Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Road to World Cup 26 - Episode 18 - Jordan
4 Plays16 days ago
Join your hosts Nick Britten Ken Davies as we take the deepest of deep dives into everything related to the FIFA World Cup 2026 held in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
All the news, analysis and comment from every team, every qualification process and of course the tournament itself. The biggest festival of soccer in the world.
This week we take a deep dive into World Cup debutants Jordan – who are they, who are the key players and how will they get on next year? Plus your World Cup news roundup, Kenny’s Quiz and much, much more.
Your weekly guide to the pinnacle of world soccer brought to you by Global Sports Podcast Network
Our Sponsors
Bioniq - Don't settle for off-the-shelf solutions made for ANY body. Get what's right for YOU. Right now.
We’ve spent years analyzing blood markers to develop our patented algorithm, enabling us to create a 100% personalized supplement to support your health by optimizing your micronutrient status.
Follow the link and Use code GSPN2025 for 40% of your first month’s subscription.
www.bioniq.com/gspn2025
Zencastr
Built for quality - Designed for growth
A new era for creation is here.
The only complete audio + video platform to get best-in-class recording, intuitive editing, AI-powered growth features, and top-tier distribution tools — all in one place.
Get started for free!
We highly recommend it!
Global Sports Podcast Network - Creating the world’s first network of 30-minute podcasts for the world’s biggest sporting export, the English Premier League – developing engaging content across all sports
For advertising and sponsorship details or to learn more about the scale and demographics of our audience – email Ken Davies, VP Business & Development at:
ken.davies@globalsportspodcastnetwork.com
www.globalsportspodcastnetwork.com
Copyright | 2025 Global Sports Podcast Network | All Rights Reserved
Recommended
Transcript
Podcast Introduction and Hosts
00:00:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
And a very good day to you. Hello, bonjour, ciao, ni hao, privet, hola, g'day. You're listening to the Road to the World Cup 26 podcast, part of the Global Sports Podcast Network, the only place to find your regular soccer content on the top English Premier League teams, women's football, and of course, because you are listening to this, the World Cup 2026, which is, of course, another week closer.
00:00:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're into, well, not many weeks to go, really. We're in less than a year now, Kenny, and we'll be almost all done and busted. Hello.
00:00:39
Ken Davies
Did find a lap? We're on the last lap.
00:00:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
We are on the last lap, yeah, on the home straight, not quite, but so lots more to cover, lots more to cover. I'm your host, Nick Britton, and as always, I am joined by my great friend and esteemed colleague, the cleverest man in the world, according to him, the beaver, Kenny Davis. How i mate? How's your week been?
00:00:58
Ken Davies
I'm good, actually. I'm good. I'm still slightly in recovery mode, but enjoying the sunshine.
Exploration of Jordanian Football
00:01:02
Ken Davies
enjoying what's been going on with in in football, with one notable exception we about to talk about.
00:01:08
Ken Davies
But yeah, raring to go. Jordan's been a fascinating country to take a deep dive into. So I've always wanted to take a deep dive into Jordan. And this was my opportunity.
00:01:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you very much. I've waited for your first Jordan gag, and it arrived probably actually a little bit quicker. You caught me on the hop there. was quicker than I expected. and For anybody who doesn't know, ah who's not in the UK or somewhere in in where where this woman goes on holiday all the time, ah Jordan is a very famous supermodel, and I use the phrase loosely, ah but she's a very famous model, and Ken's obviously got a bit of a thing for So we're going to try and get through today's podcast.
00:01:48
Ken Davies
please What are you talking about? What are you talking about?
00:01:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're going try and get...
00:01:53
Ken Davies
you talking about Katie Price?
00:01:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm talking about Katie Bryce, yeah, because yeah I know you were, so I want to get that out of the way.
00:01:59
Ken Davies
Absolutely not, I'm afraid.
00:02:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
want to get...
00:02:01
Ken Davies
You're going to drag this into the gutter if you want, mate, but I ain't coming with you.
00:02:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's okay. I mean, to fair, I knew we were doing Jordan this morning, so I've woken up feeling a little jesty, genuinely.
00:02:12
Ken Davies
move on. Move on.
00:02:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
god that like Anyway, we've done that.
00:02:16
Ken Davies
let move on leave
00:02:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
let's Let's move on. ah Because today last week we did, we're we're going from to one end of the spectrum to the other. One end of the spectrum to the other, because last week we did Brazil, who are obviously you know the greatest one of the greatest football teams ever to take part in World Cup.
00:02:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
And today we're going right down the other end to a team that nobody ever associates with the World Cup because they've never played in one. So... Ladies and gentlemen and everybody in between, today, yourselves in because we're going to do a deep dive into the football team that is Jordan.
00:03:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
What do you reckon, mate?
00:03:28
Ken Davies
I reckon that was about to break into some kind of bass dub thing afterwards. Yeah, after that. Yeah, that was like just the introduction. And it just kind of the whole thing breaks down into some kind of house ah dance thing.
00:03:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
It felt like it, didn't it? Yeah.
00:03:44
Ken Davies
ah What do you think of that?
00:03:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
don't think it does.
00:03:45
Ken Davies
It was very, very slow, wasn't it, to begin with? I mean, you wondered where the next boom was going to come from. But I actually quite liked it in the end. It's very martial.
00:03:57
Ken Davies
It's very, we're all marching off to war, wasn't it, really? But was it was it was slightly depressed. it was It wasn't really uplifting, was it? It was more like, bloody hell, we're going to war.
00:04:09
Ken Davies
you know we don't None of us want to go.
00:04:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
if It did feel like a bit. yeah i thought I thought when it started with that massive drum roll, i thought, okay, we're in here. I like the National Anthem that starts with big drum roll, but it never kind of moved from that, did it?
00:04:16
Ken Davies
Yeah, here we go.
00:04:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
It never really got going.
00:04:20
Ken Davies
Well, we don't know what's on the other side of that. The other side of that might be absolutely amazing. It might it might be number one in the Jordanian house charts.
00:04:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's not... It isn't, obviously.
00:04:28
Ken Davies
We don't know.
00:04:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
It isn't. I've listened to the rest of it. It isn't. It doesn't really...
00:04:32
Ken Davies
Yeah, that's not winning the World Cup of National Anthems, is it?
00:04:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Not really, no, no. But it was good it was a good start, but yeah, it didn't really kind of get get anywhere. and but And that may reflect the the Jordan performance in the World Cup next year. It started promising.
00:04:45
Ken Davies
I'm not sure about that, by the way. One thing I would say about national anthems, which has been a bit of a disappointment to me, um you would imagine, I would imagine, that the Jordanian national anthem would sound at least a little bit Middle Eastern. and You know, I would hope it would.
00:05:00
Ken Davies
It doesn't. It sounds like something straight out of an Italian opera in, you know, 1723. They seem to copy European style of national anthem, and I wish they wouldn't.
00:05:11
Ken Davies
I want something that sounds Jordanian. And that didn't. That sounded like it was from Hungary.
00:05:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
So what would sound Jordanian?
00:05:18
Ken Davies
thank You know, something with, you know you know, when you hear kind of Middle Eastern kind of.
00:05:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
the right might see thank if If you got phone call today from the King of Jordan and they said, Ken, I need to write a new national anthem and I'm told you're the guy to do it.
00:05:28
Ken Davies
Hmm.
00:05:31
Ken Davies
Hmm.
00:05:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
You've got blank piece of paper. Where are you going to start?
00:05:34
Ken Davies
what you start What you start off with is kind of Middle Eastern note changes because they don't use the same kind of note changes as us. We work on a very Western kind of note system, don't we, we are in terms of our melody development.
