Ibrahim Sabra Misses Jordan's U-23 AFC Asian Cup Bid: A Danse with the Bench and a Dash of Drama
23 December 2025
Key updates ahead of AFC Asian Cup 2026
Ibrahim Sabra, a forward for Turkish club Göztepe, has been left out of Jordan’s Olympic under-23 squad for the AFC Asian Cup 2026 in Saudi Arabia, which runs from 6 to 24 next month, due to his club commitments.
Sabra's omission comes as he remains tied to matches with his Turkish side.
Recent form and selection
Sabra had recently returned to action for Göztepe after an injury layoff, featuring in the last two league games against Gaziantep and Samsun.
The Jordan under-23 coach, Moroccan-born Omar Najeh, named a 23-man squad for a training camp in Qatar starting tomorrow, including two friendlies against Japan and Uzbekistan that will not be televised before the team heads to Saudi Arabia for the continental championship.
Group stage schedule
Jordan will begin its continental campaign against Vietnam, then face Saudi Arabia, before closing the group with Kyrgyzstan. The tournament format divides 16 teams into four groups, with the top two advancing to the knockout rounds.
The 23-man squad
Goalkeepers: Abdulrahman Suleiman, Murad Al-Falouji, Salama Salman.
Defenders: Ali Hajbi, Mohammed Al-Shatti, Jaafar Samara, Arfat Al-Hajj, Ahmed Ayman, Mohammed Taha, Aymen Al-Samamrah, Ahmed Al-Mughrabi, Abdullah Al-Munis, Saleh Farij.
Midfielders: Hashim Al-Mubaydin, Saif Suleiman, Yusuf Qashi, Awwad Al-Fakhouri, Mu'min Al-Saakt, Mahmoud Dheib, Amin Al-Shinaineh.
Forwards: Anas Al-Khub, Khaldon Sabra, Bakr Kalbouna.
Punchlines to keep things light: Sabra may be benched now, but his goals can still be future headlines—yes, the scoreboard does have a long memory. And if timing is everything, watch this space: Sabra’s next cameo could happen in the calendar year’s next transfer window.
