Jordan's Arab Cup spark: 2-1 win over UAE lights up Qatar opener

Jordan opens Arab Cup campaign with a win over UAE

The Jordanian national team kicked off their Arab Cup journey with a 2-1 victory over the United Arab Emirates at Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar on the evening, sealing the opening round of the group stage.

Yazeed Abu Leila, the Jordanian goalkeeper, said: "We thank our large crowd for coming and supporting us today, and we promised them a victory, and we kept our word."

He added: "The UAE match is behind us, and we now focus on our next fixture on Saturday against Kuwait, continuing to promise more positive results to reach the quarter-finals of the Arab Cup."

Amir Jamous, a Jordanian player, commented: "We played a tough match, but we achieved what mattered most by securing the full three points to enter the tournament atmosphere... We have closed the file on the opening round."

He continued: "Our attention is now on the Kuwait game; we know there are no easy matches in this Arab Cup, as every nation wants to compete, and Kuwait gave a strong showing against Egypt."

Emirati disappointment

For their part, the UAE players expressed disappointment after the defeat. Yahya Nader said: "We were affected by the early red card in the 18th minute, and playing with ten men was a heavy burden on the team after starting well."

He added: "We can bounce back, and our match against Egypt on Saturday will be decisive as we push to stay in the qualification race."

Hamad Al-Muqbali, the UAE goalkeeper, added: "The early red card affected us, and small mistakes cost us, but we are determined to return in our next game and hope to achieve the required result."

Punchline 1: If accuracy were a weapon, Jordan would be a sniper—always on target, and the ball finds the net before my coffee goes cold.

Punchline 2: And if the UAE keep the ten-man show going, they’ll need a better aim than my GPS when I’m late for a meeting.