00:05:50
Ken Davies
And that's what they're using there in in their next anthem. But actually, the Middle Eastern and one's completely different. and as that It uses semitones and things more. We're getting into musical theory, but that's where that's what I'd like to see.
00:06:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Questions you wish you'd never asked. Right. Okay. but Let's move on. Let's move on. ah So today on today's podcast, it follows a similar theme to to normal. So we're going to be having a look at the history of Jordanian football.
00:06:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Ken's been digging into all of that. I have picked out five key players who are going to have to do their, do the work at the world cup next year, if they're going to do anything, um,
00:06:22
Ken Davies
but You had to do your work doing that,
00:06:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
I had to dig, d yeah it took me quite a long time actually to research these players. I just got to find out who they are and and sort of look at them and look at some videos and look at how they play. Because normally you've kind of got a good idea. You've heard of some of these players.
00:06:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
I hadn't really heard of any of these players before. Jordan is not a well-known football nation. so ah but But, you know, I've come out with lot people.
00:06:42
Ken Davies
I hope you've mastered the pronunciation.
00:06:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
No problem whatsoever, my friend.
00:06:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah We've got, some I am James from Boston, if you're listening to this, by the way. Thank you very much ah for your letter of about three weeks ago. We are going to get around to discussing your ah your point today and and the question that you've raised, which is do teams like Jordan, um we we looked at Uzbekistan a couple of weeks ago, these very small nations who are,
00:06:46
Ken Davies
Excellent.
00:07:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
In reality, only really, really qualifying for the World Cup because of the expanded tournament. They wouldn't normally get in with 32 teams, but with 48 teams, they're going to they go to get in. But do they add anything? Do they add anything to the competition?
00:07:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
So we're going to have a quick chat about that later on. We've got Kenny's quiz, of course, everybody's favourite time of the week. and a look at the manager, Jamal Selahwi. and We'll finish with predictions, as we always do, as to how Jordan are going to get on in next year's World Cup. But we'll start, as we always start, with your weekly World Cup news.
00:07:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Good shuffling of papers, as always, Ken.
Tribute to Diogo Jota
00:07:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's only one place to start.
00:07:51
Ken Davies
Thanks.
00:07:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's only one place to start, really, with with news this week. And that is, of course, the very, very sad death of the Portugal international forward and Liverpool player Diogo Jota, who died tragically in a car crash yesterday, it was.
00:08:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Aged only 28, died with his brother, Andre Silva, in Spain. And, um Ken, he's a great loss to to international football.
00:08:14
Ken Davies
great if He's a great loss to the world. He's a great loss to Liverpool. He's great loss to Portugal. He's a great loss to anybody who follows football. ah Absolute tragedy. Coming only a few days after he he married his his long-term partner. Absolutely devastating.
00:08:30
Ken Davies
Universally popular. You know, people who don't follow Liverpool, they knew all about Diogo Jota. He absolutely lit up the Premier League. Yeah.
00:08:42
Ken Davies
It's a tragedy. Our hearts go out to everybody affected by it. And there's an awful lot of people affected by it. You know, I come from Liverpool, close to it. I know what a tragedy it's been there.
00:08:55
Ken Davies
And Liverpoolians are good in these circumstances. They do rule at rally around. They do say how they feel about things.
00:09:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:09:04
Ken Davies
And everybody, I think, is very devastated by it. So, ah yeah, we're missing. Great player, absolutely lit up the Premier League, our hearts go out to overly affected by it.
00:09:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's interesting. Looking at the and television pictures this morning from Liverpool, there is ah as you would expect outside the ground, an enormous sea of scarves and balloons and flowers and shirts and everything you might expect. But it isn't just Liverpool, because obviously in the modern way of consuming media these days,
00:09:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
with It's all about clips and short-form media and video and all of that. so Whereas historically, you might support a team, you know these days, young people particularly grow up supporting players and following players.
00:09:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
So players like Jossa and many other players, they they they become far more well-known right around the world. So you don't have to be a Liverpool fan or a Portugal fan to know who he is.
00:09:44
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:09:51
Ken Davies
No.
00:09:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think we've seen this over the last 24 hours since this terrible news came out of the absolute outpouring of Griff just from from everywhere and from players from places that you just wouldn't even think that that they they were aware of him because...
00:09:56
Ken Davies
No, it makes
00:10:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
then they're not on his kind of team sphere, if that makes sense. So when these things happen, I think it it really amplifies how enormous these football players are and how you know how huge the game is globally.
00:10:13
Ken Davies
sense.
00:10:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
And these individual players are well known. So, of course, our thoughts, everybody at Global Sports Podcast Network are very much with him and his family and his friends and everybody affected by this.
00:10:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah real A real loss, a real loss.
00:10:35
Ken Davies
Yeah, and it puts in perspective every now and again, these things happen. We've seen it. We saw it with Christian Eriksen, didn't we? Sometimes things happen that people just stop speaking on the tracks and think, well, you know it's only football and it's only football.
00:10:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, very much so. I mean, very much so. I mean, we yeah we were taught at journalism school, actually.
00:10:51
Ken Davies
And that's a good thing to happen to come out of it, I think.
00:10:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
One of the things we were taught when we when we um when we did all our journalism training all those years ago was that when you are reporting on football games or rugby or cricket or whatever, you've got to be very careful about how you describe these things because the the the hyperbole from ah supporters, particularly, and things like that,
00:11:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
oh you lose a game 1-0 or 2-0 and it's a disaster it's a tragedy it's a nightmare and all of that but you're taught very early in journalism that actually you can't use that kind of language because it's not it's a game of football which hasn't gone your way you haven't won it or you haven't played well or you know it's kind of so what it's just a game and when you have sort of massive shock events like this that is a tragedy yeah that's a tragedy yeah
00:11:25
Ken Davies
28 years of age.
00:11:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah and getting Getting beaten by Wrexham because you're on an off day is not a tragedy. It's just an off day.
00:11:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Not that anybody's getting beaten by Wrexham next season. ah Right. OK. Move on.
00:11:46
Ken Davies
just
World Cup Challenges and Changes
00:11:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Move on. Move on. um The main story at the moment elsewhere going on in the world of World Cup news is one that we've been reporting on for the last couple of weeks.
00:11:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
And this week has been gathering pace, actually, with FIFA now facing calls to restructure games and change kickoff times for the World Cup next year to accommodate the welfare of players and supporters and anybody else involved ah just because of the searing heat.
00:12:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, we've been all over this the last two or three weeks. and We know the problems that's been going on at the Club World Cup in terms of... the extreme heat and also the thunderstorms. So ah Chelsea's game ridiculously got got postponed for two hours with four minutes to go The players got taken off for two hours and had to come back and play the last four minutes of the game, which impacted the game massively because Chelsea were just cruising to a 1-0 win, broke for two hours, came back and conceded a goal.
00:12:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the whole thing had to go extra time, et cetera, cetera. So um the Global Players Union, FIRO, I'd never heard of them I didn't know they existed.
00:12:42
Ken Davies
Thank you.
00:12:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
i don't know whether you did. ah Anyway, Global Players Union 5th are now calling um you know calling for FIFA to take action. They they say this whole competition has been a wake-up call. And they're they're calling for longer half-time breaks, more drinks breaks.
00:13:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
And there even been calls elsewhere for matches to essentially be played ah in quarters, not halves. Now, if you're going to have a drinks break for two or three minutes, halfway through a half, well, that is kind of splitting up into quarters, isn't it?
