U-23 team to play Uzbekistan in friendly

AMMAN — Jordan’s U-23 team is set to play Uzbekistan on Wednesday in its third and final friendly concluding its UAE camp as the final countdown starts for the 2nd Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Championship. 

So far, Jordan beat North Korea in two friendlies 1-0 and 2-1. With players unable to fully regroup in preparation for the championship, head coach Jamal Abu Abed has given all the squad playing time in a bid to finalise the line-up before leaving to Qatar on January 10 Asia’s qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

“The team has improved in every aspect. The camp and matches served the purpose and was aided by the squad’s discipline and commitment,” Abu Abed noted. “We hope to end the camp and third match on a positive note before returning home,” Abu Abed added.

Before the camp the U-23 team played Iraq losing 1-0 in a friendly after playing local friendlies against Wihdat, Jazira, Faisali and Shabab Urdun during the last two months as Abu Abed worked on defensive and offensive tactics and tried to enhance “team cohesiveness”. 

The team will leave to Doha on January 10 and will play in Group D against Australia, the UAE and Vietnam in the 16-team competition set for January 12-30. In the inaugural AFC U-22 Championship (now renamed the AFC U23 Championship), Jordan beat South Korea to take bronze as Iraq beat Saudi Arabia to win the title.

 Jordan qualified to the U-23 Championship after leading Group B qualifiers in Amman. In 2015, the U-23 squad was eliminated from the 1st West Asian Championship and in 2014, the U-23 squad represented Jordan at the Asian Games where they made to the quarter-finals despite a bumpy preparation period amid the busy agenda of the national team and local clubs.