, particularly as the Emirati side kept a clean sheet in its opening match against Oman.
Both teams delivered solid performances in the previous round, defeating Oman to confirm their strength in the group and secure semifinal places ahead of their direct meeting in the final round.
The match also offers Jordan’s coaching staff an opportunity to assess the players and address technical issues before the semifinal. Facing another qualified team gives the encounter added sporting value beyond simply determining the group standings.
Attention will be focused on whether Jordan can finish the group stage in first place, as the players seek to maintain their momentum and make a strong impression before entering the knockout rounds, where there is no room for recovery after defeat.
Despite being reduced to 10 players early in the previous match following the first-half dismissal of Abada Al-Riyahneh, Jordan managed to score three goals and turn the game around. Faisal Al-Hourani scored twice, while substitute Jamil Issa added the third.
Jordan’s expected starting lineup includes Karam Al-Najjar, Hashem Al-Khatib, Ibrahim Al-Fawadleh, Fayez Al-Rawashdeh, Ahmad Bani Yaseen, Yazan Qadadeh, Ahmad Abu Dieh, Os Msaif, Faisal Al-Hourani, Yousef Abu Sheikha and Mohammad Zaki.
The UAE squad, coached by Ucciano Da Cruz, features Sultan Johar, Salem Jamal, Sultan Hamad, Laith Al-Dabbas, Mansour Al-Ali, Majed Hamad, Mohammad Al-Marri, Saif Allah Amro, Rayan Diortchi, Maytham Al-Jilani and Matar Al-Rashidi.
Resource: Al-Ghad. Reporting: Muhannad Jweiles