00:13:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah But yeah, these calls are growing. um They also want games to be delayed or rescheduled if it gets over 32 degrees heat. So again, you might be in a position where you the whole game is being played and then with 15 minutes to go, everybody goes, right, it's 32 degrees, lads, everybody off, come back tomorrow.
00:13:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
mean, it's just crackers. The whole thing's absolutely, absolutely crazy. um There are 104 games in the World Cup next year, aren't there?
00:13:33
Ken Davies
but
00:13:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah You can't start just mucking around with them willy-nilly and rescheduling here or there at a moment's notice. So FIFA are going have to get on top of this early. And if they are going to reschedule, reschedule kind of now so that everybody knows.
00:13:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
You can't just wait till the day before go, oh, lads, it looks like there's a bit of storm in the sky.
00:13:48
Ken Davies
Bye.
00:13:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
tell you what, won't do tomorrow. We'll do the day after. It just doesn't work like that. So ah don't think FIFA can ignore this any longer. It's too big and they're going to have to do something. Is that fair? Yeah.
00:14:01
Ken Davies
I think it is fair. I think there's three things that have kind of come into my thoughts this week with everything that's going on around this, which is something that we will be keeping on right from the start. Firstly, I think it's going to affect the selection process of where we play the World Cup going forward.
00:14:18
Ken Davies
ah This has now happened. we We have Qatar, we have America, and and and we've got yeah these problems with heat. yeah know Climate change is a reality. I think it's going to start being becoming a factor in the selection processes. And it should, because actually asking people to perform at the highest level in in conditions which are dangerous, I don't think it's going to... It's just not going to work anymore.
00:14:43
Ken Davies
So I think that's an important thing. The other thing that crossed my mind as well is one of the things that we've seen take place over the course of the last five years in football is 90-minute games end up being 100-minute games now because...
00:14:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
You don't get 90 minutes at you don't get known to
00:14:57
Ken Davies
you i mean never You never do, and and especially in the international games. The elimination, this this war on time-wasting that kind of took place, the imolation elimination of time-wasting, we all know now that we're going to play seven, eight, twelve, nine minutes of injury time every game.
00:15:18
Ken Davies
ah this is going to become an issue. There's going to be more time wasting because people are just going to be destroyed ah by the heat. I think the other thing is, and it's an interesting pivot, this, and I'm just wondering whether whether this will be ah an important moment in time in football.
00:15:36
Ken Davies
you know with Does football end up being four quarters? you know four 15-minute quarters. I mean, the Americans would love that because it fits into everything that ah American football is, ah which is loads more ad breaks, loads more...
00:15:53
Ken Davies
Yeah, sorry.
00:15:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
full
00:15:54
Ken Davies
Okay, four 22-and-a-half-minute quarters.
00:15:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Four 15 minute calls is ah is a 60 minute game, yeah? Football's a 90 minute game.
00:15:59
Ken Davies
Yeah, no, you're right. Four 22-and-a-half. Yeah. for twenty two and a half mini chos
00:16:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, you know I wonder whether i wonder whether whether you were going to advocate, i do and you know, doing the thing where they, but
00:16:05
Ken Davies
no no ah you're right for of unfortunate we do know
00:16:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
where the clock stops when the ball goes out, that kind of thing, and therefore that would cut it
00:16:10
Ken Davies
yeah No, no, no. what What I'm saying, I think I think the Americans like the idea of quarters as a and have always liked the idea of quarters in relation to soccer. And you know this just might be, yeah if they go down that that road, that might be a road that we go down irrespective of any temperature concerns. So it's an interesting, it's a really interesting subject. It's really interesting issue.
00:16:35
Ken Davies
It's going to be very interesting in terms of how FIFA deal with it, both in terms of this competition, but but more long term as well.
00:16:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yep, absolutely. Right. OK, let's get stuck
Jordanian Football: History and Key Players
00:16:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
into Jordan. That was your weekly roundup of World Cup news. But we are here today to focus on the Jordanian national team. Ken, you've been looking at the history of Jordanian football and what they've achieved thus far.
00:16:59
Ken Davies
I have. Before we get to that, by the way, just like they do in Jordan, we know that in football it pays to get your team selection right. And here at Global Sports Podcast Network, we've spent a lot of time selecting our delivery partner and we chose Zencastr.
00:17:14
Ken Davies
In fact, as we go into 2025, 2026, we'll continue with Zencastr because Zencastr makes it easy to bring your vision to life, share it with your audience wherever they are.
00:17:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:17:25
Ken Davies
So, with 4K video recording, easy AI editing, top tier distribution, all in one place, super simple.
00:17:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
again
00:17:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:17:33
Ken Davies
If you've got a story to tell, you want to tell it with Zencastone. You need to check the show notes for more details about how you can. Now, Jordan have no World Cup pedigree.
00:17:47
Ken Davies
known locally as Al-Nasharma.
00:17:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
I quite
00:17:50
Ken Davies
Al-Nasharma stands for the ah chivalrous ones. know, if you're going to be, you're going to have kind of a, a kind of motto or a legend for you yourselves as football players, the chivalrous ones, that sounds lovely, doesn't it?
00:17:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
you
00:18:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
like that.
00:18:06
Ken Davies
I bet they're not.
00:18:08
Ken Davies
The chivalrous ones, that that's that's lovely. So, um, They've never appeared in the World Cup, but they have appeared for the first time in the final of a major tournament in 2023, the AFC Asian Tournament. they They lost that game 3-1 to Qatar, but that was in Qatar.
00:18:27
Ken Davies
And in getting to the final of the 2023 Asian Cup, they beat Iraq, they beat Tajikistan. Well, okay. But they beat South Korea That's...
00:18:39
Ken Davies
that's
00:18:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's better. I think we're looking at its slim pickings, actually. But...
00:18:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
but yeah
00:18:42
Ken Davies
Yeah, Tajikistan is ah great, but, you know, he only goes so far.
00:18:47
Ken Davies
So, you know, beating South Korea 2-0, so they're capable of an upset. The qualification for the World Cup was... It's reasonable. ah there's There's all kinds of rounds in the... yeah if you ever if you If you want, if if you're ever struggling to go to sleep, ah go and listen to the AFC Asia ah episode we did when we were doing the qualification processes.
00:19:12
Ken Davies
you know it You know, Einstein failed that test. I mean, it's complicated.
00:19:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's incredibly, it's really long, unnecessarily long.
00:19:18
Ken Davies
It's incredibly complicated. Yeah, but Jordan entered in round two. They ah played six games in round two, won four, drawn one, lost one, with a goal difference of 12, so they played pretty well.
00:19:32
Ken Davies
In the round three, which is the third the the round that delivers the ah ah guaranteed places, they played 10 games, they won four, drew four, lost two.
00:19:44
Ken Davies
So, you know... It's League of Six, finished second behind South Korea. They got there on merit. ah You're quite right in what you say. They probably wouldn't have got there with a 32-team tournament.
00:19:57
Ken Davies
ah But Jordanian football is going through something of a renaissance. If you look at Jordanian football historically, essentially there's four periods. There's a period of... ah Well, there's five periods. There's a very early period when essentially they were learning how to play.
00:20:12
Ken Davies
There was ah development period from 97 to 2007. There was quite a renaissance when they really moved up the rankings in 2008 to 2015. Then there was a period of stagnation where they just kind of fell back away, 2015 to 23.
00:20:26
Ken Davies
And now, since 2024 their success in the Asian Cup,
00:20:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
No,
00:20:30
Ken Davies
success in the asian cup ah there's a bit of a re-emergence. So there's a lot of confidence in the team. We'll come to how they play and things like that. But finally, just talk about ranking as we always do.
