Morocco beat Jordan 3-2 as a strike from inside his personal half by Oussama Tannane set the tone for a spectacular closing.
Oussama Tannane’s surprise purpose from inside his personal half set Morocco on their solution to their second FIFA Arab Cup title with a 3-2 win after further time within the closing towards Jordan on the Qatar-hosted occasion.
A full home at Lusail Stadium in Doha on Thursday was rapidly on their toes within the fourth minute when Qatar-based footballer Tannane drilled an effort from properly over the midway line – estimated at 59 metres – to catch out goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila.
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The Jordan keeper desperately scrambled again to his line in an try to cease the shot and collided with the put up, leading to a prolonged four-minute stoppage earlier than he was cleared to proceed and play resumed.
It was solely the beginning of a turbulent closing that noticed Jordan come again to assert the lead, for the match to be despatched to further time, with Jordanian hearts damaged seconds away from their first FIFA Arab Cup title in regular time.
Jordan, who had been defeated finalists on the 2025 AFC Asian Cup, pulled degree on the night time three minutes into the second interval when Ali Oliwan pulled away from his marker to go residence from shut vary after a well-worked nook.
Jordan then took the lead for the primary time after Mahmoud Almardi’s shot hit the raised hand of Achraf El Mahdioui contained in the field, permitting Oliwan to transform from the penalty spot for his second within the 68th minute.
The drama was removed from over, nonetheless, as second-half substitute Abderrazak Hamdallah levelled within the 88th minute – tapping in on the purpose line after a scramble from a nook.
It was Oliwan, although, who had the possibility of glory with just about the ultimate kick of regular time when – put clear by means of on purpose – he was unable to beat the keeper to seal the ultimate for Jordan with what would even have been his hat-trick.
The place many could not have taken their seats for Tannane’s opener, the identical could have been the case for the beginning of additional time as Mohannad Abutaha volleyed a spectacular left-footed effort into the highest proper nook from the left fringe of the field. Like Tannane’s, it was a strike worthy of successful any closing, however VAR dominated out the purpose for a controversial handball because the Jordanian managed the ball earlier than unleashing the trouble.
Worse was to observe when Hamdallah tapped in his second time – and the successful purpose – after Marwane Saadane’s bicycle kick from a set piece fell kindly into his path from shut vary.
Morocco beforehand lifted the Arab Cup in 2012, defeating Libya within the closing staged in Saudi Arabia. The Atlas Lions succeed Algeria, who defeated their North African neighbours Tunisia within the closing 4 years in the past.
Earlier, Morocco dominated the primary interval and Tannane, who performs his membership soccer for Umm Salal within the Qatar league, had an excellent alternative to double the lead on the stroke of half time when Abulaila spilled a cross into his path, however the ahead did not make a clear connection along with his left-footed observe up and Issam Smeir slid to clear off the road.
The Jordanian stopper needed to be on his toes all through the primary interval and produced his greatest save within the seventeenth minute when Karim El Berkaoui, after exchanging a one-two with Tannane, drove throughout the face of purpose from the sting of the field, however Abulaila was equal to it, low to his proper, to push the trouble large.
Morocco, the primary African nation to succeed in a World Cup semifinal once they achieved the feat at Qatar 2022, will now flip their consideration to internet hosting the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, the place the squad might be additional boosted by various their European-based stars who needed to prioritise membership over nation through the Arab Cup.
The FIFA Arab Cup offered greater than 1,000,000 tickets for the 2025 occasion, doubling what was offered on the earlier competitors 4 years in the past.
