The Arab Cup Final Holds Its Breath

The national teams of Morocco and Jordan set the stage for the final of the eleventh edition of the Arab Cup football tournament, hosted by Qatar from December 1 to 18.

The two teams face each other with equal ambitions to win the championship and with strong justification, whether it is the Moroccan 'Atlas Lions' reserve team, stronger in terms of names and players and representing a continuation of the dominance of Moroccan football in all arenas in recent years, or the Jordanian 'Nashama' main team, technically and tactically superior, which defeated major teams on the way to the final such as Egypt, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.

The final match will be held at Lusail Stadium in Doha tomorrow, Thursday, at 5 PM Morocco time, after the Moroccan reserve team defeated the UAE team 3-0, while Jordan beat Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the semifinals.

While the Moroccan reserve team, led by coach Tarik Sektioui, aims to make the Arab title African, the Jordanian team, led by Moroccan coach Jamal Salami, looks to complete the exciting journey and win its first Arab title.

Salami, who previously worked with the Moroccan national team as a coach on the technical staff of French coach Hervé Renard in 2018, outperformed his 'mentor' in the last match when he defeated the Saudi team, putting Renard under heavy criticism from the Saudi media due to this failure. Salami hopes this time to surpass his compatriot and also his country's team to complete a distinguished path with Jordan.

The Jordanian team did not seem affected by the absence of its star player Yazan Al-Naimat, who suffered a torn ACL injury against Iraq in the quarterfinals. The team’s stars successfully compensated for his absence against Saudi Arabia, with other players shining such as Ali Alwan, Mahmoud Mardi, and Mohammad Abu Zreik Sharara.

Salami is likely to continue the approach he relied on against Iraq and Saudi Arabia, a defensive style followed by counterattacks, especially after reaping the benefits of this strategy with two wins without conceding any goals.

The Moroccan reserve team also resorted to this style but after taking the lead against the UAE in the first half, relying on counterattacks that allowed them to score the second and third goals.

Sektioui recalls the memories of Morocco’s only Arab title in 2012 when they defeated Libya in the final. The superiority of Moroccan teams in the younger age groups and the senior team in all recent competitions raises the ambition to win the championship.

The Moroccan reserve team coach relies on players who always give him an edge, such as striker Karim El Barkawi, Oussama Tannane, and Amin Zahzouh. The 'Atlas Lions' team is also distinguished by significant offensive contributions from all players, not just the front line, with defender Mohamed Boulksout frequently joining the attack alongside Sofiane Bouftini, who is notable in set pieces.