00:20:45
Ken Davies
They're 62nd. ah So they've done well to qualify. ah Don't laugh. They're 62nd. They're not 210th. They're 62nd. They've done well to qualify for 48-team tournament, but they are likely to be a minnow in ah and a tank of sharks, let's be honest.
00:20:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
no, that's all right.
00:21:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mate, there'll be a minnow in a tank of minnows. There'll be like a super minnow.
00:21:02
Ken Davies
ah But there have been
00:21:07
Ken Davies
Yeah, we're going to come back to that. um They've been as high as 37th. Now, that's high. Remember, Brazil were 22nd.
00:21:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
pretty
00:21:16
Ken Davies
So, you know, ah so but as recently as May 2018, at the middle of the stagnation period, they were only 118th. So in the last seven years, it's been quite a significant rise. They've kind of halved that number. They're 62nd now. So...
00:21:31
Ken Davies
so Not a great pedigree, but not without the potential to cause an upset. And we'll come to that later on. But that is a five-minute synopsis of Jordanian football.
00:21:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Pretty good. Going right back to the crustacean period. Well done, mate. Well done. I enjoyed that.
00:21:52
Ken Davies
The crustacean period.
00:21:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, the crustacean period.
00:21:57
Ken Davies
christ just What was the crustacean period when the world was dominated by lobsters?
00:21:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah but yeah um start Yeah, but they started out by playing crab football.
00:22:07
Ken Davies
very good
00:22:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. Yeah. um Yeah, Cretaceous period is what I meant to say. ah Right. Okay. Right. Let's look at at five key players. Now, we've been, obviously, our job here at Road to the World Cup is obviously to take the mickey out things because that's what we like to do.
00:22:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
And ah yeah, we'll come to predictions a little bit later on.
00:22:25
Ken Davies
Yep.
00:22:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I've picked out five key players for Jordan who are actually all very good players. And you talk about they could cause an upset. they've got They've got players, particularly at top end of the pitch, who are capable of doing that.
00:22:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
So we're going to have a very quick whiz through five key players.
00:22:41
Ken Davies
ye
00:22:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
write this down, people. Write this down and then come back to me next year when Jordan are playing and go, yeah, you know what, Nick, you were right. They were all right, these players. They were okay. ah The first one is we I actually always like start at a back. So I always like to have a look at the goalkeeper because it's such...
00:22:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah pivotal position and it's slightly unusual this guy ah so the goalkeeper in in in the current set up is Yazid Aboulaya and he's 6'2 he's age 32 but despite being age 32 he's only played 72 club games in his entire career which you would expect, which is unusual.
00:23:12
Ken Davies
Wow.
00:23:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's unusual particularly for a goalie because if there's any position you're guaranteed to play every single week, ah it's in goal once you're in. He's played 47 times for Jordan on top of that and he's been their main keeper for the last three or four years.
00:23:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you look at the World Cup qualification, he's conceded 12 goals in 16 games, which is impressive. Yeah, it's impressive. And his save percentage during qualification was 70%. So he's had a good World Cup qualification period.
00:23:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's done well.
00:23:38
Ken Davies
No question.
00:23:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
So maybe, like a lot of goalkeepers, He flourishes when he gets into his sort early mid-30s. So we'll be keeping an eye on him.
00:23:45
Ken Davies
Yeah, it's good age for keepers. Good age for keepers.
00:23:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Then we're going to move on to the ah top of the pitch um and a very good player, actually. And that's Yazan Al-Nemhat. And he is a 26-year-old. He's an attacking midfielder or a striker. So he can play up top or just in behind. He scored eight goals in 16 qualifiers, which is good.
00:24:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Plays in the Qatar Stars League, which... is the Qatar Stars League, which is in Qatar and it's full of stars. His movement and finishing are are the thing that...
00:24:16
Ken Davies
This is the kind of analysis that people tune in for, isn't it, really?
00:24:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
the
00:24:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
well
00:24:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
clomo
00:24:21
Ken Davies
I mean, you're not going to get that anywhere else.
00:24:23
Ken Davies
They're not going to work that out for themselves, are they?
00:24:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't think so. I don't think so. Well, what do you want me say about the Qatar Stars League? I mean, I could talk about my local five-a-side league if you want.
00:24:34
Ken Davies
Move on.
00:24:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
It wouldn't be far away. His movement and finishing are what he's all about. That's that's the important part. He provides that little, you know, in the middle of the pitch, we've just got that player buzzing around making stuff happen. That's kind of his his his role in the team.
00:24:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
and He's got his joint top of six assists during the qualification campaign, ah which which is impressive. And um yeah, 23 goals fit in his 57 games, which is not bad.
00:25:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, look you've got to look at the some of the quality the opposition they play when you when you roll out these stats.
00:25:07
Ken Davies
Yes, you do.
00:25:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because you could say, he scored a goal every other game.
00:25:08
Ken Davies
Yes, you
00:25:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Brilliant when you're playing for Jordan against whoever that team was.
00:25:14
Ken Davies
do. So, Kikistan.
00:25:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah. But if you're not so impressive, but if you're playing for Brazil and score a goal on every other game or you're Argentina, when you're playing top-level opposition, that's a lot more impressive. But you can only do what you can do, mate, and you can only beat the teams you're up against.
00:25:24
Ken Davies
I agree.
00:25:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, you know, well done, one to look out for.
00:25:27
Ken Davies
Correct.
00:25:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Next player is a very, very rare European-based player. In fact, when Moussa Al-Tamari signed for Rennes,
00:25:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
or actually, no, signed for Montpellier, ah first of all. He became the first ever Jordan football player to play in Europe.
00:25:51
Ken Davies
Why are we?
00:25:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he signed for Montpellier couple years ago. He's now playing at Rennes in the French First Division. So he has got quality and has got pedigree.
00:25:58
Ken Davies
Got pedigree.
00:25:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely, yeah. Yeah, absolutely. and So he signed for Rennes just in January this year. he scored seven goals during qualifying. Very much key figure in Jordan's run to the 2023 Asian Cup final that you were talking about a few minutes ago.
00:26:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah He's pacey, he's good with the ball at his feet, and and he's a playmaker. Now, I always like it, as you always know. When you always research these players, you always come across one of them who's referred to as the such-and-such Messi or the such-and-such of that particular region.
00:26:27
Ken Davies
Oh, yeah. which one Which one's this?
00:26:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Musa Altamari has that honour of being nicknamed the Jordanian Messi. So there we go.
00:26:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
What I'd like to do...
00:26:38
Ken Davies
We should find out with every team who that Messi is.
00:26:41
Ken Davies
We want to know the Messi, don't we, of every team for now.
00:26:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, we do. do every well Every week. every week um When we come to smaller nations, particularly. Obviously, if we're doing Argentina, the Argentinian Messi is Messi. But all these smaller nations have a kind of nickname of Messi.
00:26:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Somebody's Messi.
00:26:58
Ken Davies
do.
00:26:58
Ken Davies
Brazil don't have a Messi, do they?
00:27:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, no, no.
00:27:00
Ken Davies
they wouldn't they wouldn't and wouldn't They wouldn't go there.
00:27:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, no, they've got the Brazilian Neymar in their team.
00:27:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then we so when this all finishes, when we've done all the qualification teams, I want to get together an entire team of Messies from around the world and we should see who they are.
00:27:06
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:27:16
Ken Davies
Yeah. Yeah. Interesting who plays in goal because you can tie for seven.
00:27:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
We should see who they are. Yeah, it'd be rubbish at corners. ah
00:27:24
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:27:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
We could see, we could we could try and build a team of of Messies from around the world.
