Badou Zaki’s statements with Al-Nashama and the results of friendly matches for Arab teams

Badu Al-Zaki, the new coach of the Jordanian national team, confirmed that the “starchy” players have the necessary capabilities to continue development and achieve strong results in the upcoming matches, noting that the achievements achieved by the national team in recent years were the result of integrated work and the emergence of a “golden generation” of players.

The Moroccan coach took over the leadership of the Jordanian national team, succeeding his compatriot Jamal Al-Salami, who led the team to the 2026 World Cup, after Hussein Amouta had previously led it to the 2023 Asian Cup final and the 2025 Arab Cup final.

Al-Zaki said, in an interview with the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) website on Monday, that taking over as coach of Jordan represents “a new chapter and a new challenge” in his career, adding: “I feel very enthusiastic about this responsibility, especially since I am leading a team that has achieved historic achievements in recent years, by participating in the World Cup and reaching the Arab Cup final and the Asian Cup final.”

He stressed that “the development that Jordanian football has witnessed in recent years is clear, and is directly reflected in the level of the team and its results. As a result, the team's ambitions increased, as did the amount of responsibility. I feel proud and happy to coach Jordan, and we look forward to building on what has already been achieved and providing distinguished levels in the upcoming tournaments, especially the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia.”

Al-Zaki indicated that he followed the Jordanian national team for a long time, and said: “I have been following the Jordanian national team for a long time, especially considering what it has achieved in recent years, whether in the Asian Cup, the Arab Cup, or qualifying for the World Cup. Therefore, I have good knowledge of the technical, tactical and individual capabilities of the players, and I realize the extent of the development the team has witnessed.”

He explained: “At this stage, we are trying to evaluate the readiness of all players and study the options available to us, while at the same time preserving the team’s identity, in order to reach an organized and balanced team capable of maintaining the level at which it has appeared in recent years, while continuing to develop.”

Regarding the reasons for the positive results achieved by Jordan recently, Al-Zaki said: “I believe that the team’s achievements are not a coincidence, but rather the result of a comprehensive renaissance that Jordanian football has witnessed over the past years, coinciding with the emergence of a golden generation of players.”

He continued: “There is a clear desire to develop football at all levels, in addition to improving infrastructure, the spread of academies, expanding the selection base for national teams, and increasing interest in age group championships.”

He stressed: “The institutional work carried out by the Jordanian Football Association, with its various components, also played an important role in reaching this stage of development, coinciding with the emergence of a distinguished generation of players who constituted an important addition to the national team and gave it a major boost in terms of results and ability to compete.”

Al-Zaki described Jordan's first participation in the World Cup as a "successful and honorable campaign by all standards," noting the difficulty of the group that included defending champions Argentina, Austria and Algeria.

He said: “Given that this was Jordan’s first participation at this level, the team performed well and showed character and ability to compete. Participating in the World Cup goes beyond just results, as it gives you an opportunity to test yourself against the best football schools and gain experience, and this will have an important impact on the team’s future.”

The Moroccan coach touched on the changes he made to the team’s roster, which included nine players, while maintaining the team’s basic structure, and said: “Our choices depend first on technical and physical readiness, in addition to the team’s needs and the nature of the next stage. At the same time, we want to maintain the stability of the team and benefit from players with experience and knowledge, while giving the opportunity to players who are able to add.”

He stressed: “The door is open to everyone, and no player is excluded in advance. Performance, readiness and ability to serve the team are our standards. Our goal is to reach the Asian Cup with as many ready-made options as possible, so that we can deal with any circumstances or matches that face us.”

Al-Zaki refused to rush into talking about the possibility of Jordan qualifying for the 2030 World Cup, saying: “It is too early to talk about the 2030 World Cup. Our current focus is on the upcoming tournaments in the near future, especially the 2027 Asian Cup, and we are working to be in the best possible preparation for these matches.”

He added: “The Jordanian national team currently has great potential, and has gained more experience at the continental and international levels, and therefore we have all the ingredients that will help us reach the World Cup on a regular basis. The most important thing for us is to deal with each stage in its time, and to continue working and developing, because reaching the World Cup requires continuity and work in the long term.”

Al-Zaki concluded his speech by saying: “It will certainly be special for me to see Jordan in the 2030 World Cup, especially with my country, Morocco, hosting the tournament. But our focus now must be on work and the upcoming matches, and progressing step by step.”

