Soccer-Jordan coach proud of players despite early World Cup exit


Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group J - Jordan v Algeria - San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara, California, U.S. - June 22, 2026 Jordan coach Jamal Sellami before the match IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Darren Yamashita

SANTA CLARA, California, June ⁠22 (Reuters) - Jordan coach Jamal Sellami said his players' ⁠inexperience may have cost them in a 2-1 defeat ‌by Algeria at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on Monday, but he was proud of their World Cup campaign despite their early exit.

• ​Jordan bow out of their first ⁠World Cup after consecutive defeats ⁠in Group J. They lost 3-1 to Austria in their ⁠opener.

• "The ‌Algerian team did some substitutions that might have made a difference. They had a very tall ⁠offensive player ... I think our lack of experience ​allowed them ‌to score from two corner kicks when we were ⁠waiting to ​make our own substitutions with the cooling break."

• "Generally speaking, we had a great match, and we should be proud of our ⁠performance. Very first experience in the ​World Cup, we were better than the first match."

• "Now for us facing Argentina is an opportunity. It's an opportunity for ⁠us to perform well and leave a great mark worthy of Jordanian football."

• Sellami, who is Moroccan, said Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein had visited the players' dressing room after ​the match and offered them congratulations. "Whenever you ⁠lose, there is always a negative feeling you're not in ​the best state of mind as ‌the players that they have ​shown, but his words were a tonic for their spirit."

(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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