00:27:29
Ken Davies
There's a whole host of things we're going to do at the end of this.
00:27:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
And
00:27:31
Ken Davies
We've got and the World Cup of National Anthems. We've got we've got ah rivalries that don't really exist, which I love. And now we've got the team of Messi's. It's brilliant.
00:27:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
um So Musa Altamari will be in that because he is the Jordanian Messi. So 77 caps for the national country, 22 goals during that time. And he is actually considered to be one of the greatest ever players for Jordan. He's got kind of that mantle that he's ah he's a bit of a national legend.
00:27:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
So we'll be looking out for him next year for sure. Ali Olwan is 25 and he is Jordan's key attacking threat. He was a top scorer in the third round of the World Cup qualifiers, scoring nine goals in 13 games, including Hatrick in the crucial 3-0 win under a month.
00:28:11
Ken Davies
Yeah, Gatoman. Quite a hat-trick, by the way.
00:28:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:28:14
Ken Davies
I've seen the seen highlights. He's good player.
00:28:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah. No, he is a good player. He is a good player. That's what I You look at these players and it's very easy for us to sneer at them. And to be honest, our our you know we like to sneer at people because that's what we do. We like to take the mickey.
00:28:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's just the way we do it. But actually, they are very, very good players.
00:28:28
Ken Davies
Speak for yourself.
00:28:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, I'm speaking for you as well. ah So he he played for Selangor in the Malaysian Super League last year, but he's currently a free agent. So, mate, if Wrexham are looking for a striker, he's strong in the box.
00:28:41
Ken Davies
We are?
00:28:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's clearly won a goal. And he's Jordan's biggest attacking threat. So get on a blower. Get on a blower.
00:28:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Get down the cast rate for next season.
00:28:47
Ken Davies
away?
00:28:50
Ken Davies
Okay.
00:28:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
And finally then, Mahmoud Almadi, who's 31. So he's the oldest kind of player in my list. What I like about the list that I've got is that they're all kind of prime age players. So 26, 28, 25. Three players I've just gone through. I like all that. Mahmoud Almadi's 31. He's a winger.
00:29:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
He is their most potent creative threat ah in terms of that wing play. So they like to get the ball out to him. He plays in the joe Jordanian Pro League for Al Hussein. He played for 23... Interesting about this guy, he's played for 23 clubs in the last 11 years.
00:29:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
He don't put down roots. Yeah, he don't put down roots, does he? He's represented 23 clubs in the last 11 years. Impressive. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:29:21
Ken Davies
twenty three
00:29:30
Ken Davies
he like He's a Bedouin. He just kind of just moves around from one to another with his camel.
00:29:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
He does. who Yes. And you said that you don't take the mickey out of players.
00:29:39
Ken Davies
Oh, God, I just did.
00:29:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Right, 20... Yeah, in the World Cup qualification, he's created 26 chances, which is way more than anybody else. way more, and he's joined to an assist. So he is their creative, one of their key creative attacking threats so in ah you know in in those wide areas. But he doesn't score many goals. He's only scored six in 49 caps.
00:29:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I think what you're looking at there, you're looking at Almaty, they'll get the ball out you know ball out wide to him. ah You've got um Al Neymar, who will sit in behind as an attacking midfielder ah to create that kind of creativity in the middle of the pitch.
00:30:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
You've got Al Tamari, who's a winger on the other side. You've got Olwan, who can score goals up to top. So If they're going to do anything in next year's World Cup, I do think they've got an attacking threat. If they can keep balls out the other end of the you know out of the goal, they've got they've got capability at the top end of the pitch.
00:30:27
Ken Davies
Very interesting.
Jordan's Team Strategy and Potential
00:30:29
Ken Davies
interesting Interesting deep dive into players from Jordan that we now, we know we feel close to now.
00:30:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
I feel proud of that, to be honest with you, because I did a lot of research into these players in the battle.
00:30:38
Ken Davies
Yes, it's your best work, mate. It's your best work, yeah.
00:30:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I had to watch them play and had to sort of get a sense of what to what they're all about. So, yeah, there are five players, people, who we'll keep a good eye for next year's World Cup. Question is, Kenny, how are they going to how are they going to line up
00:30:54
Ken Davies
Well, interesting, because this is one of the more interesting aspects, I think, of of Jordan, is that they always, ah the manager, Jamal Salami, I wish I could think of a Salami joke, but i can't. just just so So I have to think about that while I'm doing this.
00:31:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, not unless you want to rate this explicit and move from family show to 18 show.
00:31:09
Ken Davies
manager...
00:31:14
Ken Davies
No, no, no, no, no. There must be loads of clean jokes about Salami. Anyway, Jamal Salami is ah is very rigid in his setup. He always plays the same system, which is an interesting system because it's one we've not come across before.
00:31:30
Ken Davies
A 3-4-3.
00:31:33
Ken Davies
So ah Abu Layla, as you say, at the back in goal. Naseeb, Al Arab Abane, Al Bade, should say, in the three ah three across the the back.
00:31:45
Ken Davies
Asaf, Al Razdan, Sade, he's a smooth operator. And Abu Taha, and Al Wan, Al Naimat and Al Tamari.
00:31:59
Ken Davies
up front. And so he's got these this these three very capable goal scorers front. He's got three at the back, absolutely centred around Arab, who's the He's the mainstay centre-half.
00:32:10
Ken Davies
And he's got this four across midfield. Interesting set-up. He played it against Iraq when they lost 1-0 in the most recent recent game on 10th of June. Played it against Oman when they won 3-0. We mentioned ah Ali Alwan. Got his hat-trick there. 3-4-3 again.
00:32:29
Ken Davies
Going back in time, ah when they played South Korea in the qualifiers, that would have been their best team. They played the 3-4-3, and he's exactly the same, pretty much the same setup, pretty much the same players. He sticks with the same players.
00:32:43
Ken Davies
He sticks to the same formation. So I think one of the things we're going to get is a very settled team. We're going to get a team that knows their role, which I think, given limited resources, is a pretty sensible strategy.
00:32:59
Ken Davies
ah So 3-4-3, same players, and we can all get used to watching them game after game, I think.
00:33:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think it doesn't do well to start mucking around with formations if you're if you're if you're a nation of this size with the players that you've got. Find something that works for you.
00:33:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Three up top, I like that. um You know, support from the wide areas in the four-man midfield.
00:33:19
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:33:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Sounds good. Sounds good. iss so I like a manager who plays to his strengths.
00:33:26
Ken Davies
Yeah, I think he does.
00:33:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, like a manager.
00:33:27
Ken Davies
And he's been there a long time. knows players very well. And I think he knows his formation very well.
00:33:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:33:31
Ken Davies
And I think that's going to give him a little bit of a chance. But we're going to come to that shortly.
00:33:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, for sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Anyway, I've got good news about Salami because he he hasn't been well recently. He's been he's been in hospital, but he's better now because he's cured.
00:33:45
Ken Davies
Oh, my word. Oh, my word.
00:33:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
very much. Salami on the sound pad there. It wasn't working.
00:33:52
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:33:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Anyway, right, come on, mate. Do you want do a quick ad? And then we're going to get into a quick discussion about whether teams like Jordan add anything to World Cups.
00:33:59
Ken Davies
yeah
00:34:04
Ken Davies
I will. And Global Sports Podcast Network is partnering with Bionique, the world's most personalized supplements because your body is unique. Because without knowing what your deficiencies are, if you're taking off-the-shelf supplements, you might be taking too much of what you don't need. You might not be getting enough of what you do need.
