Indian national team know your opponents: Jordan

Published at :November 14, 2018 at 10:13 AM

Modified at :November 14, 2018 at 10:13 AM

The An-Nashama are scheduled to host the Blue Tigers in Amman on Saturday.

In another in what has been a year of many firsts, the Indian national team will be taking on the Jordan in an international friendly at the King Abdullah International Stadium in Amman, on 17th November. The two sides have never faced each other before, but Jordan are a cut above the Blue Tigers when it comes to the international scene, having made it to the quarterfinals of the AFC Asian Cup a few years ago.

In this article, we shall take a look at the Jordanian team, its key players and try to figure out how they could shape up in the game.

The Game

The aim is to get the Indian players accustomed to the weather conditions in the Middle-East, since that is where the Blue Tigers will be travelling to for the Asian Cup two months from now. Jordan are ranked 112th in the men’s FIFA rankings, but they have a stellar record when it comes to international matches and will look to make life as hard as possible for the Men in Blue.

About The Team

The West Asians went down to FIFA World Cup finalists Croatia in a narrow 2-1 defeat

Jordan have a rich history when it comes to football, as they have won the Pan-Arab Games twice and hosted the West Asian Football Federation Championship thrice. With three appearances in the Asian Cup, they have made it to the knockout stages on two occasions, which underlines their pedigree.

Recent Performances

The An-Nashama, or the Brave Gentlemen, as the Jordan team is often referred to have indeed put in some courageous performances of late. They held Oman and Albania to 0-0 draws recently and then lost to an outrageously gifted Croatia side in the last international break.

The Coach

The Dutch tactician was appointed as the head coach of Jordan earlier in 2018

Vital Borkelmans was appointed as the head coach for the Jordan team in 2018 and under him the team has steadily improved itself. The Belgian, who played as a full-back for Club Brugge for many years has focused on fitness and sports science to extract the best from his players and his methods have given him great results. Stephan Constantine and his boys will have to out-think one of the best minds in the Asian football circuit currently, if they are to register a win in this game.

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Key Players

Amer Shafi

Shafi will be a tough nut to crack for the Blue Tigers

The 36-year-old goalkeeper has the most national team appearances to his name and he is also the de-facto captain. With six Jordan Premier Leagues and five Jordan FA Cups under his belt, he is easily one of the most influential names in the sport in his country.

Shafi's performances under the bar also speak for themselves and India will have their work cut out if they are to beat him, especially, with captain Sunil Chettri set to miss this game due to an ankle injury.

Musa Al-Taamari

The 21-year-old winger is one of the most exciting prospects in Jordanian football right now, having played for the country’s top club Al Jazeera, before being snapped up by APOEL. His delectable skills and pace make him very hard to mark, so special attention needs to be paid to the forward.

Hamza Al-Dardour

Hamza has 27 goals for the national side

The 27-year-old forward has been Jordan’s main man upfront for quite some-time now and he will be eager to continue his exploits against India. He may not have got on the score-sheet against Croatia, but looked in fine touch and will certainly cause a lot of problems to Jhingan and Co.

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What To Expect?

It is a hard game to call, but Jordan will as favorites since they are in good form and will also be playing the game at home. However, the Indian side themselves will be no pushovers and it should be an exciting game to watch with both sides clawing for a win.