AFC – Coach Adnan Hamad believes Sunday's 1-0 win over Iran will not only revive Jordan's 2011 AFC Asian Cup hopes but will also be the “turning point for Jordanian football.”

Amer Deeb scored the only goal with 11 minutes remaining at King Abdullah International Stadium as Jordan claimed a first win in Group E to leave the battle for qualification wide open.

Despite suffering a first defeat of the campaign Iran remain at the top of the table with seven points, but Singapore, Thailand and Jordan are now separated by just two points with just two games remaining after Hamad's side improved to four points although they still remain at the foot of the table.

"I guess this win is important for the national team and we will get a lot of benefits from this victory,” he said.

"The win is a turning point for Jordanian football in general after the results that it has had in the recent years.

“The players played very well at the top of their game and showed great tactical discipline.

"We claimed the three points, but the most important triumph we had is that the fans returned to support us and this support gave us a lot of power and put pressure on our opponents.

"The road is still long in the qualifiers and we must build the team into a better shape and prepare well for the coming games.

“I would like to thank everyone for their support and we want more support because we still have a lot to improve."

Iran coach Afshin Ghotbi knows his side now face a battle to qualify for the finals in Qatar after they struggled in the absence of Spain-based duo Javad Nekounam and Masoud Shojaei.

Nekounam headed home Teymourian's cross with 18 minutes remaining as Iran claimed a second win of the campaign with a 1-0 victory over Jordan last weekend but had to return to Osasuna after the win in Tehran.

"I congratulate Jordan for this win, but we definitely missed Shojaei and Nekounam,” said Ghotbi.

“This win will now mix everything in the group as all the teams are close.

"We want the finish top of the group and we must learn a lot from the defeat. Jordan won because they had nothing to lose and they put in a lot of effort.

"The Jordanian players produced a great performance and if they continue this way they will definitely strengthen their chances of qualifying."

Top