Running through six coaches since qualification began less than four years ago, Jordan paint the picture of a side in crisis. While management has consistently changed hands however, performances on the pitch suggest a different state, cruising through latter qualification with a bright and exciting attacking squad to hand. The concern remains that of continuity, something that’ll likely not go away as they travel to the UAE with yet another new head coach in position.
From Paul Put, through two caretaker spells for Abdullah Abu Zema, a brief rollercoaster with Harry Redknapp, followed by qualification consolidation under Jamal Abu-Abed, an endless managerial list highlights the journey that Jordan have gone on through qualification for a third successive Asian Cup campaign. On paper, it was a solid campaign, narrowly missing out in the second round (when few gave them much hope in), followed by an unbeaten third round, it’s difficult to see where the friction lay.
But of course, this is endemic of Jordanian football, and their pursuit to reach the top table of the Asian game. Despite a lack of resources, options for players to play outside the country and the structure in place to truly succeed, the blind hope of chopping and changing in the dugout has yet to be proven beneficial.
At key moments we’ve seen erratic firing when a measure of restraint might have been proven to be more prudent. A well fought World Cup qualification campaign came to an end prematurely when Belgian Paul Put lost his job upon defeat to Kyrgyzstan, away in Bishkek. In a severe case of firefighting, Harry Redknapp stood up, aiming for two wins from two (at home to Bangladesh and away to Australia) to force the nation over the line, in their unlikely chance of chasing a lucky loser runners up spot.
In farcical circumstances, Redknapp exited in a negative tailwind, which had started so positive, singing the praises of his employers, the national team standard and Asian football as a whole, ahead of and after a convincing yet unsurprising 8-0 battering of Bangladesh. The mood couldn’t have been starker upon retreat from Sydney, losing 5-1 to the Asian Cup champions, taking a swipe at the same employers, national team standard and Asian football that he'd unanimously praised days before. Who could’ve foreseen this?
Emirati Abdullah Mesfer felt a similar axe to that of Put, after dropping points “away” to Afghanistan. With Asian Cup qualification still in full control, expectations seemed excessively lofty, leading Jamal Abu-Abed to coast home to finish the campaign, without any real improvement, but the job was done.
Consistency was thrown away once more, as another Belgian Vital Borkelmans takes the hot seat, after Abu-Abed’s expiry date hit. The former Belgium national team assistant during an infamous spell under Marc Wilmots, is incredibly short on managerial experience, only ever managing in the second tier in his homeland, some six years ago. Jordan, a team who are often swayed by personality over credibility have gone one step further this time around.
Whatever’s in play now, the responsibility will undoubtedly come down on the players, and this is one calling card Jordan have seen considerable improvement in over the last cycle. Alongside a cluster of veterans, headlined by iconic keeper Amer Shafi, Jordan are starting to produce some young players that are contributing outside their country’s modest standards. Yasen Al-Bakhit has been in good form in the Arabian Gulf League, while Swedish born Jonathan Tamimi and American based Jaime Siaj look to give the squad a little more depth with outside experience.
The standout however has been Musa Al-Taamari, who’s form for Al-Jazeera both domestically and on the continental stage earlier this year saw him make arguably the biggest move in Jordanian football history, to Cypriot champions APOEL Nicosia. The 21-year-old flying winger has already established himself in the starting line-up, averaging a goal every other game, whilst experiencing European football in both Champions and Europa League preliminaries.
His quick escalation in form and prestige, will undoubtedly have balanced well with the reliability of Hamza Al-Dardour in attack. January’s Asian Cup will mark the four-year anniversary of his explosion onto international scene, with his four-goal haul against Palestine living long in many observer’s memory. Throughout the instability in coaching staff, Al-Dardour has been the man to keep the ship sailing in the right direction; 10 goals over the course of qualification was the foundation stone to their progression. Borkelmans shock exclusion of their top scorer looks to be an oversight that might cost them dearly in the UAE.
Putting their exploits into practice generally is questionable, given the short lead up Borkelmans has to rubber stamp any of his ideas on the squad. He can point to isolated performances to garner hope however; the 2-0 win over Australia early in the cycle was an early benchmark that they’ll be particularly keen on replicating, given they’ve drawn the Socceroos in their opening match in UAE. While draws, home and away against a decent Vietnam side, alongside encouraging draws in Europe to the likes of Albania and Croatia will also generate confidence.
The group stage draw leaves things slightly open. Alongside unequivocal favourites for progression Australia, Jordan will be confident of contesting with two other unpredictable sides in Syria and Palestine, who have similar inconsistencies in coaching staff. On paper the group is intriguingly poised, with a young starlet of the tournament in the making and a wealth of defensive experience to depend on, Jordan look to be considered contenders.
Key Men
Head Coach - Vital Borkelmans (BEL)
Former assistant of his homeland’s national side under Marc Wilmots, this is the Belgian’s first head coaching role in six years. Follows a number of high profile foreign managers who have rarely lasted longer than two years.
Young Prospect - Musa Al-Taamari
Capping a fantastic year with Al-Jazeera, scoring 6 goals in 7 games to reach the AFC Cup Zonal Finals, the 21-year-old winger made his big European move to APOEL over the summer. Despite his age and only a handful of international caps, his immediate success in Cyprus and his sheer pace makes him one of the most dangerous attacking options in Jordan’s armoury, especially given Al-Dardour's exclusion.
Cult Hero - Amer Shafi
A goalkeeper with the reputation for the exuberant, is likely to captain the squad in his final national team appearances in January. One of the most experienced players in Asian football, amassing nearly 150 caps, he scored his first career goal from his own penalty area in November's friendly victory over India.
Young Prospect - Baha' Faisal
23-year-old striker who to date has failed to really get going under previous coaches despite being highly regarded after an imperious youth international record. Given heavy responsibility in the Asian Cup squad to replace the goals of club mate Hamza Al-Dardour, Faisal will likely lead the line in the UAE. Scored Jordan's only goal against recent World Cup finalists Croatia in Rijeka in October.
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