The Moroccan national football team tied 1-1 with Mali in a friendly match held on Sunday on the grounds of the Grand Stadium in Tangier, at the end of an international break that began with two victories in the 2027 African Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The Moroccan team dominated most of the first half, and had a clear advantage in front of goal, but it lacked effectiveness in the final touch.

In the 35th minute, the referee awarded a penalty kick to Morocco after a foul against Abdel Samad Zalzouli inside the penalty area, and the same player executed it successfully and gave the hosts the lead.

The first half ended with Morocco leading with an unanswered goal, after excelling in possession and offensive attempts.

The pace of the match declined in the second half, and play was limited to the midfield for long periods, with few opportunities on both sides.

Mali's most dangerous attempt came in the 67th minute, when Adama Kamara followed the ball from a corner kick with a powerful shot towards the top corner, but goalkeeper Yassine Bounou narrowly pushed it into the corner.

In the 77th minute, Mali equalized through Gausu Diarra after a free kick executed by Amadou Dante from the right side towards the far post. Diarra met it with a powerful direct shot that Bono did not succeed in blocking.

The match ended in a draw, and Morocco concluded this international break by winning its two official matches against Gabon and Lesotho in the African Cup of Nations qualifiers.

At Cairo Stadium, goalkeeper Mustafa Schubert committed a grave mistake that cost the Egyptian national team a 1-0 loss to its South African guest in a friendly match on Sunday, so that the team’s troubles continued on and off the field amid continuing controversy over the absence of captain Mohamed Salah and speculation surrounding his relationship with coach Hossam Hassan.

The only goal of the match came in the 51st minute when Schubert misjudged a long ball sent by the South African team from the middle of the field, and quickly left his area, so Bosso Dithegani took advantage of the situation and snatched the ball from him before he dribbled past one of the defenders and easily put it into the empty net.

The South African crossbar blocked a dangerous attempt from Ibrahim Adel from inside the area in stoppage time.

Egypt played the match in the absence of Salah, the Turkish Trabzonspor striker, Mohamed Abdel Moneim, the French defender of Nice, and Haitham Hassan, the Scottish Celtic player. While the result will raise more controversy about the goalkeeping position in light of the tensions between coach Hassan and the absent goalkeeper, Mohamed El-Shenawy.

Despite the absences, the Egyptian team imposed its advantage for most of the first half and created the most dangerous chances, but it lacked the final touch in front of goal. Omar Marmoush wasted a chance to take the lead in the ninth minute after he was alone with the goalkeeper, before Mohamed Hani and Marawan Attia threatened the South African goal with two shots from outside the penalty area.

Ibrahim Adel emerged as Egypt's most dangerous player, as he worried the South African defense with his constant movements and individual skills. The team's players also demanded a penalty kick after a challenge with him inside the area, but the referee ordered the game to continue. Adel continued his brilliance by creating a dangerous opportunity for Mustafa Zico, who tried to score with his backheel, but the South African goalkeeper blocked his attempt.

On the other hand, South Africa's performance gradually improved over time and the hosts began to exchange attacks, as Schubert blocked Cassius Mailola's shot, while Thabang Matolodi's powerful attempt went just over the crossbar.

In addition to the goal, the South African team retreated to its areas and relied on defensive discipline and counterattacks, while Egypt rushed in search of an equalizer without succeeding in penetrating the visitors’ defensive organization.

The South African team almost doubled its lead through a quick counterattack in the 62nd minute, taking advantage of the spaces behind the Egyptian defence, but the hosts succeeded in removing the danger. Egypt's most dangerous chance in the second half came in the 71st minute when Karim Hafez sent a perfect cross, which substitute Hamza Abdel Karim headed in with a powerful header, but the South African goalkeeper blocked it brilliantly and preserved his team's lead.

Despite Egypt's attempts in the last minutes, the South African team maintained its defensive cohesion to emerge with a valuable victory.

The loss comes after a mixed start to Egypt's campaign in the 2027 African Cup of Nations qualifiers, as it tied 0-0 with Angola before winning 5-0 over South Sudan, while South Africa, led by its returning coach Pitso Mosimane, continued to build on its strong start in the qualifiers with full marks.