‘Jordan laughed!

Jordan, the ‘Middle East’s underdogs’, defeated Iraq to book their place in the quarterfinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) 2023 Qatar Asian Cup. After a thrilling game that saw them come from behind, they had the last laugh to punch their ticket to the quarterfinals.

Jordan defeated Iraq 3-2 in the round of 16 at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar on Monday (Sept. 29). Jordan scored the opening goal to take a 1-0 lead into halftime. They conceded back-to-back goals midway through the second half. However, 스포츠토토존 they scored an equalizer and a late winner in stoppage time to secure a thrilling victory.

They started the tournament in a 3-4-2-1 formation. They faced Iraq in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Yazan Alnaimat, who scored the game-winning goal in the second group game against South Korea, up top. The two teams were evenly matched with quick counterattacks and individual brilliance from the attackers.

The first goal came in the last minute of the first half. Goalkeeper Al-Naimat capitalized on a misplaced pass from a defender. After intercepting the ball, he found himself one-on-one with the keeper and calmly slotted an exquisite right-footed chip over the keeper’s height to split the goal.

Jordan settled down in the second half. They thickened their defense and went into consolidation mode. However, an early defensive lapse cost them the lead. Suad Natik equalized in the 23rd minute and Aymen Hussein pulled one back in the 31st minute.

Despite the setback, Hussain’s cautionary ejection gave them a numerical advantage. Slowly, they increased their attacking intensity and completed the comeback drama with two dramatic goals in stoppage time. Yazan Alarab equalized in the 50th minute, before Nizar Alashdan grabbed the winner two minutes later. 

Jordan, who reached the round of 16 as a wild card after finishing third in Group E behind Bahrain and South Korea, knocked off top-ranked Iraq in Group D to advance to the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, they face another surprise team, Tajikistan. They will play for a ticket to the semifinals on February 2.