The new Moroccan coach of the Jordanian national football team, Jamal Salami, considered reaching the 2026 World Cup finals as "a dream that can elevate Jordanian football to unimaginable heights." Salami expressed his happiness at being in Jordan to coach the "Al-Nashama" team during a press conference in the capital to introduce him to the media. He stated, "I am happy to be here in Jordan to coach the national team and grateful for the responsibility entrusted to me."
Salami, who succeeded his compatriot Hossam Aouita after his resignation, added, "I am here to share my experience and achieve the goals that the Jordanian fans aspire to with all the players. I know that the previous phase was important for building this project and gaining the community’s trust in the team. The upcoming phase is important and difficult for me personally, and I know the capabilities of the Jordanian team; I have followed them in previous stages."
He continued, "Our ambition is great, and we have a desire. My presence confirms my confidence and ambitions, and I will leverage my experience to serve and develop the players and succeed in this project. In the upcoming period, we have a clear vision and the most important work is to prepare alternatives. We will organize a camp to assess the readiness of substitutes, especially the prominent players in the U-23 national team. We have confidence in the players."
Regarding the draw for the final round of World Cup qualifiers set to take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, which will be held tomorrow at the Asian Football Confederation headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, he said: "We are waiting for the draw to determine our opponents, and then we will address each situation as it arises."
The Jordanian Federation announced last Saturday the acceptance of Aouita's resignation and the appointment of Salami in his place. Aouita achieved the best accomplishment for Jordanian football by leading the team to the runner-up position in the Asia Cup held in Qatar earlier this year, in addition to qualifying for the 2027 Asia Cup in Saudi Arabia and the third and decisive round of qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, which will start in September.
The Secretary-General of the Jordanian Football Federation, Samar Nassar, confirmed that Salami signed a three-year contract "based on our aspirations and goals of reaching the 2026 World Cup and winning the 2027 Asia Cup."
