Jordan will meet Tajikistan in the Asian Cup quarter-finals after two stoppage-time goals secured a 3-2 win over Iraq in the match, who had striker and tournament top scorer Aymen Hussein was shown a red card in the late stages due to his exuberant goal celebrations on Monday. Aymen Hussein is a brilliant skill footballer with lots of talent.
Jordan Score Twice in Injury Time to Surge Into Asian Cup Quarters
Jordan had a man advantage after the 77th-minute dismissal of Hussein but looked down and out in injury time, only for Yazan Al-Arab to prod in a 95th-minute leveler If The incredible turn of events continued as, unbelievably, two minutes later, Jordan witnessed a spectacular long-range goal by Nizar Al-Rashdan, breaking Iraqi hearts and igniting exuberant celebrations. in the ground.
Iraq’s devastated players were sprawled on the turf, their aspirations of replicating the country’s magical 2007 Asian Cup title somehow slipping away from their grasp. Iraq’s players made so many mistakes in the match Jordan is ranked 24 places lower than Iraq in the point table but they were the better side in the first half in front of a 36,000 crowd at a raucous Khalifa International Stadium they did perform well in the second half.
Jordan score twice in injury time to surge into Asian Cup quartershttps://t.co/Lf4ohYAj8E
— Al-Monitor (@AlMonitor) January 29, 2024
Jordan’s Remarkable Comeback
After netting two goals within three minutes during deep stoppage time, Jordan is set to face Tajikistan in the quarter-finals, having defeated Iraq 3-2.
Chaos ensued during Iraq’s post-match press conference as irate Iraqi reporters confronted the team’s Spanish coach, Jesus Casas. Security had to intervene to escort them away.
Casas expressed his distress over the incident, stating, “It pains me what happened.”
Despite having a numerical advantage following Aymen Hussein’s 77th-minute dismissal for excessive celebration, Jordan seemed on the brink of defeat in injury time. However, Yazan Al-Arab’s 95th-minute equalizer turned the tide.
The unbelievable turn of events continued as Nizar Al-Rashdan curled in a shot from outside the box two minutes later, propelling the underdogs into the last eight and igniting jubilant celebrations.
Heartbroken, Iraq’s players lay flat-out on the turf, seeing their dreams of replicating the country’s 2007 Asian Cup title slip away.
Jordan’s coach, Hussein Ammouta, concurred with Casas, emphasizing that Hussein’s harsh dismissal altered the course of the game.
“The second half belonged to them; they scored two goals and then had to continue with 10 players,” remarked the Moroccan.
In the upcoming match, Jordan, who drew 2-2 with South Korea in the group phase, will face Tajikistan, a surprising contender in their Asian Cup debut.
On Tuesday, Jurgen Klinsmann’s South Korea will compete against Roberto Mancini’s Saudi Arabia for the opportunity to face Australia in the quarter-finals.
Jordan Turning Point
Despite being ranked 24 places lower than Iraq, Jordan outperformed them in the first half, captivating a lively crowd of 36,000 at the Khalifa International Stadium.
After making several close attempts, Jordan finally seized the lead in the first minute of injury time. Yazan Al-Naimat took advantage of a sloppy play by the Iraq defense, sprinting towards the goal and cleverly chipping the ball over the overworked goalkeeper Jalal Hassan.
Iraq, who had previously defeated the tournament favorites Japan 2-1 in the group stage, launched a vigorous attack in the second half. Their efforts paid off in the 68th minute when defender Saad Natiq headed in the equalizer from a corner.
Undeterred, Jordan swiftly responded with an attempt across the goal. In the 76th minute, an unmarked Hussein controlled the ball in the box and emphatically scored, making it 2-1. This marked his sixth goal of the tournament, but he received a second yellow card for a peculiar celebration, sitting on the ground and mimicking what seemed to be eating.
In the dying moments, Jordan dealt a quickfire double blow, leaving Iraq in disarray. Casas, the coach, pointed to the sending-off as the turning point, expressing bewilderment at a referee penalizing a player for celebrating. He remarked, “When this happened, we had to make changes, and this complicated our task.”
Summary of The Match:
After coming close on multiple occasions, Jordan rightfully took the lead in the first minute of injury time.
The Reaction of the Moroccan:
“The second half belonged to them; they scored two goals and then had to continue with 10 players,” remarked the Moroccan. “In added time, we mounted a comeback, equalized, and capitalized on Iraq being down to one man. We have a strong mentality and we have to maintain it so we can go further in this tournament and hopefully, we will win the tournament at the end..”
