AMMAN — Saleh Al Shehri showcased his scoring prowess, netting twice as Saudi Arabia secured a 2-0 victory against Jordan in Group G of the Preliminary Joint Qualification — Round 2 for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 on Tuesday. The triumph maintains Saudi Arabia's flawless record, while Jordan finds themselves in the third spot with just a single point after two matches. Jordan attempted to make an early impact with Mousa Tamari nearly breaking through in the first minute thanks to Nizar Al Rashdan's clever pass. However, Noor Al Rawabdeh's angled shot was blocked moments later. Saudi Arabia posed a threat, with Abdullah Radif narrowly missing a header after Abbas Al Hassan's well-placed cross into the area. Their breakthrough came in spectacular fashion as Al Shehri leapt highest to convert Abbas Al Hassan's weighted pass from a set-piece in the eighth minute. Despite Jordan's efforts to level the playing field, Nizar Al Rashdan failed to find a way through in the 12th minute, and Tamari's close-range effort was saved by Saudi Arabia's keeper Mohammed Alowais. In the 20th minute, Jordan squandered another opportunity when Tamari broke free, crossing for Abdallah Nasib, but the Al Hussein defender missed from inside the box. The missed chances haunted Jordan as Saudi Arabia doubled their lead at the half-hour mark, with Al Shehri scoring from Ali Abdullah Hazzazi's set-up inside the area. Jordan narrowly escaped further damage when Abbas Al Hassan hit the bar five minutes before halftime, leaving Saudi Arabia with a 2-0 lead heading into the break. Jordan resumed in the second half with the same intensity, but Al Rashdan's attempt in the 54th minute couldn't find the mark. Frustration continued for Jordan with misses from Mahmoud Al Mardi in the 74th minute and Tamari in the 80th minute as Saudi Arabia secured the full points. Looking ahead, Saudi Arabia will face Tajikistan when the qualifiers resume in March, while Jordan is set to play Pakistan away.
