AFC Women’s Asia Cup qualifiers:
Iran to face do-or-die battle against Jordan
Iranian girls will step onto the pitch against Jordan today in their AFC Women’s Asia Cup qualification campaign in Amman, knowing anything but a victory over the host will end their bid for a place in next March’s finals in Australia.
Iran’s hopes of a second successive appearance at the continental showpiece suffered a major blow after a shock 3-1 loss to Lebanon, which had been without a point prior to the game, on Wednesday.
Lebanese striker Christy Maalouf, who plays for French club VGA Saint-Maur, scored a hat-trick, with Fatemeh Shaban finding the net for Iran, as Lebanon inflicted a first defeat in the qualifiers on Marziyeh Jafari’s side.
The setback was followed by Jordan’s 3-0 win against Bhutan later in the day as the host moved atop the Group A table with a perfect nine points – three clear of second-placed Iran – ahead of today’s showdown at the King Abdullah II Stadium.
Iran head coach conceded that her team paid a heavy price for the mistakes against Lebanon but vowed that Iran will bounce back in the decisive final game in Amman.
“This defeat is entirely my responsibility. My players gave everything they had and fought to win, but this is football. Individual mistakes can change the course of a game,” said Jafari after Wednesday’s game.
“The truth is we didn’t play well. We made too many mistakes in both defense and attack. After conceding the second goal, the players’ focus wavered, and we couldn’t capitalize on our chances. In football, if you don’t score, you’re bound to lose.
“This game is a wake-up call. We must play with greater seriousness and concentration against Jordan. Our focus now is on the players’ mental and physical recovery because we have a crucial match on Saturday. There’s only one way to reach the Asian Cup, and that’s by beating Jordan. Nothing is over. We will fight with everything we have for this victory.”
Having enjoyed comfortable wins against Singapore (4-0) and Bhutan (7-1), Iranian girls will face their toughest test yet in Amman against an in-form Jordan, which has scored 12 goals in three games, while conceding none.
Maysa Jbarah has found the net in every game and Iran will have to contain the 35-year-old forward if it is to secure all points.