DOHA: Jordan set up a semifinal against South Korea or Australia after ending Tajikistan’s fairytale Asian Cup run with a nervy 1-0 win on Friday.
In a cagey quarter-final, a deflected second-half own goal was just about enough to see Jordan reach the last four for the first time.
It was tough on charismatic Croatian coach Petar Segrt and his Tajikistan team, who were the lowest-ranked side left in Qatar and won plenty of new friends in their first Asian Cup.
But it was a piece of history for Jordan under their Moroccan coach Hussein Ammouta, the kingdom having been defeated in their previous quarter-finals in 2004 and 2011.
Jordan, ranked 87 to the 106 of Tajikistan, scored twice in stoppage time to stun Iraq 3-2 in the previous round and they made the better start in front of 36,000 spectators at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, a 2022 World Cup venue.
But Tajikistan carved out the first big chance, midfielder Ehson Panjshanbe haring into the box and clipping his first-time effort onto the top of Jordan’s bar on 15 minutes.
VAR was called into action when Tajikistan’s Zoir Dzhuraboev sliced down Yazan Al-Naimat in the box but VAR agreed with the referee and said no penalty.
Segrt was forced into a change midway through the half when Shahrom Samiev was forced off with a hamstring injury, the striker departing in floods of tears.
Jordan fans dominated in the crowd and thought their team had scored on the half-hour mark, but danger man Naimat poked wide from a tight angle.
In front of Jordan’s watching Crown Prince Hussein, they had a double chance just afterwards, but Ali Olwan was denied by Rustam Yatimov and then the goalkeeper saved Rajaei Ayed’s weak follow-up.
Tajikistan looked fatigued from their exertions in defeating the United Arab Emirates on penalties in the last 16 and were restricted to playing on the break.
Segrt’s men stepped it up to start the second half.
Shervoni Mabatshoev was crowded out in the box with only Jordan goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila to beat but with an hour gone and the semifinals on the line the game needed a spark.
On 66 minutes it got it when Jordan defender Abdallah Nasib rose at a corner and his header deflected off Tajikistan’s Vahdat Hanonov and into his own goal.
Both sides had chances after that but Jordan held on to book their place in the last four.
Son Heung-min’s South Korea face Australia later Friday.
In Saturday’s remaining quarter-finals, holders Qatar face Uzbekistan while pre-tournament favorites Japan play Iran.
Jordan end Tajikistan run to reach first Asian Cup semifinal
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Jordan end Tajikistan run to reach first Asian Cup semifinal
- In a cagey quarter-final, a deflected second-half own goal was just about enough to see Jordan reach the last four for the first time
- It was tough on charismatic Croatian coach Petar Segrt and his Tajikistan team
Hosts Morocco off to winning start at Africa Cup of Nations
- Soufiane Rahimi had a penalty saved in a frustrating first half for much-fancied Morocco
- Win saw Morocco, Africa’s best team in FIFA rankings in 11th place, to extend world-record winning run to 19 consecutive matches
RABAT: Brahim Diaz and Ayoub El-Kaabi scored second-half goals as hosts Morocco got their Africa Cup of Nations bid off to a winning start by beating minnows Comoros 2-0 in the tournament’s opening game on Sunday.
Soufiane Rahimi had a penalty saved in a frustrating first half for much-fancied Morocco, but Diaz fired home from inside the area 10 minutes after the interval at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in the capital Rabat.
Substitute El-Kaabi then got the second with a stunning overhead kick, and the victory on a wet and cold night sets the Atlas Lions up for the potentially tougher tests to come in Group A against Mali and Zambia.
The result also allowed Morocco, Africa’s best team in the FIFA rankings in 11th place, to extend their world-record winning run to 19 consecutive matches.
The game was played out before a crowd of 60,180, with Moroccan Crown Prince Moulay Hassan — who appeared on the pitch ahead of kick-off — and FIFA president Gianni Infantino among those in attendance.
Morocco’s star man and captain Achraf Hakimi also ended up watching the entire game from the bench, with coach Walid Regragui preserving the Paris Saint-Germain full-back who has not played since suffering an ankle injury with his club at the start of November.
It looked set to be a long night for Comoros when Morocco won a penalty in the 10th minute as playmaker Diaz was tripped inside the box by Iyad Mohamed.
But Rahimi’s spot-kick was kept out by the legs of Yannick Pandor as the Comoros goalkeeper dived to his right, and the visitors then succeeded in thwarting their more illustrious hosts for the remainder of the first half.
- Stunning overhead kick -
However Morocco, who also saw veteran center-back Romain Saiss come off injured early on, succeeded in breaking down their opponents after half-time.
Comoros, the tiny Indian Ocean archipelago who are 108th in the world rankings, had their resistance ended as the opening goal arrived on 55 minutes.
Manchester United’s Noussair Mazraoui, starting at right-back with Hakimi not yet quite fully fit, picked up the ball on the right side of the penalty area and squared for Real Madrid’s Spanish-born number 10 Diaz to score.
Morocco, who had seen Neil El Aynaoui almost break the deadlock just before that, then saw space open up although Comoros had a chance of their own as Rafiki Said was denied when clean through on goal.
Mazraoui forced a good save from Pandor before El-Kaabi, of Greek giants Olympiakos, lit up the occasion by meeting a cross in from the left by Anass Salah-Eddine with a magnificent overhead bicycle kick to make it 2-0.
Morocco’s next game will be on Friday against Mali, who begin their campaign by taking on Zambia in Casablanca on Monday.
Elsewhere on Monday, South Africa face Angola in Marrakech before Mohamed Salah’s Egypt — the record seven-time African champions chasing a first title since 2010 — get their bid up and running against outsiders Zimbabwe in Agadir in Group B.
This latest edition of the Cup of Nations is the first to start in one year and end in another, with the final to take place in Rabat on January 18.
