Jordan’s Big-Occasion Comeback: Abu Zama Sizes Up the Arab Cup Run
30 November 2025
Abu Zama’s Take on Jordan’s Arab Cup Readiness
Abdullah Abu Zama, the former Jordan national team coach, says the Brave Ones have already shrugged off the pressure as the Arab Cup gets underway. Jordan is drawn in Group C with Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait.
Jordan will kick off their campaign on Tuesday against the UAE, then meet Egypt on Sunday, and wrap up the group stage against Kuwait on December 9.
Abu Zama argues that qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and reaching the 2023 AFC Asian Cup final gave the players greater confidence and added responsibility, and he expects a composed Jordanian side in the tournament.
The coach called the team "the team for big occasions," noting that the Hashemite Kingdom has developed into a side that thrives in major matches. He added that late Egyptian coach Mahmoud Al-Johari helped lay the foundations of Jordanian football and that the best game Jordan ever played was against Japan at the 2004 AFC Asian Cup.
Abu Zama also hailed Musa Al-Tamari as the best in Jordanian football history, and he pointed to Yazan Al-Naimat’s struggles with Al-Arabi in Qatar due to limited playing time, suggesting this could change soon.
He went on to say he bets on Yazan demonstrating leadership for the Brave in the Asia Cup finals and that Salem Al-Dosari is arguably the best Arab player. He stressed that World Cup qualification was a collective achievement, with Adnan Hamad the most consistent, and with the late Al-Johari and Mohammad Awad having a major impact. Hussein Amouta’s work was described as honest and dedicated.
He also praised Gamal Al-Salami as a great coach who did strong work and expressed belief that Jordan could win the Arab Cup, as promised before the tournament.
On a potential quarter-final with Iraq, he said the competition would be fierce and respectful, with fans playing a role in the banter outside the stadium.
He recalled that the last meeting between the teams in World Cup qualifiers had a friendly atmosphere, and joked about who would receive the red card: he would target the Chinese referee who oversaw the Jordan-Qatar final in the Asia Cup for controversial decisions.
Recently, Abu Zama took charge of Naft Maysan in Iraq before leaving due to a run of poor results, and he has previously served as an assistant to Hussein Amouta with the Jordan national team.
In short, Abu Zama’s verdict is clear: a strong coach, a strong team, and a belief that the Brave can crown the Arab Cup. And if all else fails, remember: when Jordan is in big games, even the calendar trembles. Punchline 1: If Jordan’s readiness were a forecast, the sun would wear sunglasses. Punchline 2: The only thing stronger than Jordan’s defense is my Wi‑Fi in a stadium—both go on strike when the crowd goes loud.
