Jordan champions of Asian Community Cup
20th January 2019
Abu Dhabi: A team of seven talented amateur and former professional football players from Jordan have been crowned the Asian Community Cup champions in a long-running grassroots competition that reached its conclusion on Saturday on the stunning pitches surrounding the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Captain Issam Abu Toq and his strong team overcame the Yemen team on penalties in a highly-competitive encounter that produced some sublime football to win the coveted trophy and behind-the-scenes VIP access to the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 final on February 1.
The action at the national stadium marked the culmination of four months of high-quality community football, which has seen 96 teams from 22 different Asian nations compete across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah in a tournament that mirrored the competition taking place in the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019.
An incredible 803 goals were scored over 195 exciting matches in the wide-scale initiative that connected people, cultures and nationalities through a shared love for the beautiful game.
Speaking on the sidelines following a nerve-wracking penalty shoot-out, Jordan captain Issam Abu Toq said: “It was great tournament, fantastic opportunity to participate with my team. Tournaments like these bring people together and we were able to meet a lot of talented players and I say this as a former professional player myself!”
Jordan team coach Abdulghani Hamad also reflected on the four-month competition: “We had a tough draw throughout the tournament, facing several strong teams such as Islamic Republic of Iran.
"Yet, the best part of the competition was spending time and interacting with different people and the quality of talent on display. As for the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019, I also think Jordan are favourites!”
Ibraheem from runners-up, Yemen, congratulated his Jordanian opponents following a gripping final, adding: “Both teams played very well. It was an excellent tournament and our team gave their best, but penalties are unpredictable. Football ultimately is the winner as it brings people together and that’s what happened here today.”
Source: the-afc.com