Salami: We Gave Our All and Were Close to Winning the Arab Cup

Moroccan Jamal Salami, the head coach of the Jordan national team, expressed his pride in his players' performance despite their inability to win the Arab Cup football title, which was hosted by the Qatari capital, Doha.

The Morocco national team won the Arab Cup title for the second time in its history after an exciting 3-2 victory over Jordan on Thursday in the tournament final.

In front of a large crowd at Lusail Stadium, which hosted the match, Morocco opened the scoring early with a stunning goal by their star Osama Tannane in the 4th minute, with a wonderful shot from the middle of the field (Atlas Lions).

The Jordanian team rallied in the second half, with Ali Alwan scoring the equalizer in the 48th minute, then the same player scored the second goal in the 68th minute from a penalty kick. However, the veteran Abdelrazak Hamdallah equalized for Morocco in the 87th minute, sending the match into extra time after the regular time ended 2-2.

Hamdallah continued his brilliance by scoring Morocco's third goal and his personal second in the 100th minute, crowning himself the undisputed hero of the match.

Salami said at the post-match press conference, "The final lived up to its promises after the high technical level presented by both teams, extending the match to two extra periods after a 2-2 draw in regular time."

The Moroccan coach explained, "Despite falling behind early in the match, we had a great reaction in the second half. The players gave their utmost and even more than expected, and they were close to winning."

Salami praised the high fighting spirit of the Jordanian players, affirming that they played with team spirit and discipline on the field but faced a strong and organized Moroccan team that did not give up despite trailing in the second half.

He pointed out that "the Moroccan team decided the match with the experience of its players after the outstanding level they showed tonight, and they also took advantage of their scoring opportunities."

He confirmed, "There is regret over losing the title, but our project continues, and we will keep working in the next phase. Our goal is to prepare well so that we are fully ready to compete in the next World Cup next year."

Salami added that "this generation of the national team will have a good opportunity to compete for titles in the future after showing a strong character during this edition of the Arab Cup."

In response to a question about blaming goalkeeper Yazid Abu Layla for the loss, Salami stressed that the goalkeeper is a very important player who played a decisive role in the team's reaching the final, confirming that he cannot be blamed nor any other player, as everyone performed beyond expectations.

The Jordanian team, which participated with its first team in the tournament, hoped to win the championship for the first time in its history, especially after its remarkable achievement of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time next year in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. However, bad luck continued to accompany the (Nashama) team in final matches, having previously lost the Asian Cup final last year against Qatar, also in Doha.

The tournament served as excellent preparation for the Jordanian team ahead of the World Cup, where the group stage draw placed them in Group J alongside Argentina (the defending champions), Austria, and Algeria.