00:34:21
Ken Davies
So... By Nick provides 100% tailor-made supplements designed to deliver exactly what your body needs, exactly right levels, help optimize your health. So there's no guessing.
00:34:33
Ken Davies
So check the link in the show notes, use the code GSPN2025, you get a 40% discount on your first order. So what are you waiting for? Nick is checking out, looking out the window, seeing if the postman's been yet.
00:34:46
Ken Davies
Has the postman been yet? I
00:34:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
He wasn't, but thought someone was going to come and deliver something to my door. ah So fortunately not. Right. Okay. Good. Now, James from Boston. Thank you very much indeed for your letter of three weeks ago. Apologies for the delay. It's been so busy on this podcast is so busy. There's so much cramming.
00:35:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
We haven't yet got around to discussing it, but we're going to do it right here, right now, because it's very relevant to today's team that we're talking about.
00:35:02
Ken Davies
Thank you.
00:35:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
and James from Boston wrote in say, look, Do teams, the expanded World Cup, what's the
Debating World Cup Expansion
00:35:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
point of it? Do teams like Jordan and we did Uzbekistan a couple of weeks ago and had a look at them, do these minnow nations who have never qualified for a World Cup, who were never likely to qualify for a World Cup under the traditional format, but now that it's expanded, they've given a chance, do they actually add anything to the World Cup?
00:35:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Are they going to turn up, just get trounced and go home again and everybody just forgets about it till till next time? What's your view on this, Ken?
00:35:38
Ken Davies
Well, my view is they do add something to World Cup. I like watching the Minos play. I get quite excited for for the Minos. I love an underdog story.
00:35:53
Ken Davies
And most of the Minos are going to be playing at the World Cup, obviously, are going to be underdogs. But let's think about it a different way. Football, soccer, biggest sport in the world. This is its biggest stage.
00:36:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:36:07
Ken Davies
And I think it's reasonable that the top 23%, not even 25%, the top 23%, 48 out of get to play on the biggest stage. I don't think that's unreasonable. If 50% were playing, that would be something else. But 23% of the top teams, the top 23% play in the World Cup. I think that's okay.
00:36:29
Ken Davies
I think it acts as an incentive for players and for teams to improve. There's a chance. There is a chance. The dream can come true for any nation.
00:36:41
Ken Davies
And we talked about it earlier in in in this podcast series. New Caledonia are in the playoffs. They're one step away from the World Cup. I mean, if that's not an incentive to dream for footballers all around the world...
00:36:57
Ken Davies
I don't know what is. And we've seen how teams ebb and flow in the rankings. And there's, you know, that 35 to 60 level, teams come and go and come and go and come from 120th into that and then drift away again.
00:37:11
Ken Davies
I think the idea of giving teams a chance to participate is is a great one. It's a thoroughly ah positive one in the sense of, I think before it was a closed shop, it was just the teams that always played.
00:37:27
Ken Davies
And I love the idea of giving other teams that wouldn't normally have played in the World Cup the chance to experience that. So, I'm very keen on it. I think FIFA have got this about right.
00:37:38
Ken Davies
I'm not sure about the 64 teams in 2030. I think that's a step too far. But I'm very, very comfortable with 48 teams. So welcome, Jordan. We're going to roll out the red carpet for you.
00:37:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, I think that's a very persuasive argument. Absolutely. couldn't fault any of that in terms of stating the case.
00:37:59
Ken Davies
Bless
00:38:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah My concern, as it always was with these things, the that you are watering down what is the you know an absolutely elite competition of the best clubs in the world. And particularly if they're going to go further and add more teams in, when is this going to end?
00:38:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, when when are you just just going to have every single, you're just going to have no qualification and just have every single team in the World Cup who's ever kicked a ah football?
00:38:16
Ken Davies
Thank you.
00:38:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think the World Cup is the absolute pinnacle of international football and should be played with the best teams in the world because it is the global showcase. so they Then you might want to add in a kind of second tier World Cup for teams like Jordan to give them a chance of actually winning anything. But the reality is they're going to go to the the USA.
00:38:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
they go to Mexico and Canada, they're going to find it incredibly difficult. And yes, they'll be participating. But what does participating mean if you're not going to go and try and win something? And people want to watch the best teams in the world.
00:38:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
okay They want to watch the the elite football players who are absolutely top of their game. And I'm concerned that, and this is nothing this is not ah not not nothing about jordan Jordan per se, but the teams that are ah really the minnows, as you as you as you call them, Ken,
00:39:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
are they just watering down and making up the numbers? And and therefore, what is the point? You know, if you've got no chance of winning competitions, kind of what's the point of entering And that's my worry. that My worry is that they're going to go and and not not specifically Jordan, but teams are going to go. They're just going to get tanked. Everybody's going to take the mickey out of them, particularly you.
00:39:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah And they're not goingnna're're not going to really, they'll say, yeah, we had a nice time, but they're going to go back there with sort of heads, not in shame, but heads hanging a little bit. ah No goals, no wins.
00:39:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
um and That's enough about Scotland anyway. ah But you you know what I mean? You know what I mean?
00:39:48
Ken Davies
Thank you.
00:39:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
I just feel that 32 was a good number. And I'm not quite sure that the expanded competition is going to allow the team. And you're quite right. It's all about inclusivity. It's about representation. It's about aspiration and all that. I think I don't disagree with any of that.
00:40:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I wonder if FIFA can do something else to give these nations a profile that they deserve and that aspirational quality that doesn't water down the biggest football global competition.
00:40:21
Ken Davies
Yeah, it's tricky one. I like the idea, though, of these players. When I've watched World Cups in the past, even when it's 32, even when it was 2014, and you always get players from teams you don't expect emerging and players like in the shop window.
00:40:35
Ken Davies
And it's just great, isn't it, jim you imagine, you know, Altamari at Rennes or probably not even Altamari, someone like Abu Leila in goal, who somebody looks at, some Italian team or Spanish team or Belgian team or...
00:40:49
Ken Davies
Wrexham look at and say, he's a decent keeper. this but let's Let's open the doors to him. I think from a player's perspective, it's a fantastic shop window for them to show their skills.
00:41:02
Ken Davies
And I love the idea of of these these players from these slightly less ah famous teams ah being able to do that. So I'm keen on it.
00:41:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, well, we'd like to hear your view, as always, so do drop us a line on this. It's always a it's always a contentious issue, I suppose. ah But so let us know. Let us know. Road to the World Cup, Tony.
00:41:25
Ken Davies
You know the competition I would love to see?
00:41:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
it.
00:41:27
Ken Davies
The competition I'd love to see is the 48 worst teams in the World Cup. I would pay proper money to watch to take the 48 worst teams and say, right, go and sort it out for yourselves.
00:41:40
Ken Davies
So you're the best of the worst 48.
00:41:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
so So rankings 200. So it's in startling.
00:41:45
Ken Davies
Yeah, against New Caledonia. Yeah. British Virgin Islands against Guam. Yeah, all over that.
00:41:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
You've got something about a game you like that. though You love games like that. You love games like that.
00:41:59
Ken Davies
Love games like that. Love games like that.
00:42:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
You'll be the only um the only one there. You can choose your seat, mate. ah
00:42:04
Ken Davies
Great.
00:42:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Maybe so. Maybe so. Let us know. Let us know. How do people get in touch with us, Ken? Is it roadtoworldcup26 at gmail.com is our email, isn't it
00:42:12
Ken Davies
It's something like that. Yeah.
00:42:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
And you should know these things. ah Certainly...
00:42:16
Ken Davies
Yeah, I do.
00:42:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, go on.
00:42:18
Ken Davies
So let me do it properly. Let me do it properly.
