AL-AIN: Defending champions Australia made their worst ever start to an Asian Cup on Sunday when they lost 1-0 to Jordan in front of a partisan crowd in Al Ain.
Graham Arnold's youthful side had expected victory in their Group B opener but they were undone by Anas Bani-Yaseen's powerful first-half header from a corner.
It leaves the injury-hit Aussies with much to ponder ahead of Friday's game against Palestine, when they will need a win to get their title defence on track.
Australia started confidently but their Brighton 'keeper Mat Ryan made the first save when he kept out Yousef Rawashdeh at his near post after a mistake by Massimo Luongo.
Shortly afterwards, Australia's former South Sudanese refugee Awer Mabil, in his first competitive international, nearly opened the scoring but his close-range shot was blocked by Amir Shafi.
The youthful Socceroos had more than 70 percent of first-half possession but rarely threatened, while Jordan were intent on harassing in midfield and seeking chances on the break.
Their goal came from a corner on 26 minutes, when defender Bani-Yaseen escaped Luongo's marking and powered his header into the top corner, prompting jubilation in the strongly pro-Jordan crowd of just under 5,000.
Suddenly Australia were rocking and three minutes later, they were grateful for Ryan's finger-tip save as he pushed Baha Abdelrahman's free kick onto the bar.
In the second half, Arnold brought on Rhyan Grant and then Chris Ikonomidis to find a way through Jordan's defence.
Celtic forward Tom Rogic's stinging shot was kept out by Shafi, before Ikonomidis's attempt at a follow-up was smothered by the defence.
Rogic passed up a golden opportunity for the equaliser on 72 minutes, when he was free in the box but scooped his shot well over from Aziz Behich's cross.
Six minutes later, the lively Mabil smashed one off the upright with Shafi beaten, before Ikonomidis's header was scrambled off the line.
With three minutes to go, Jamie Maclaren had a goal chalked off for offside and. with the last action of the game, Shafi pulled off a superb double save to deny Ikonomidis and Jackson Irvine, capping a desperately disappointing day for the Aussies and a joyful one for the Jordanians.
Jordan shock Asian Cup defending champions Australia 1-0
Jordan shock Asian Cup defending champions Australia 1-0
- Anas Bani-Yaseen goal gives underdogs surprise win in Al-AIn.
- Socceroos now starring possible early exit in the face.
Formula E heads to Jeddah for double-header, Evans looking to build on Miami momentum
- The night races in Saudi Arabia come with the drivers’ standings tightly contested, with the top five separated by just seven points after three rounds
JEDDAH: The FIA Formula E World Championship continues this week with the first double-header of the 2025/26 season, as Rounds 4 and 5 take place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Feb. 13 and 14.
The night races in Saudi Arabia come with the drivers’ standings tightly contested, with the top five separated by just seven points after three rounds, while the highly anticipated Pit Boost feature also returns this weekend.
Pit Boost is a mandatory mid-race stop that provides cars with a 10 percent energy increase, adding a significant strategic element to selected races during double-header weekends.
Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans arrives in Jeddah fresh from victory in Miami and said the team is keen to build on its momentum.
“Getting the win in Miami was a huge boost, for me personally, of course, but for the whole team too. It was one of those races where everything just came together, and to take my 15th Formula E victory with Jaguar made it even more special,” he said.
“Now the attention shifts to Jeddah, which is a completely different challenge. We’ve shown we have the pace, and if we execute well across both races, there’s a big opportunity for us to really ride this momentum,” he added.
Porsche Formula E Team’s Nico Muller said the Jeddah E-Prix presents a unique challenge, particularly with the return of Pit Boost, which will be used in one of the two races.
“I’m excited for the Jeddah E-Prix, a night race is always special. It’s a cool track, it suits the GEN3 Evo (car) well,” he said.
“It’ll be the first Pit Boost race of the season, which will make things challenging, having two completely different races. It also makes preparation more intense because we’re preparing for two different scenarios.
“However, we have a strong base, the car and the team are performing well, and now it’s about optimizing our package for this track and the conditions. We have full focus on scoring points and chasing that victory,” he added.
The Jeddah E-Prix will once again be held under the lights, with cooler track and air temperatures expected to influence tire behavior and energy efficiency.
Off track, Formula E will also host the return of EVO Sessions, where global content creators will drive electric race cars at the circuit following the race weekend, with the event set to be streamed live on YouTube on Feb. 15.
The championship continues to promote sustainability and community engagement in Jeddah through initiatives focused on renewable energy use, waste reduction, education programs and inclusion, including support for young women in motorsport and local community partnerships.
