Moroccan Hussein Amouta, the coach of Jordan’s national football team, has refuted claims that the loss against Bahrain was intentional to avoid facing Japan in the Round of 16 of the Asian Cup.
Speaking in a television interview after the match, the Moroccan coach emphasized that Jordan played against Bahrain today with the aim of securing a victory and advancing as one of the group leaders, not as the best third-placed team in the tournament.
However, he acknowledged that several factors hindered their success.
Amouta explained that the changes he made in the starting lineup were due to some players carrying yellow cards, potentially ruling them out of the next round.
He opted to give opportunities to substitutes to assess their readiness for this championship, noting positive aspects from some of their performances.
The team will work on addressing the areas that need improvement before the next match.
He clarified, “It is not true that we were seeking to avoid facing Japan, but we worked on adjusting the starting lineup fearing the absence of some key players in the Round of 16.
We tested the substitutes, and at times, concentration was lacking, resulting in the 1-0 loss.”
Jordan’s national football team, under Amouta’s guidance, secured the third position in the Asian Cup with four points.
The team awaits the conclusion of the group stage matches to determine their opponent in the Round of 16.
