Qatar’s Asian Cup redemption almost complete after World Cup horrors

Tournaments, by design, are unpredictable, but for better or worse, this is what sets the narratives in international football. It is safe to say that Jordan not only changed the narrative but also produced a seismic shift in the way the continent will view them in future.

Coming into this tournament, Jordan was nothing more than a plucky underdog. It had the best record of the Levantine nations at the AFC Asian Cup finals; not much of a standard considering the fact that Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon had never progressed past the group stage before Qatar 2023.

Al-Nashama had never won a knockout stage game at an Asian Cup before their 3-2 triumph over Iraq. After losing to Vietnam on penalties in the last edition, it seemed that this team was hexed. Couple that with failure to advance to the third round of World Cup qualification for the 2018 and 2022 editions of the FIFA World Cup and it seemed that Jordan was destined to keep falling just short.

The Jordan FA made a big splash with the appointment of Hussein Ammouta, who has become a national hero for leading Al-Nashama to the semifinals and now the final of the Asian Cup for the first time. It is worth noting that he was persona non grata in the Hashemite kingdom before the tournament.

Ammouta arrived in Amman looking to fundamentally change the way Jordan plays. The team was supposed to become the carbon copy of his Morocco A side that eviscerated Asian opponents Palestine, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia at FIFA Arab Cup in 2021. During that tournament, Ammouta’s side dominated proceedings, averaging 60 percent possession, three goals a game, and holding their Asian counterparts to two total shots on goal during the group stage.

The secret to Jordan’s success has not been in replicating that style but going back to their roots. The Jordanians have always found joy in sitting and countering, and while Ammouta has not “parked the bus,” he has taken a page from his predecessor Adnan Hamad and set up the team in a midblock that preys on opponents’ mistakes in midfield.

In eight competitive matches under Ammouta, Jordan have never won when enjoying more possession. The team lost to Saudi Arabia in World Cup qualification and needed a last-gasp equalizer in Dushanbe to avoid defeat to Tajikistan in matches where they had 56 percent and 50 percent possession, respectively.

At the Asian Cup finals, Jordan have beaten Malaysia, Iraq, Tajikistan, and Korea with less of the ball. Their lone loss of their tournament — against Bahrain — featured 60 percent possession.

Rest assured the team has had its fair share of luck. Karma usually bites teams that lose strategically — as Jordan seemed to do against Bahrain — in order to avoid a stronger opponent (in this case Japan).

A controversial sending off of Aymen Hussein was the catalyst for an unlikely 3-2 comeback against Iraq with two goals in injury time overturning a 2-1 deficit.

In the quarterfinals, Jordan grinded out an ugly 1-0 victory against Tajikistan. After enjoying more possession in the first half, they ceded possession produced no shots on goal and found the winner through the most fortunate of deflections.

Their 2-0 demolition of Korea Republic on Tuesday, however, was not down to luck. Jordan were brilliant and were, in fact, unlucky not to take a lead into halftime. Yazan Al-Naimat and Mousa Al-Tamari translated Jordan’s dominant tactical display into goals in front of a partisan crowd at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.

Possession stats perhaps do not always reflect the nature of the game. Korea had 70 percent of the ball, but managed zero shots on target. Jordan had seven. Jordan’s verve and vigor were clear to anyone watching.

Hosts and holders Qatar await the Jordanians on Saturday night. For their part, the Qataris were also not expected to be here having fired Carlos Queiroz a month before the tournament was due to start.

They, too, went back to tried-and-tested methods in this tournament. The stodgy defensive style of Queiroz never seemed a natural fit for players who had been brought up with the Aspire Academy’s FC Barcelona-influenced approach.

Dominating possession has been a feature of Al-Annabi in all their games bar the surprise win over Iran in the semifinal.

Qatar’s style of play suits this Jordanian side just fine who have masked the defensive frailties of their centerbacks and goalkeeper by playing a three-man backline. They have been further aided by wingbacks and midfielders who have been given a defense-first remit.

It was a switch to this formation that gave Ammouta his first win as Jordan manager — against Qatar no less — at the eighth time of asking.

After years of evangelizing a proactive approach, Ammouta and his Jordan side are now firm disciples of Jose Mourinho’s seven rules:

1. The game is won by the team who commits fewer errors.

2. Football favors whoever provokes more errors in the opposition.

3. Away from home, instead of trying to be superior to the opposition, it’s better to encourage their mistakes.

4. Whoever has the ball is more likely to make a mistake.

5. Whoever renounces possession reduces the possibility of making a mistake.

6. Whoever has the ball has fear.

7. Whoever does not have it is thereby stronger.

With Jordan riding a crest of positive emotion and fans already celebrating their achievement, there will be no pressure on Al-Nashama. If errors are provoked in the Qatari midfield then Jordan will present their most dangerous players, Al-Naimat and Al-Tamari, with the chance to take the Asian Cup back to Amman.