Jordan coach looking to go further in Asian Cup

DOHA - Jordan’s participation at the Asian Cup in Qatar is just the second time that they have managed to qualify for the showpiece of Asian football.

A 2-1 victory in their Group B game against Syria Monday saw them - just as they did in 2004 when they qualified - advance to the quarter-finals of the tournament and their coach Adnan Hamad is now hoping they can go further than they did then.

In 2004 they lost a penalty shoot-out to Japan, who then went on to win the tournament, this time around they will be facing Uzbekistan, who won Group A.

“We have got to face a very strong team in the next round. The Uzbekistan coach said he wished to face us in the final.”

“Their players are strong and fast, so it will not be easy for us to go through to the semi-final.”

“This is the second time we have qualified for this stage. Hopefully we will do better than earlier, we are hoping to go further,” the Iraq-born coach said.

Hamad, who saw his team come back from going down to an early goal said that they had done well against Syria. “We played well and we focused and concentrated.”