Al-Nashama ends the break with immense benefits

The team played an entertaining and highly competitive match in the first half, while the second half witnessed a torrent of missed chances following control and organized play against an experienced team despite modest names.

Al-Nashama line-up: Abdullah Al-Fakhouri, Anas Badawi (Ahmed Assaf), Abdullah Naseeb, Saad Al-Rousan, Muhannad Abu Taha (Mohammed Abu Al-Nadi), Noor Al-Rawabdeh (Amer Jamous), Nizar Al-Rashdan, Youssef Qeshi (Tamer Bani Odeh), Mahmoud Mardi, Mousa Al-Tamari (Sharara), and Ali Olwan (Ahmed Al-Ersan).

Venezuela line-up: Christopher Varela, Román Davis, Yordan Osorio, Bianneider Tamayo, Juan David Sánchez, Daniel Pereira, Nicola Profeta, Marco Libra, Edson Tortolero, Glicker Mendoza, Giovanni Bolívar.

Before the whistle, Surat Al-Fatiha was recited and a minute of silence was observed for the soul of Al-Ahli Club player (18 years old) Moatasem Al-Ghoul.

First Half

After the Iraqi referee's whistle, both teams skipped the feeling-out process, and the Venezuelan appeared as though he wanted to prove that this squad, described as a reserve, was actually the first team.

The guest initiated an attack and tried to shoot amidst brave defending by the national team.

Al-Nashama responded in kind and tried to penetrate through short and medium passes, giving the fans an early sense of anticipation.

Olwan's attempt and dribbling were the most prominent in the 7th minute, followed by Al-Tamari in a breakaway and one-on-one that ended in the arms of the Venezuelan goalkeeper.

The guests' attempts continued and the match atmosphere heated up, and Al-Tamari returned to break through in the 15th minute, but slowness in finishing prevailed.

Until the first quarter of an hour, the team appeared to have begun applying coach Badou Ezzaki's instructions and succeeded in imposing a relatively comfortable and promising style of play for scoring.

After half an hour of play, the Venezuelan team sensed the danger of Al-Tamari and Olwan, so they imposed intensive marking on them, which necessitated resorting to an alternative plan that resulted in positional changes and shifts that almost led to the opening goal in the 27th minute through Olwan.

Mousa Al-Tamari's breakaways needed support and a fast player to keep pace with the nature of penetration from the flank, but the chances were wasted.

In the 33rd minute, Al-Rawabdeh and Mardi executed a well-crafted tactical combination that ended with the latter's shot going over the crossbar.

The first half ended in a goalless draw, with the advantage alternating between Al-Nashama and the guests.

Second Half

Shortly after the start, Al-Tamari faced heavy pressure which led to a yellow card being shown to the Venezuelan player in the 51st minute.

Mardi played the "joker" role, appearing on the left flank in the 53rd minute and delivering a dangerous cross, followed by movements from the right flank with shots that ignited the stands and almost shook the net.

Al-Tamari missed a certain goal in the 57th minute when he shot wide of the post following a team move.

Another skill display started by Al-Tamari, passed through Al-Rawabdeh, and ended with Olwan's shot over the goal in the 61st minute.

Al-Fakhouri stood out clearly when he skillfully saved a Venezuelan shot in the 63rd minute.

Al-Nashama's coach injected new blood in the 65th minute: Sharara, Bani Odeh, and Al-Ersan, then Al-Awadat, and he was forced to replace Al-Rashdan who left injured and brought in Saadeh.

The substitutions created clear danger, but the draw persisted until a quarter of an hour before the end.

The team squandered many chances, and with them the opportunity to crown the performance with goals, ending the match in a goalless draw in front of fans who hoped to see goals.

Gains and Benefits

After this match, the team has turned the page on this break, hoping it has emerged with genuine technical gains, before the journey resumes in November, where Al-Nashama await two matches against Indonesia and Australia in Amman on November 13 and 17 respectively, according to the announced schedule, to be a new station on the path of preparation for the Asian Cup.

Al-Nashama will play in the finals in Group B alongside Uzbekistan, Bahrain, and North Korea. The campaign begins against Uzbekistan on January 8, then Bahrain on January 13, before facing North Korea on January 17.

The first two matches will be played in Jeddah at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, while the North Korea match will be played in Riyadh at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University Stadium.

The tournament will be held in Saudi Arabia from January 7 to February 5, 2027, with the participation of 24 teams across three main cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, and Al-Khobar.

If the previous participation secured for Al-Nashama a historic continental runner-up finish, followed by qualification for the World Cup to confirm that the Jordanian team has become a force that cannot be easily bypassed, then the ceiling of public ambition naturally rises today.

The dream is no longer just participation, nor even reaching advanced stages, as the fans now look forward to competing for the Asian title and cementing Al-Nashama's presence among the continent's elite teams, ultimately improving their standing on the Asian and global ranking ladders.

Ezzaki himself realizes that time is short and the Asian Cup is not far away, which is why the upcoming break will serve as a laboratory to prepare and approve the formula that will form the core of the team for the next phase, which carries the hopes and ambitions of the fans.