The Jordan national football team will play its opening match in the Arab Cup on Wednesday, facing the United Arab Emirates at 8 p.m. at Al Bayt Stadium in Doha.
The team aims for a strong start with a victory that would pave the way for a serious push toward the tournament title, which features 16 participating national teams. Al-Nashama hope that winning this opening match will boost their ambitions to compete firmly for the championship.
On Tuesday, the national team held its final training session under head coach Jamal Sellami in preparation for the UAE match. Sellami said during a press conference in Doha that Jordan’s participation in the Arab Cup is an important milestone in preparing the team for the World Cup. He added that qualifying for the World Cup has made the team’s main goal to be a competitive side built on a strong group of players.
He noted that the team has had several friendly matches and that this tournament represents another key stepping stone. Sellami emphasized the importance of Jordanian football, which continues to seek excellence both on the field and among its fans.
“We are looking for stability at a high level, and we aim to start this match strong in order to keep our chances alive in the advanced stages,” Sellami said.
In response to a question posed by Al-Mamlaka during the press conference, Sellami stated that the Arab Cup offers an opportunity for players to showcase their abilities. He acknowledged the absence of six key players but asserted that the remaining squad is capable of delivering a strong performance.
Within the group stage, Jordan will face Kuwait next Saturday at 2 p.m. at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, before concluding its first-round matches against Egypt at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 9.
Jordan’s 23-man squad for the tournament includes:
Yazeed Abu Layla, Nour Bani Attieh, Malik Shalabiya, Abdullah Naseeb, Saad Al-Rousan, Salim Obeid, Hossam Abu Thahab, Ali Hijbi, Hadi Al-Hourani, Issam Al-Smeiri, Adham Al-Quraishi, Rajaei Ayed, Amer Jammous, Nizar Al-Rashdan, Ibrahim Saadeh, Mohammad Abu Hashish, Muhannad Abu Taha, Ouda Al-Fakhouri, Ahmad Ersan, Mahmoud Mardi, Mohammad Abu Zureiq, Ali Alwan, and Yazan Al-Naimat.
This marks Jordan’s tenth participation in the Arab Cup, having first competed in the inaugural edition held in Lebanon in 1963, making the Jordanian national team the most frequent participant among Arab nations.
