Jordan women’s national football team upbeat at Olympic qualifiers

AMMAN — The women’s senior football team plays Indonesia on Tuesday in their final Round 1, Group D Olympic qualifier in Ramallah, West Bank.

The tournament which is acts as a qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics saw Jordan trounced the Maldives 6-0 and Palestine 7-0 to take the lead atop the group. Indonesia beat Maldives 3-1 and Palestine held Indonesia 1-1.

Jordan is in a good position to qualify to Round 2 hence becoming the only national team to advance in Asian qualifiers this season.

Earlier this year, the U-19 women’s team was eliminated from Round 1 qualifiers for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-19 Championship. Likewise, the men’s U19 national team was eliminated from Round 1 of the AFC U-19 Championship. The semifinalists advanced to the FIFA U19 World Cup.

Jordan was hoping to advance in the Asian event after they failed to qualify to the championships in 2014 and 2016. It was the fifth time for Jordan at the championship with the best showing when they finished fourth in 2006 and advanced to the FIFA Youth World Cup in Canada in 2007. They exited the first round in 2008 and 2010, and reached the quarters in 2012. 

In U-16 events, Jordan bowed out of the Round 1 of the 2018 AFC U-16 Men’s Championship. Held once every two years, the competition serves as a qualifier for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, with the top four countries qualifying. The U-16 women’s squad was also eliminated from Round 1 Group A qualifiers for the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship.

In addition, Jordan’s U-23 men’s team was knocked out of Round 1 of the 3rd AFC U-23 Championship which acts as a qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 2016, Jordan reached the quarter-finals and in 2014 Jordan finished third.