Jordan's Gohary: “We can stand Iran test”

For the 66-year-old Egyptian football legend with nearly 40 years of coaching experience, it is his duty to pass these principles on to his youthful squad.

A believer in fitness and discipline through hard training sessions and strict management, coach Gohary got Jordan off to a dream start when he took charge in 2002. In September of his first year in charge, Jordan finished second behind Iraq in the prestigious WAFF Championship. And just 13 months on, he guided Jordan to their first-ever berth at the Asian Cup.

They reached the finals in China this summer after finishing second on goal difference to Iran, but they were hardly out-muscled by their more illustrious rivals. In Golary's two-year tenure, Jordan have won three of four meetings with undisputed regional powers Iran.

Despite this numerical superiority, Gohary feels the second-leg of the FIFA World Cup qualifying clash with Iran on 8 September at home in Amman will prove decisive for both sides. “It is expected to be a ferocious battle as Iran have no option but to win,” The boss told FIFAworldcup.com, revealing small bits of his master plan.

Practice makes perfect
With over two months to go before the match, Gohary is already busy preparing his team. For him, only good preparation produces success.

“Before our last match with Iran, we traveled to Algeria for a training camp in early June. The team worked hard and gained good experience from a 1-1 friendly draw with Algeria. More importantly, the friendly proved that they had the necessary fitness to battle for a high-tempo 90 minutes.”

On the other hand, he felt proper tactics also played a part in the win. “Against powerful Iran, we decided to play defensive football and hit out on the counter-attack. I was happy that my players did very well with this plan and showed the confidence to win it late.”

Now topping Group One with nine points from three matches, it looks likely that one point against Iran would be enough to see Jordan advance to the final qualifying stage as top finishers. “Should we make it against Iran, then we will play against Laos on 13 October and Qatar on 17 November. There would only be minor problems for us later on.”

With the 1-0 victory over Iran still fresh in their minds, Gohary, who guided Egypt at Italia 1990, knows well no FIFA World Cup qualifier will be easy. “We may have some advantage for the next match (with Iran) as we now lead the group by three points, and we will host them back in Amman. But you can never take anything for granted.” The coach sees the upcoming Asian Cup as a good opportunity to further prepare his young team. “This is Jordan's first appearance in an Asian Cup and the matches against top teams will be a good chance for the players to improve,” he said of his side whose average age is merely 23.

Wisdom makes the difference
With the Iran encounter taking up most of his attention, Gohary showed a clever tactical mind in the recent WAFF Championships in Teheran where Jordan finished third. Despite a disappointing 1-1 draw with Palestine, they reached the semi-finals by beating reigning champions Iraq. But, an unexpected semi-final defeat to Syria on penalties saw them miss out on meeting Iran in the final.

Talking with FIFAworldcup.com, Gohary was happy with the third-place finish. “My team played very well in the tournament, and I am very pleased with their performances.”

Youth points to bright future
Gohary believes that youth is the cornerstone of a team’s future. For the coach who reached his personal peak by guiding Egypt to the 1998 Africa Nations Cup title, his dream for Jordan goes even beyond Germany 2006.

And this explains why he fielded as many youngsters as possible in the WAFF Championship. “We have four very young players with the current squad, forwards Mustafa Aburomeh, Abdelhadi Almanhemeh, mid-fielder Hasan Abdel Fattah and defender Ala Matalka.” According to him, these players will also be called into action in the Asian Cup, and a friendly in late August.

“We will play an African team by then as the final preparation for the decider against Iran, both powerhouses Morocco and Tunisia are a possibility.”

An expectant Jordan will have to wait and see if his principles can pull off another sensational result.