Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Melbourne: Adnan Hamad may have departed as coach prior to Jordan’s FIFA World Cup play-off with Uzbekistan in 2013, but the former AFC Coach of the Year still had a hand in the team from the Hashemite Kingdom remaining in the hunt for a place in the quarter-finals of the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015.
Hamad spent over four years in charge of Jordan having been appointed in February 2009 before departing in June 2013, and in that time the Iraqi coach saw something in Hamza Al Dardour that convinced him that the midfielder was more suited to a position slightly further up the field.
And on Friday at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, that vision paid off as 23-year-old Al Dardour became only the fourth player in the history of the AFC Asian Cup to score four goals in a single game as the striker helped his side to a crucial 5-1 win over Palestine.
Watch Asian Cup 2015's first hat-trick by Al Dardour
Yousef Ahmad had opened the scoring in Jordan’s second Group D outing, although Al Dardour grabbed the headlines for Ray Wilkins’ side by joining Iranian duo Behtash Fariba and Ali Daei and Bahrain’s Ismail Abdullatif on an elite list of goalscorers at the AFC Asian Cup.
“When I started my career I started as a right or left midfielder, but when I turned to professional football they changed my position, especially with former Jordan coach Adnan Hamad, who used me as a striker and then I started to score many goals. I have speed and I could play on the wings, but I can also score and I can play as a striker,” said Al Dardour, who plays his club football in Saudi Arabia with Al Khaleej.
“It feels really great, I feel really fortunate to score a super hat-trick. Any player would feel great to score a super hat-trick. It is all part of the efforts and responsibilities that have been divided between the players and drawn up by coach Ray Wilkins, and with all this effort, we have won this game and I have scored a super hat-trick.”
After being an unused substitute for Monday’s opening 1-0 defeat by Iraq, Al Dardour will hope to retain his place for Tuesday’s crucial meeting with defending champions Japan back at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.
Japan only need a point to secure a place in the last eight after beating Iraq 1-0 later on Friday evening, while the fate of Jordan rests on their result against the reigning champions and how Iraq fare against already-eliminated Palestine in Canberra.
“Japan is a big team, but we can beat them,” added Al Dardour, who came on as a substitute as Jordan beat Japan 2-1 in Amman in March 2013 during the final round of qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
“We beat them in the World Cup qualifiers so it is not impossible to do, but still in football, there are no big and small teams when you are on the pitch, the match will decide who is the best.
“The coach will have a plan so we can win, and for us the match will be like a final.”
Al Dardour, though, has competition for a place in the side to face Japan with Wilkins confirming striker Ahmad Hayel is in contention to feature having missed the victory over Palestine through health issues.
“We are really happy Ahmad is back and he is recovering and whatever the coach says we will follow it as we play for the team not individually,” said Al Dardour.
Photo: WSG