U-16, women’s teams to conclude Asian qualifiers

AMMAN — The U-16 national football team plays Kyrgyzstan on Sunday in its last qualifier for the 2016 AFC U-16 Asian Championship.

The team is now second in Group B that includes Nepal, Oman and Kyrgyzstan as 45 nations are playing in 11 groups with group winners and four best second-placed teams moving on to the finals.

Jordan beat Oman 2-0 on Friday in their second match after losing their opening match to Nepal 2-1. Nepal took the group lead after they beat Kyrgyzstan 4-2 while Oman beat Kyrgyzstan 2-0.

Coach Abdulla Qitati who took over since from Frenchman Eric Deletang earlier this summer after Jordan finished last at the 5th West Asian Championship said “the match against Gulf Cup champ Oman revived our chances after the unexpected loss to Nepal” adding that “players are upbeat and are seeking a big win in the upcoming match”.

India will host the 2016 AFC U-16 championship with a total of 45 nations including the hosts participating in the qualifiers, and the draw seeding based on the rankings from the last edition in 2014 won by North Korea. The 45 nations were divided into two qualifying zones — West Zone with 24 teams and East Zone with 21 teams. Eleven group winners and four best second-placed teams will qualify for the finals, with host India receiving an automatic qualification (total 16 teams). In case India finishes top of its qualifying group or among the four best second-placed teams, the next (5th) second best placed nation will qualify for the final competition.

Jordan was eliminated from the 2014 AFC U16 qualifiers held in Amman after finishing last in Group D. Jordan lost 2-1 to Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia and drew 4-4 with Syria.

Women’s team plays Vietnam

Meanwhile, the women’s national football team plays Vietnam on Sunday concluding Group A round 2 matches at the 2015–16 AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament currently under way in Myanmar.

Jordan lost 1-0 to Thailand in their third match on Friday and has so far failed to score a single goal. They lost their qualifying chance earlier after a 3-0 defeat to Taiwan and 2-0 to Myanmar. Only the top team from this round will move to Round 3 to play the top five seeded teams — Japan, Australia, South Korea, North Korea and China — and only the top two qualify to represent Asia at the Olympic Games.

Currently 53rd in the latest FIFA rankings and leading all Arab teams at 11th in the Asian continent, team officials had voiced concern that “the task of clinching a berth from some of the best teams in East Asia was not easy”.

It is Jordan’s second time in qualifiers after the 2012 London Olympic qualifiers when it advanced to Round 2. In 2014, the senior women’s team exited Round 1 of the Asian Games and the AFC Women’s Asian Cup where it was also the only Arab team to have ever qualified. The squad is reigning West Asian champs after winning the title with Iran, Lebanon and the UAE missing the event.