2026 World Cup: Algeria comes from behind to beat Jordan 2-1, keeping qualification hopes alive

2026 World Cup Key News

Taipei, June 23 (CNA) In a crucial 2026 World Cup qualifier today in Group J, Algeria showed remarkable resilience, scoring twice from corner kicks in the second half to defeat Jordan 2-1. This victory marks their first of the tournament and keeps their hopes of advancing to the Round of 32 alive.

After the first two rounds of Group J qualifiers, Argentina leads with a 2-0 record and has already secured a spot in the Round of 32. Austria and Algeria both have a 1-1 record, but Austria holds the advantage in goal difference and sits in second place, with Algeria in third. Jordan, having lost two consecutive matches, is in fourth place.

Algeria's final match will be against Austria. The winner of this match will secure the second spot in the group and advance directly to the Round of 32.

This is Algeria's fifth appearance in the World Cup finals. Despite dominating possession in the first half today, they struggled to break down Jordan's defense and were vulnerable to counter-attacks.

Jordan, making their World Cup debut, launched an attack in the 36th minute. Mohannad Abu Taha crossed from the left wing, and Mousa Tamari's shot in the box was mishakenly not hit cleanly. Fortunately, the ball rolled to teammate Nizar Al-Rashdan, who calmly slotted it into the net to open the scoring.

Entering the second half, Algeria finally found their opportunity. In the 69th minute, during a corner kick, Jordan's goalkeeper initially moved to intercept but hesitated and retreated to the goal line. Nadhir Benbouali of Algeria seized the chance, heading the ball into the net to equalize.

In the 82nd minute, Algeria's attack resumed, again from a corner kick. This time, Ramy Bensebaini's header was partially affected, but teammate Amine Gouiri followed up with a rebound shot in the box, once again breaching Jordan's defense. This goal proved to be the winner, securing a 2-1 comeback victory over Jordan.

Jordan, who qualified for this World Cup thanks to an expanded format, scored their second-ever World Cup goal today. However, with this loss, they have been eliminated from the tournament. (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150623)

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