Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Amman: Jordan women's national team sealed their place in the second round of qualifiers for the 2016 Olympics with a 2-0 defeat of Group B rivals in Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash at the Petra Stadium.
With both sides having recorded wins over Palestine and Hong Kong in the previous fixtures Sunday’s match would determine which of the two would qualify to the next phase alongside Myanmar, who cruised through as Group A winners with victories over Sri Lanka and India.
Jordan, who like Myanmar took part in the 2014 AFC Women’s Asian Cup, were being held goalless by the Uzbeks until the last ten minutes, when a penalty from skipper Stephanie Al Naber and a goal from substitute Luna Al Masri, a 66th minute replacement for Tasneem Yasin Abdel-Rahman Abu-Rob, sealed the win that saw them finish top of Group B.
Meanwhile, in the earlier match at the same venue, Palestine avoided a hat-trick of defeats as goals from Natali Shaheen (39th) and skipper Kiloudi Salama (52nd) saw the West Asians – who suffered back-to-back 6-0 defeats at the hands of Uzbekistan and Jordan – came from behind to draw 2-2 with a Hong Kong side that looked well on their way to a comfortable victory after goals in the 16th and 33rd minutes from captain Chan Wing Sze had given the East Asians a two-goal lead.
Jordan advance to Round 2, where they join Myanmar, the winners of Group C, which kicks-off on March 20, Thailand and Vietnam, with a place in the final round going to the side that finishes top of the five-team table.
The top-two sides from the Qualification Final Round - which features reigning Asian champions Japan, 2014 AFC Asian Cup runners-up Australia, DPR Korea, China, and Korea Republic - will fly the Asian flag at the women’s football tournament of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
Photo: Jordan Football Association