00:42:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, go on.
00:42:20
Ken Davies
I hope you're enjoying the Road to World Cup 26 podcast. We're enjoying bringing it to you. So please subscribe, leave a review, share the podcast. We want to hear your thoughts about the whole World Cup qualifying process, about all the teams, about your opinions, ah about our opinions. So...
00:42:37
Ken Davies
The best way to do that is send us an email. The email address road2worldcup26 at gmail.com. Couldn't be easier.
00:42:48
Ken Davies
We want to hear from you.
00:43:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's everybody's favorite time of the week because it is now time for Kenny's Quiz.
Jordan Quiz and Surprising Outcomes
00:43:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
How are you feeling about this week, Tim?
00:43:11
Ken Davies
I'm not positive, not confident, slightly nervous. I've not done any homework. I've no idea about anything in relation to Jordan. I'm just going to be guessing, quite frankly.
00:43:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
To be honest, I've had to make these questions really easy because I i looked at about four or five quizzes on Jordan in order to prep for this and to to set you what what I hoped would be an achievable task.
00:43:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah they were impossible. they like They were just really, really random questions. You just think there's no, literally no point. So i've tried to I've tried to make this the easiest quiz of the entire podcast series to date in order to give you a chance.
00:43:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I would be surprised i'll be surprised if you didn't get at least one of these three questions right.
00:43:52
Ken Davies
Okay.
00:43:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:43:56
Ken Davies
Right, let's do it.
00:43:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's Have you got your pipe?
00:43:59
Ken Davies
I'm ready. Oh, hang on minute.
00:43:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Have you got your pipe?
00:44:01
Ken Davies
I've got it now. The thinking pipe.
00:44:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, thinking pipe, because it always helps you. ah Right.
00:44:06
Ken Davies
Is
00:44:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
course, Jordan is famous for ah being on the Dead Sea. Why is the Dead Sea called the Dead Sea?
00:44:16
Ken Davies
is it because...
00:44:20
Ken Davies
Is it about its salinity? Is it about the fact that it is such a saline aquatic environment? I sound like David Atman now.
00:44:32
Ken Davies
ah That it is impossible for normal aquatic life to thrive.
00:44:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely right, Ken.
00:44:42
Ken Davies
Wow. Wow.
00:44:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely right.
00:44:43
Ken Davies
Thank
00:44:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Congratulations. and It's called the Dead Sea because no major life forms can survive in it because it has an exceptionally high salinity, around 10 times that of regular seawater.
00:44:46
Ken Davies
um
00:44:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
So as a result, only very small amounts of specialized bacteria can survive in the Dead Sea.
00:44:57
Ken Davies
Wow.
00:45:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
that's why it's called the Dead Sea.
00:45:02
Ken Davies
Wow. Wow. Well, I'm flabbergasted.
00:45:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Very good.
00:45:07
Ken Davies
This pipe works.
00:45:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's One out of one. ah jordan ah ah Jordan achieved its independence. We were talking about the national anthem a little bit early on, weren't we? That national anthem was written in 1946 when Jordan became independent and became an independent nation.
00:45:20
Ken Davies
Hmm.
00:45:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
and My question to you, question two, is from whom did it gain independence?
00:45:27
Ken Davies
Jordan? I've got a sneak in for fear feeling. It was us. ah Because I don't think Jordan was 46 after the Second World War.
00:45:41
Ken Davies
It wouldn't have been Turkey by then. So I'm saying from the British Empire.
00:45:55
Ken Davies
Oh my word.
00:45:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Correct. Two out of two, mate.
00:45:57
Ken Davies
Wow.
00:45:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
the The United Kingdom. Yeah, yeah.
00:46:00
Ken Davies
Jordan's rapidly become my favourite World Cup country. It's unreal.
00:46:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
This is unbelievable. For a hat trick.
00:46:07
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:46:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
For a hat trick.
00:46:07
Ken Davies
yeah Just like Ali Osman.
00:46:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah To be...
00:46:11
Ken Davies
Ali Olwen.
00:46:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
to be yeah Yeah, Ali Osmond is not playing today.
00:46:18
Ken Davies
No. He's placed Turkey.
00:46:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
To be as good as Ali Olwen and Skorahatrick, can you, to the nearest million, tell me what Jordan's population is?
00:46:28
Ken Davies
Yeah, and then I know the part, B or B, and can you name them? i know and I know that question. ah So to the nearest million, how many people live in Jordan? ah Yeah, don't, don't, don't.
00:46:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
I was going to do i was goingnna do a a my usual borders type question. But no, that is quite it's quite tricky, actually.
00:46:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's almost like... Yeah, so I haven't done that one.
00:46:48
Ken Davies
Yeah, it's bordering on ridiculous.
00:46:51
Ken Davies
So anyway, right, so to the nearest million, surely to the nearest five million, um,
00:46:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
so i've gone to So I've gone down the road with Jordan's question.
00:46:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, okay. Everyone at home who's listening to this, shout this out. I hope you've got the first two questions right. If not, here's your chance so to pick a random number between naught and a million, and or billion.
00:47:08
Ken Davies
i
00:47:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, yeah, to the nearest million, what was Jordan's question?
00:47:09
Ken Davies
I can't imagine there'll be many. I can't imagine. I'm going to say 9 million people live in Jordan.
00:47:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're not far away. You're not far away. The answer is 11 and a half million people live in Jordan.
00:47:22
Ken Davies
I think that's incredible. I think I get half a point for that.
00:47:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. I was going to I was going to give, no, I was going to, don't think any, because I was going to give you 10, 11 or 12, but nine is not 10 or 11 and 12.
00:47:26
Ken Davies
In think I get 9 million points for that.
00:47:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
So that's a very a very good effort, mate.
00:47:35
Ken Davies
No, it isn't. No, it isn't. don't Thank you.
00:47:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Very good effort. That's your, that was arguably your best Kenny's quiz you've ever done.
00:47:46
Ken Davies
I think it was. I feel quite surprisingly, the questions weren't the hardest, but they weren't the easiest.
00:47:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
well
00:47:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, no, but you know what?
00:47:53
Ken Davies
So... Yeah,
00:47:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
You either go fairly easy or completely impossible. There's no in-between with Jordan questions.
00:48:02
Ken Davies
have no...
00:48:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because I was looking, I write down of power wrote down about 10 questions for you for this, and I'm looking at most of them going, it's just ridiculous.
00:48:08
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:48:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
So there's no kind of in-between testing questions.
00:48:09
Ken Davies
Yeah. What's the national animal of Jordan?
00:48:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
By the
00:48:13
Ken Davies
ah The shrew.
00:48:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
way, what is the National Animal of Jordan?
00:48:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nearly. Try again.
00:48:22
Ken Davies
ah The camel.
00:48:25
Ken Davies
The polar bear. Penguin.
00:48:28
Ken Davies
The yeti.
00:48:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're getting... No, you're not even getting close. So national animal...
00:48:32
Ken Davies
and The beaver. even The beaver, the beaver.
00:48:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, it's not. The national animal of Jordan is the Arabian Oryx.
00:48:39
Ken Davies
obviously obviously that's everything
00:48:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
which is a little bit like a goat with really long horns. That's what an oryx is. I should have that in really, shouldn't I should have had that in. Right. Okay.
00:48:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
but Before we finish him.
00:48:49
Ken Davies
ah yeah that's
00:48:51
Ken Davies
know
00:48:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, nearly, nearly
Profile on Jamal Salami and Closing Remarks
00:48:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
before we finish. And before we get onto our predictions to how Jordan are going on in the world cup next year, a very quick look at their manager, Jamal Salami. 15, fifty so 53 year old Moroccan, former Moroccan international player, took over the manager's role in June 2024.
