After Alec Samir’s Injury.. Who Will Guard the Chivalrous Ones’ Goal Against Venezuela?
Saleha Al-Nasser
As the date of the friendly match between the Jordanian national team and its Venezuelan counterpart approaches, scheduled for Tuesday evening, October 6, at King Abdullah II Stadium, questions among the Jordanian public are turning toward the identity of the goalkeeper most likely to protect the Chivalrous Ones’ goal in the match, following the injury of goalkeeper Alec Samir and his departure from the national team camp.
In this regard, Jordanian football coach Thabet Obeidat confirmed that, based on his following of the Jordanian league competitions this season, he believes goalkeeper Abdullah Al-Fakhouri is the closest and most ready to guard the Chivalrous Ones’ goal in the upcoming match.
Obeidat said in a statement to “Al-Taj News” that the time has come to give Al-Fakhouri confidence and an opportunity in such friendly matches, with the aim of gaining more experience and exposure with the national team.
On the other hand, Obeidat affirmed his confidence in goalkeeper Yazid Abu Laila, noting that he has contributed a great deal with the national team in the Asian Cup and the Arab Cup, and that everyone trusts his abilities and what he has done and continues to do for the Chivalrous Ones.
At the conclusion of his remarks to “Al-Taj,” he said: “We all have confidence in all the goalkeepers we have. The technical staff and the goalkeeping coach are best placed to choose the goalkeeper who is most ready for the match.”
Abdullah Al-Fakhouri had emerged as one of the names being considered for an opportunity against Venezuela, particularly after starting for Al-Faisaly at the beginning of the season, while the recent friendly against Syria saw Alec Samir make his first start for the national team before suffering his injury.
Thus, the Chivalrous Ones’ goalkeeping position appears to be one of the main points of interest ahead of the Venezuela match, amid the technical staff’s desire, led by Badou Zaki, to test as many options as possible during the friendly matches, as part of preparations for upcoming commitments and the 2027 AFC Asian Cup finals.
It is worth noting that the Jordan Football Association had previously announced Alec Samir’s departure from the Chivalrous Ones’ camp after he sustained a knee injury, reopening the competition among the national team’s goalkeepers, led by Yazid Abu Laila, Abdullah Al-Fakhouri, and Ahmad Juaidi.
