Full concentration for 90 minutes has been the hallmark of Jordan’s campaign at the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, helping them register five straight wins, collect maximum points, score 10 goals and concede only two.
Jordan’s impressive form prompted Issam Smeeri, one of the standouts from their semi-final win over Saudi Arabia, to sum it all up in his post-match comments to FIFA.
“You have to play with full concentration until the final whistle," he admitted. "We did exactly as the coach asked, applying his instructions to the letter, while also working on our mental strength to maintain our level throughout. Knockout games are decided by fine margins, but we stayed focused, achieved our goal, and we thank the Jordanian fans for helping us along the way.”
Smeeri shouldered a major responsibility, tasked with containing Salem al-Dawsari, a two-time AFC Player of the Year and one of the tournament’s stars, and he did so with considerable success.
“I thank God for granting me success in this match, and I thank coach Jamal Sellami for the confidence he showed in me at this stage of the tournament," he continued. "I’m happy that I had the opportunity to play, and this was my moment to deliver. There’s no doubt that Salem al-Dawsari is an outstanding player and part of a top national team, but with God’s help I was able to limit his threat and deliver a positive performance. I’m hoping to play even better going forward.”
Mahmoud al-Mardi also delivered an excellent defensive performance alongside Smeeri, and made his mark going forward by setting up Nizar al-Rashdan for the decisive goal.
“The coach asked me to help close down the spaces, but Smeeri delivered a great performance and proved himself on the pitch," he stated. "We made a change in the second half by bringing on Shararh (Mohammad Abu Zrayq) with instructions to push forward.
“(For the goal) the ball looked like it was going out, and the opponent assumed I’d let it run, but I kept it alive and we went on to score, thanks to God.”
The players’ remarks underline the significant impact of coach Jamal, who handled the tie expertly. One of his key decisions was introducing Mohammad Abu Hasheesh in the 72nd minute, having identified Abdulrahman al-Oboud’s growing threat on the right side following his half-time introduction in place of Saleh Abu al-Shamat.
“We’re all on the same page. Our aim is to maintain this run of clean sheets in the next game to secure a win," Abu Hasheesh said. The coach read the match perfectly and prepared for it in an excellent way, and that’s why we achieved the result we wanted.”
Rajaei Ayed was anothery key part of the Jordanian machine, with coach Jamal deploying him to take control of the midfield battle.
“I thank the coach for giving me the opportunity, but whether it’s me or another player, the performance will be the same," the 32-year-old stated. "We’ve seen that he has relied on all 23 players, and every one of them has delivered a strong performance in the tournament. I thank God for today’s performance, as we all did our part and secured a place in the final.”
Saleem Obaid, who began the tournament as a starter against the United Arab Emirates before sustaining an injury against Egypt, watched the match from the sidelines but couldn't have been prouder of his side's efforts.
“Our defence is strong because we defend as one unit. I hope we can continue in the same way," he said. "The coaching staff analysed Saudi Arabia’s strengths and weaknesses before the match, and we worked to neutralise their attacking threat while successfully exploiting their vulnerabilities.”
For his part, Ayed expressed strong confidence in the Nashama’s ability to win the FIFA Arab Cup, which would mark the first official title in the nation’s history.
“We’re capable of winning the title. We now have the experience, having played a final at the same stadium (at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup), and this time we’re ready to go one step further.”
Saleem Obaid echoed that sentiment, saying: “We’re ready for our second final in Qatar. Luck wasn’t on our side last time, but we hope it will be with us this time so our fans can celebrate the title. We have what it takes to get the job done.”
Abu Hasheesh stressed that Jordan should focus on their own strengths without fearing any opponent. He also sent a message of support to his teammate Yazan Al Naimat, who suffered a serious ACL injury in the opening minutes of the match against Iraq, saying:
“I hope this title will be ours. We’re on the right path. Thank you to our fans and to the Jordanian people. We need to focus on ourselves and aim to deliver the performance expected of us. If we manage to do that, we’ll be close to achieving what we want. As players, we want to dedicate the title at the end of the tournament to Yazan al-Naimat.”
Jordan are set to face Morocco in the final Thursday, at Lusail Stadium, with the match kicking off at 7pm local time.
