JORDAN : Jordan wasted no time, pushing forward with urgency. Forward Yazan All Naimat almost opened the scoring in the early minutes, narrowly missing after a quick counterattack, only to find himself offside. Undeterred, Naimat showcased his skill again, skillfully weaving through Oman’s defense, but he lacked the necessary support from his teammates to capitalize on the opportunity.

As the first half unfolded, Oman struggled to cope with Jordan’s relentless pace. A series of rushed plays led to uncharacteristic mistakes from the home side, putting them on the back foot. Jordan’s Al Mardi came agonizingly close to breaking the deadlock, racing in for a one-on-one with the Omani goalkeeper, but his shot veered wide.

The turning point came in the 26th minute when Naimat delivered a crucial header following a well-placed cross, giving Jordan a deserved lead. The goal rattled Oman, who scrambled to regain their footing but found it increasingly difficult to respond to Jordan’s momentum. As the first half drew to a close, Al Mardi and Iyad Olwan continued to threaten, leaving Oman in disarray and failing to mount any meaningful attacks of their own with just one close attack from Al Ghassani, which drifted away from him as he leapt to capitalise on a brilliant cross.

With the match hanging in the balance, Coach Rashid Jaber and his boys will need to regroup and find their rhythm if they hope to turn the tide in the second half.

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