Jordan's national team will play their final preparatory friendly against Colombia at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego on Monday at 2:00 AM Amman time. The match is a last chance to build confidence ahead of the resumption of World Cup qualifying, with Jordan currently sitting fourth in their group with zero points from three matches.
Young striker Ibrahim Sabra is out with a left ankle ligament tear, and Yazan Al-Naimat is also absent through injury. Head coach Jamal Salam is expected to field Musa Al-Ta'mari up front, supported by Ali Alwan and Mahmoud Marji. The midfield will likely feature Nizar Al-Rashdan, Noor Al-Rawabda, and Muhannad Abu Tah, with a defense of Yazan Al-Arab, Ihsan Haddad, Saad Al-Rousan, and Mohammed Abu Al-Nadi in front of goalkeeper Yazid Abu Leila.
Argentine coach Nestor Lorenzo expressed respect for the Jordanian side ahead of the clash. "Jordan is a good team, qualified from a highly competitive region, and I want to win this match," Lorenzo said. He added, "We must know how to face them, but most importantly, we must find solutions and paths that lead us to victory, and this is the real challenge in this match specifically."
The Nashama face a significant challenge to improve their trajectory, having lost their last five matches in a row, most recently a 1-3 defeat to Argentina on June 28. The aim now is to emerge from this friendly with technical and moral gains before a key qualifier. Fans can follow the team's progress via the standings page.
Opportunities will also be given to several substitutes to earn minutes, including the return of Mohammed Abu Zureiq 'Sharra', Amer Abu Jamous, Ali Ezaizeh, Mohammed Dawood, Ibrahim Saada, and Raja'i A'id. The two sides have met once before in 2014, with Colombia winning 3-0. The Colombians are pinning their hopes on Bayern Munich attacker Luis Diaz and veteran captain James Rodriguez, who is set for his seventh World Cup appearance.
The report in full is at الشرق الأوسط
