Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - The Jordan Football Association (JFA) has expressed pride in football technical director Adnan Hamad being named Top Arab Coach of 2011.

JFA Vice President Mohammad Ulayyan was quoted in Al Ghad daily as saying: “This was a natural result for someone who has worked hard. We wish him continued success and we are proud of his achievement.’’

Hamad’s award came from the Arab world’s leading daily sports programme MBC’s Sada Al Malaeb, capping a golden year in which Jordan qualified to Round 4 of World Cup qualifiers placing the Kingdom among the continent’s last 10 for the first time since taking part in the qualifiers in 1985.

The teams’s achievements last year included, making it to the quarters of the 14th Asian Cup for the second time in past eight participations since 1972. In another notable result, Jordan won the silver medal at the 12th Pan-Arab Games in Qatar, losing 1-0 to Bahrain from a defensive error in the last minutes of the match.

Hamad enlisted reserves and four young players from the national squad to represent Jordan with the aim of creating a younger national team and boost the senior team which is busy with World Cup qualifiers. The strategy paid off and Hamad said: “Jordan has gained a new line-up of stars for the future.”

On the other hand, in the annual vote by Egypt’s Al Ahram magazine, Jordan’s national football team was chosen, with Libya, as best “Arab Team of 2011’’. In best player awards Jordan’s Hasan Abdul Fattah was among gold level players and goalie Amer Shafie among silver level players.

“Al Ahram’s award is for Jordanian football as a whole — coaches, officials, players and staff — who made this possible under the chairmanship of JFA President HRH Prince Ali,’’ Ulayyan noted.

Al Ahram magazine chose Libya for their African Championship qualification with all matches played away due to the prevailing unrest in the country. Lebanon was chosen most improved team after beating the UAE, South Korea and Kuwait to reach the final stage of World Cup qualifiers. Tunisia’s Osama Mallouli, the swimmer, who reaped 15 medals in Doha, was the top Arab sportsman. Tunisia’s Tarraji (Esperance), who won the African title and Qatar’s Sadd, who won the Asian Champions Cup, were top Arab football teams.

In the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) ranking, Abdul Fattah was chosen world’s 3rd best scorer with 16 goals while Abdullah Theeb was 8th with 13 goals in the ranks headed by Argentina’s Lionel Messi with 19 goals.

Jordan is now 82nd in the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. Jordan lead Group A after playing five Round 3 matches which saw them beat Iraq (2-1), China (2-0) and Singapore (3-0). In the return leg Jordan beat Singapore (2-0) but lost to Iraq (3-1).

The current scene is seen by many as golden era of football with the senior team only a phase away from qualification to the World Cup finals. But institutionalised work and focus on younger divisions has begun to reap results as well. In addition to the Pan-Arab Games squad, the past year witnessed the U-19 team qualifying to the 2012 Asian Football Confederation U-19 Championship finals for the fourth time. Their best result was in 2006, when the Kingdom’s biggest sporting success was achieved with the team reaching the 2007 FIFA Youth World Cup after finishing fourth at the Asian Youth Championship.

Meanwhile the JFA’s technical team has advised the association against participation in the Arab Cup in Saudi Arabia in June. The decision comes in line with the programme placed by Hamad for the senior team’s World Cup qualification agenda. The team is scheduled to face China on February 29.

The 7th West Asian Championship will be held in Kuwait starting November 20. Kuwait won the past edition which was held in Amman last summer.



* Jordan Times