Baddou Zaki backs Jordan’s “golden generation”

Baddou Zaki is backing Jordan’s “golden generation”. In an interview with FIFA, the coach said he believes in the squad’s resources and its ability to keep improving, following the successes of recent years. He sees those results as the product of collective work and the emergence of a promising generation of players.

Zaki described taking charge of Jordan as “a new chapter and a new challenge” in his career. “I feel great enthusiasm about this responsibility, especially as I am taking charge of a team that has achieved historic successes in recent years, participating in the World Cup and reaching the final of the Arab Cup and the Asian Cup,” he said.

The coach believes the progress of Jordanian football is reflected in the national team’s level and results, as well as in rising expectations. He said he was proud to coach Jordan and identified the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia as the immediate target: the aim, he explained, is to build on the work already done and perform well in upcoming competitions.

Zaki sees several factors behind that progress. He pointed to the overall development of football in Jordan, improved infrastructure, the growth in the number of academies, a wider pool of players for national teams and greater attention to youth competitions. He also highlighted the institutional work of the Federation, saying it had contributed to development and helped boost results and competitiveness.

The coach also stressed his familiarity with the team. He said he had followed Jordan’s national side for a long time, watching its campaigns in the Asian Cup and Arab Cup, as well as its qualification for the World Cup. “I therefore have a good understanding of the players’ technical, tactical and individual abilities, and I appreciate how much the team has developed,” he said.

Zaki described Jordan’s first World Cup appearance as a campaign that was “successful and honourable in every respect”. The group included reigning champions Argentina, Austria and Algeria. He said the experience had allowed the team to show its character and ability to compete. Beyond results, he added, measuring themselves against the leading football schools offers experience that can benefit the team’s future.

On shaping the squad, Zaki said changes to the list involved nine players while preserving the team’s core. He cited technical and physical availability, the team’s needs and the next stage among the selection criteria, alongside a desire to maintain stability and give opportunities to players capable of adding something. He added that the staff was assessing every player’s availability and weighing its options, while aiming to preserve the team’s identity and assemble a balanced squad.

The door remains open, he said: no player is ruled out in advance. Performance, availability and the ability to serve the team will guide the choices, with the aim of going into the Asian Cup with as many ready options as possible.

Zaki, however, does not want to make the 2030 World Cup a subject of discussion just yet. “It is too early to talk about the 2030 World Cup. Our focus is currently on the competitions coming up in the near future, particularly the 2027 Asian Cup,” he said. He believes Jordan has significant resources and greater experience at continental and international level, but stressed that regular World Cup qualification requires continuity and long-term work. Seeing Jordan at the 2030 tournament would be “wonderful”, he said, especially since Morocco, his country, will host the competition. For now, he insists, the focus must remain on the work ahead and moving forward step by step.