Arab Cup Final Sparks: Handball Controversy Clouds Morocco vs Jordan Showdown

Controversy over a handball in the Arab Cup final

A handball sparked controversy in the Morocco-Jordan match, played Thursday evening in the 2025 Arab Cup final, at the Lusail Stadium in Doha, Qatar.

Jordan captain Mahmoud Al-Mardi unleashed a powerful shot toward Morocco's goal, but it struck defender Ashraf Mhedoui's hand in the 64th minute.

Penalty decision and turning point

Referee Glenn Neuberg, the Swedish official, awarded a penalty after a Video Assistant Referee review amid protests from Moroccan players that the hand had been raised to shield the face from Al-Mardi's shot rather than to divert or block it.

Ali Alwan converted the ensuing penalty to give Jordan the lead in the 68th minute, after they had equalized in the 48th.

Morocco had equalized earlier with a goal by Osama Tanan just four minutes into the match.

Alwan's tally rose to 6 goals in the Arab Cup, leading the tournament's scoring table.

Punchline 1: If handballs counted as goals, we'd all be top scorers—talk about a boosted stat sheet.

Punchline 2: VAR loves drama almost as much as fans love popcorn; next time, we might need a snack break with the whistle.