Doha, Qatar: Jordan entered their encounter with Egypt at the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 with nothing on the line, having already done the hard work to secure six points and put themselves at the top of their group after their second-round match against Kuwait – guaranteeing them a spot in the quarter-finals.
So it was only natural that coach Jamal Sellami sent out an entirely different line-up to start against Egypt in the last round of the group stage, with none of the previous starters included.
Despite the sweeping changes, Jordan looked outstanding against Egypt. They served up one of the best displays of the tournament, scoring three goals and taking their tally to nine points – the culmination of a terrific effort that made them the only side to complete the group stage with a perfect record, during which they netted eight goals while conceding only two.
Ali Olwan, one of Jordan’s standout names in recent years, is the tournament’s top scorer with three goals. He spoke to FIFA after the match to explain how the Nashama are managing to perform so brilliantly without their regular starters and even without major stars like Mousa Al Tamari of Stade Rennais.
“None of our squad are here to make up the numbers,” Olwan said. “Any player the coach chooses will give 100% for the Jordan badge. Today was a massive opportunity for every player to prove themselves. We topped the group, thank God, and what’s to come will be even better.”
Saed Al Rosan, another Nashama star at the regional showpiece, underlined the squad’s ambition in Qatar. “We’ve played three excellent matches, both in terms of performance and results, and we took the maximum points,” he said. “We declared from day one of the tournament that we aim to win the title. Coach Jamal is doing a great job. He’s instilled confidence in all the players, and everyone’s fully ready, whether starting or coming off the bench.”
Olwan did not deny that he has his eye on top scorer honours, for which he is the current frontrunner, with three goals. “The most important thing is winning the title for Jordan,” he said, “but I also hope to win the top scorer award if possible. There’s no reason why not.”
Jordan’s last eight showdown against Iraq is set for Friday, 11 December at 17:30 Doha time at Education City Stadium.
