Ammon News - Jordan completed the line-up of the Arab Cup quarter-finals following a 5-1 victory against Palestine to clinch second spot ahead of Saudi Arabia in Group C.

At Stadium 974, the Jordanians ran out comfortable winners in the final minutes of the match after the encounter had largely been competitive until the 82nd minute when Mahmoud Al-Mardi scored a third to put the game out of Palestine’s reach.

The victory sends both Palestine and Saudi Arabia home. As the Arab Cup is not a recognised FIFA date, clubs are not compelled to release their players. While the Saudis have been dominating in World Cup qualifying, the country entered this competition largely with a C team. Other teams have also travelled to Doha with reserve squads, but all the other regional powerhouses have progressed from the group stages.

In the first of the quarter-finals group B winners Tunisia will face Oman. At the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, the hosts and group A winners Qatar take on rivals United Arab Emirates. Alongside Morocco, the Maroons were one of two teams to enjoy a perfect record in the group stage with victories against Oman, Iraq and Bahrain.

Morocco were too strong for Saudi Arabia, Palestine and Jordan, scoring nine goals in the process and keeping a clean sheet. They will play neighbours Algeria in the last eight. Egypt and Carlos Queiroz complete the last eight with a match against Jordan.

This is the 10th edition of the Arab Cup, first staged in 1963 and the first one under the umbrella of FIFA. The tournament serves as a warm-up for World Cup organizers, with the global finals under a year away.

*insideworldfootball