• The national team began its training on the evening of Friday, November 7

The technical staff of the U-23 national team, led by coach Omar Najhi, announced a preliminary squad of 25 players to enter an intensive training camp in the capital, Amman.

This camp comes as part of the final preparations for the team ahead of the 2026 AFC U-23 Championship, which will be held in Saudi Arabia at the beginning of January next year.

During the current gathering, the national team will play two friendly matches against the Syrian national team, scheduled for the 13th and 18th of this month in Amman, serving as a true test of the players’ levels and an opportunity to implement tactical plans before entering the competitive atmosphere of the continental tournament.

Young stars in Najhi’s squad

The squad selected by coach Omar Najhi includes a group of young talents that the Jordan Football Association relies on to represent the “Olympic Nashama” in upcoming competitions. The 25-player list is as follows: Murad Al-Falouji, Abdul Rahman Suleiman, Salama Al-Salman, Arafat Al-Haj, Jaafar Samara, Ahmed Ayman, Mohammad Al-Shatti, Adnan Nofal, Saleh Freij, Mohammad Taha, Anas Al-Khub, Ahmed Al-Maghribi, Abdullah Al-Munees, Mohammad Kahlan, Hashem Al-Mubaydeen, Saif Suleiman, Youssef Qasha, Ayham Al-Samammra, Moamen Al-Saket, Amin Al-Shanaineh, Omar Khader, Abdulrahman Al-Zghaybeh, Mahmoud Dheeb, Abdulrahman Jarwan, Khaldoun Sabra.

The team began its training on the evening of Friday, November 7, with a number of players participating, and the squad will be completed gradually over the coming days, especially after the round of 16 matches of the Jordan Cup conclude, allowing players committed to their clubs to join the camp immediately.

Group stage and Asian challenge

The AFC U-23 Championship serves as a qualifying gateway for the Olympic Games, increasing the importance of these competitions. The tournament draw placed the national team in the tough Group A alongside:

• Saudi Arabia (host)

• Vietnam

• Kyrgyzstan

The national team will begin its campaign in the tournament, which takes place from January 6 to 25 next year, against Vietnam. This will be followed by a strong match against Saudi Arabia, and the group stage will conclude with a match against Kyrgyzstan.

According to the tournament format, the 16 participating teams are divided into four groups, competing in a single round-robin system, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarterfinals.