Jordan Secures First-Ever Spot In World Cup Tournament

Uzbekistan and Jordan etched their names into football history on Thursday by securing qualification for the FIFA World Cup for the first time ever. They’ll be joined at next year’s tournament by regional heavyweight South Korea, who extended their remarkable streak to 11 consecutive World Cup appearances.

Uzbekistan sealed their historic qualification with a goalless draw against the UAE in Abu Dhabi, securing the second automatic spot in Group A. The result leaves them two points behind group leaders Iran, who were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Qatar in Doha—despite already having qualified. The group’s final round of matches on Tuesday will determine the top seed.

Under the current qualification format, the top two teams from each of the three Asian groups earn direct entry to the World Cup. Third- and fourth-placed teams—currently the UAE and Qatar in Group A—must battle it out in an additional playoff round.

Meanwhile in Group B, South Korea stamped their ticket to the tournament with a composed 2-0 win over Iraq in Basra, reaffirming their status as one of Asia’s most consistent football powers.

The victory, sealed by second-half goals from Kim Jin-gyu and Oh Hyeon-gyu, means South Korea reclaim top spot from Jordan, whose 3-0 victory against Oman earlier on Thursday ultimately proved enough to secure their participation at the expanded 48-team showpiece in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II congratulated the team on social media.

“This historic qualification is well-deserved by our team, which includes stars and cadres of whom we are proud,” he wrote on X.

“Special thanks go to our loyal fans who have been our support and encouragement.”

Ali Olwin stole the spotlight with a sensational hat-trick as the 2023 Asian Cup runners-up secured a landmark victory that further cemented their place in the World Cup qualifying narrative.

Iraq’s hopes took a severe hit when they were reduced to 10 men midway through the first half. Ali Al Hamadi was initially shown a yellow card for a foul on Cho Yu-min, but the decision was upgraded to a red following a VAR review, leaving Iraq to battle a man down for the remainder of the match.

With that setback, Iraq now sit third in Group B, their qualification path growing narrower. Oman and Palestine remain firmly in contention for the fourth-round qualifying spots. Palestine boosted their chances with a composed 2-0 win over Kuwait in Ardhiya.

All eyes now turn to Tuesday’s crucial fixtures: Palestine will host Oman in a potentially decisive clash, while Iraq face a stern test against Jordan in Amman — a match that could make or break their World Cup hopes.

Africa Today News, New York