Nashama Regroups Under New Coach

(MENAFN- Jordan Times) AMMAN - Jordan's national football team regrouped as of Tuesday kicking off preparations for the 2027 Asian Cup under new Moroccan coach Ezzaki Badou with a revamped lineup for two upcoming friendlies.

With the lineup expected to be completed with pros players internationally within two days, the squad started the countdown to two upcoming friendlies against Syria on September 27 followed Venezuela on October 6. Two more friendlies are lined up in the November regroup when Jordan hosts Indonesia on November 13 before playing Australia on November 17. Other friendlies are expected in December ahead of the Asian Cup set for Saudi Arabia.

With the 2026 World Cup behind them, and three months left for the Asian Cup matches, Badou seems to have undertaken substantive changes to the lineup within the short period of time since he was contracted following the Nashama squad's parting ways with Moroccan coach Jamal Sellami after the World Cup.

Taking into account performance as well injury and rehab status of leading players, the lineup still missing Asian star striker Yazan Nu'eimat who has been out for the past year, Ibrahim Sabra, Adham Qurashi, Isam Smeiri, Yousef Saleh all out of the coaches potential options with injuries.

The coach recalled Tamer Bani Odeh, who plays for England's West Brom Albion, and enlisted promising players headed by goalie Alec Smir, who plays in Minnesota United FC in US, Yousef Abu Jalboush (Algeria's Wifaq Setif), Ahmad Ersan, Faisali's star striker and 2025 Pro League top scorer, as well as Ahmad Assaf and Yousef Qashi from Hussein. Players out of the lineup now are goalie Noor Bani Attia, Rajai Ayed, Mohammad Abu Hashish, Husam Abul Dahab, Mohammad Abu Ghaush.

In post World Cup FIFA rankings Jordan dropped 10 spots to 73^rd and is now the 10^th ranked Asian team and 9^th among Arab sides. In their World Cup debut, Jordan lost 3-1 to Austria, 2-1 to Algeria and 3-1 to 3-time holders Argentina. In the leadup to the World Cup, lost 2-0 to Columbia and 4-1 to Switzerland.

Sellami's exit in summer, echoed similar ones of compatriot Hussein Ammouta who took Jordan to the 2023 Asia Cup final as well as former Iraqi coach Adnan Hamad. Observers credited Sellami who took over in 2024 with building a disciplined identity for the national team, finishing runner-up to Morocco at the 2025 Arab Cup and fulfilling a decades-long footballing dream of advancing to the World Cup.

Objective observers noted some tactical mistakes, late substitutions, not enlisting the reserve goalies, the choice of some ageing players over others, the relative competitive experience and the absence of key players especially Nue'imat, as reasons for not advancing further and ultimately pushing a successful coach out.

The team had a steady upward climb in the past two years, nearly crowned 2023 Asian Cup champs for the first time, but settling for runner-up in their fifth participation. Their previous best past performances was reaching the quarterfinals twice while the team's best ever FIFA ranking was 37^th in 2004.

Since 1986, Jordan's previous best performance was at the 2014 World Cup qualifiers when they lost to then 6th ranked Uruguay in an intercontinental qualifying tie. Round 3 was the furthest they had reached in earlier World Cup qualifiers.

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