Jordan’s forward Ali Alwan led his team to a 1–0 victory over Iraq on Friday at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, securing a place in the semifinals of the Arab Cup.
Alwan scored the only goal of the match from the penalty spot in the 41st minute, raising his tally to four goals and topping the tournament’s scoring chart.
This marked Jordan’s fourth consecutive win in the competition, booking them a semifinal matchup on Monday at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor against Saudi Arabia, who advanced after a 2–1 extra-time win over Palestine.
In front of 43,486 spectators, Jordan took revenge for its 1–0 loss to Iraq in Amman during the final round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers—qualifiers in which Jordan made history by reaching the World Cup for the first time. The victory also revived memories of their dramatic 3–2 win over Iraq in the Round of 16 at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in Doha.
Jordan did not seem affected by the early injury of striker Yazan Al-Naimat, who went off in the 13th minute after trying to continue despite hurting himself earlier. Coach Jamal Sellami brought in Oday Al-Fakhouri as his replacement.
Jordan threatened early with a corner from Mahmoud Mardi in the first minute, flicked by Al-Naimat with his heel before Iraqi goalkeeper Ahmed Basil intervened. Defender Ahmed Yahya also cleared a dangerous cross from Hossam Abu Al-Thahab before it reached Adham Al-Quraishi in the 26th minute.
Alwan continued to trouble Iraq’s defense with his dribbling and penetration inside the box, only for Yahya to intervene once again in time. Iraq, meanwhile, posed little danger in the first half.
Jordan earned a penalty after VAR confirmed a handball on Mustafa Saadoun from a Mahmoud Mardi header, and Alwan converted confidently to the left of the goalkeeper (41’). A second Jordanian goal was later disallowed for offside.
Iraq improved in the second half and pushed for an equalizer, with attempts from Ahmed Mankashi and Ali Jassem, but Jordanian goalkeeper Yazeed Abu Layla—who was named Man of the Match—kept his team ahead with several key saves, including a one-on-one stop against Saadoun in stoppage time.