00:49:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's on a three year deal and he guided, li as we've as we've talked about, he's guided Jordan through a strong third round performance in qualification.
00:49:12
Ken Davies
Thank you.
00:49:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's done he's done well there, ah finishing second in Group B. His general... Interestingly, you talk about formation there, Ken, because it was 3-4-3. He generally likes to play a little bit like Lottnett and Forrest do in the in the Premier League.
00:49:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
He tends to not really want the ball. So he's very happy for the opposition to have the ball and he'll just suck them in and then hit them on a break. And he's all about transition. So I can imagine, thinking in a 4-3-4 formation, I can imagine that They'll get the ball deep, they'll go early, and you'll have your three front players, and they'll be supported by the two wide players.
00:49:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
So essentially you'll have a kind of five-man attack, if you like.
00:49:52
Ken Davies
wow
00:49:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think that's that's how they're going to play teams. I think they'll sit deep, they'll allow them to have the ball, and then they'll absolutely hit them on a break. That's what i that's kind of what I want them to... That's how think they're going to play. And by doing so, by having that kind of low block, I expect them to be quite hard to to break down because they have got, as we've discussed with the players, pace and power up top. They have got the the capability ah to to hurt you. Salami said last week that he developed a comprehensive strategy. So he's not going there just to make up the numbers.
00:50:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
His preparation strategy... ah includes going to Morocco. He's going to have a tour, a training camp in Morocco. He's going to play the top African sides to get them ready for for the World Cup.
00:50:31
Ken Davies
He's only going to Morocco because that's where he's from, let's be honest. And he just wants to...
00:50:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
he's just going for family holiday.
00:50:35
Ken Davies
He's got to know, isn't he, on the Georgia Football Association ticket.
00:50:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. He knows... Yeah. Yeah. yeah
00:50:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
But he knows that he knows the setup. And I quite like the idea that he's going to be playing some some tough some tough teams in the run-up to it. Because, you know, we always talk about England just playing so terrible teams and then arrive at the World Cup.
00:50:49
Ken Davies
Yeah. I'm
00:50:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
And not really, yeah, they're just not really prepared. They're not really prepared. So, fair play. They're not going there just to make up the numbers. They are taking this very, very seriously. And Salami has got as good a shot as any. So, fair play and good luck to him.
00:50:54
Ken Davies
and losing to him.
00:51:09
Ken Davies
Yeah, he was good player, but he always used to slice his shots.
00:51:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you very much. Right, final, to finish podcast mercifully, how do you think they're going to
00:51:17
Ken Davies
Thank you.
00:51:19
Ken Davies
drug
00:51:24
Ken Davies
Now, this is interesting one because the obvious thing to say is they're going to get eliminated in the group stages and I'm not going there.
00:51:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
get on, Ken?
00:51:30
Ken Davies
I'm not going there. because
00:51:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:51:32
Ken Davies
and And hear me out on this because I'm looking forward to seeing Jordan play because I think they've got an interesting setup. Now, I'm going to first say against better, more tactically flexible opposition, they're going to struggle, clearly, because somebody's going to work them out.
00:51:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
like
00:51:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that's a good question.
00:51:50
Ken Davies
And I think the better teams are going to work them out. But there are two things that I think really are in their favour.
00:51:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
many
00:51:57
Ken Davies
Firstly, I think they're going to adapt to the temperature better. I mean, they play football in Jordan. I mean, they are going to be used to playing in 32 degrees. So I like the fact that these these people are these people, the Jordanian football team, are probably slightly more acclimatised to the conditions than other teams are going to be.
00:52:16
Ken Davies
So I think we've got to put but that as as a ticking in the positive box. I think the second thing is I like the fact Then he's got stability in the team. He's got stability of players. He's got stability in the system.
00:52:28
Ken Davies
They know their system. And I think they're going to be able to execute that system well. So again, that's a tick in the positive box. So they clearly are one of the minnows.
00:52:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
They call it
00:52:37
Ken Davies
But I think they're one of the minnows that's going to get through the group stages.
00:52:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
like
00:52:41
Ken Davies
And I think they're going to be eliminated in round 32.
00:52:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
like
00:52:46
Ken Davies
But I think they're going to be able to go back to a man. That was a question I was hoping was going to come up. was the capital Jordan. With their heads held high.
00:52:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, that took me by surprise. That took me by surprise because that would be an exceptionally good performance if they managed to get out of the group stages.
00:53:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
That really would. ah I'm sadly not as optimistic, but neither no matter neither do I think they're just going to get tanked every game because I don't think the the setup and the fact they've got quite a decent front line...
00:53:05
Ken Davies
Yeah, he would.
00:53:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think it means is that they're going to get a chance. I can see them drawing a couple of games in the group stages are maybe finishing third in their group. I don't think it's going to be enough to get them through.
00:53:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
They're going to finish third or fourth.
00:53:34
Ken Davies
Some third places go through, you know.
00:53:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Some third teams go through. There are a lot of teams going to the World Cup, as we've discussed. And
00:53:38
Ken Davies
Some of the best third places go through.
00:53:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
to to to go through you're going to have to win games my concern is are they going to be able to keep the ball out of their own net that's my concern I think they're okay going forward, but my wife my worry is my worry is that the they're going to come up against you know reasonably good teams and they're just going to not have the capability to to either break them down concede goals.
00:53:58
Ken Davies
okay
00:54:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
It can sort nil-nil because they they they know that how they want to play, but they can't just quite do it because the level of teams they're playing up against is better. So I'm going to give them a puncher's chance, mate.
00:54:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm going to give puncher's chance, but I don't think they're going to get out of the group stages.
00:54:24
Ken Davies
Fair enough. I've made a note of that.
00:54:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
don't make job. if a
00:54:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
don't if I know
00:54:27
Ken Davies
I've got them going out round 32.
00:54:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
a don't I know job.
00:54:29
Ken Davies
You've got them out the group stages.
00:54:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
don't know if I job. know make
00:54:30
Ken Davies
Who would have thought it
00:54:33
Ken Davies
54 minutes, 33 seconds on Jordan.
00:54:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
don't
00:54:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
job. make
00:54:38
Ken Davies
And I said at the start of this, before we came on air, let's make this a 35-minute one.
00:54:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
if a don't make
00:54:41
Ken Davies
It's Jordan. It's Jordan.
00:54:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
I make make
00:54:44
Ken Davies
54 minutes, mate.
00:54:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
know make a job. know make don't make know I know don't know don't know if don't know don't know don't know if don't
00:54:52
Ken Davies
This is winning the Pulitzer Prize. this this is this is this This is our best work.
00:54:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nowhere else in the world, people out there listening to this, nowhere else in the world will you find a podcast that takes you through the entire Jordanian team um and gets you prepared for what Jordan can and can't offer at Next World. This is the only place.
00:55:11
Ken Davies
Jordan can offer a lot.
00:55:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
On that note, where are we going next week, Kenny? We're next week.
00:55:18
Ken Davies
Which I fancy Ecuador.
00:55:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, I'll see you in Ecuador that case.
00:55:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah So we'll have a look at Ecuador next week. they they've They've qualified extremely well out of Conmebol. And we'll have a look at their chances at the World Cup. Key managers, key players, all of the usual stuff. They'll be Kenny's quiz. They'll be World Cup news. So until then, thank you very much indeed for joining us. Have a great week and look after yourselves, look after each other, and we'll see you next time.
00:55:23
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:55:45
Ken Davies
See you soon.