RIYADH: º£½ÇÖ±²¥ suffered their first defeat in nearly 13 years in home World Cup qualifiers after losing to Jordan in Riyadh on Tuesday.
The Green Falcons finished second in Group G but still went through to the next round of qualifiers for the upcoming World and Asian cups. Jordan topped the group with 13 points, exactly the same as º£½ÇÖ±²¥, but had a superior goal difference.
Persistent pressure from the home side created the chance for Ali Lajami to open the scoring for the Green Falcons in the 16th minute with a right-footed shot from the center of the box. The visitors hit back in the 27th minute after Ali Olwan’s close-range header into the bottom right corner finished a rapid counter-attack.
Noor Al-Rawabdeh’s powerful shot from outside the box before halftime was enough for Jordan to secure the victory at Al-Awwal Park. The Green Falcons' second-half pressure could not break through a determined Jordanian defense.
The Jordanians completed their revenge after losing to the Green Falcons 2-0 in the first leg in November.
