U-23 team aims to advance to Asian Games quarters

AMMAN  — Jordan’s U-23 football team plays Kyrgyzstan on Thursday hoping for a win to move to the quarter-finals of  the 17th Asian Games football competition currently under way in Incheon, South Korea.

The squad  moved to Round 2 after topping Group G following a 1-0 win over the UAE and 2-0 against India.

Knockout stage matches on Thursday and Friday will produce the quarter-finalists who will eventually play for the medals. Other matches will see Palestine vs. Japan, Thailand vs. China, South Korea vs. Hong Kong, Iraq vs. Tajikistan, Uzbekistan vs. Saudi Arabi, Vietnam vs. the UAE, North Korea vs. Indonesia.

There was much speculation over the participation of Jordan’s squad at the games as it had a tough time trying to assemble the line-up with players on national team as well as club agendas hampering coach Jamal Abu Abed’s plans. Their impressive start has now given the team the momentum to follow through and compete. They are also set to play at the 2016 Olympic qualifiers set for March 2015. 

On the other hand, the women’s football team did not fare well and were eliminated after humiliating defeats in Round 1 Group B matches, tying Taiwan 2-2, losing to China 5-0 and suffering a crushing 12-0 defeat to Japan.

South Korea, Thailand, Japan, North Korea, China, Vietnam, India and Taiwan have moved to the quarters after the Maldives and Hong Kong were also eliminated as the top two teams from each group and the top two third-placed teams advanced.

Jordan was the only Arab team among 11 competing and had qualified to the Asian Cup finals for the first time after a three-game winning streak — beating Uzbekistan 4-0, Lebanon 5-0 and Kuwait 21-0 in Group A qualifiers.

The early elimination of the senior women’s team was another setback for the squad after a similar exit earlier this year at their first Asian Football Confederation Women’s 2014 Asian Cup where they lost to world champs Japan 7-0, Australia and Vietnam 3-1 in Group A. The top two teams from each group and the best third-placed team qualified to the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada.

This month, Jordan dropped six spots to 58th in the latest FIFA rankings but is still the top ranked Arab and 12th ranked Asian team.

Jordan is competing in 12 sports: football, basketball, taekwondo, karate, boxing, triathlon, cycling, judo, wrestling, squash, wushu and weightlifting. 

The Asian Games conclude on October 4.