Jordan participation in the 2004 AFC Asian Cup in China

Jordan is gearing up for its fifth AFC Asian Cup, and its fourth in a row, hosted by Qatar from January 12 to February 10.
In light of this significant participation in Asian football, we review Jordan's past experiences at the competition.
2004 Edition and Qualification Journey
Under the guidance of the late Mahmoud Al-Johary, Jordan qualified for their first-ever AFC Asian Cup in the 13th edition held in China from July 17 to August 7, 2004.
The qualification process saw Jordan finish second in their group, which included Iran, Lebanon and North Korea.
Despite earning 15 points in the qualifiers, Jordan had to settle for second place due to the head-to-head tiebreaker with Iran.
The journey began with a 4-1 loss to Iran in Tehran, followed by a 3-2 victory in Amman.
Jordan secured two more victories against Lebanon (1-0, 2-0) and a 3-0 win against North Korea in Amman. Notably, in the return leg against North Korea, the AFC awarded Jordan three points as the Korean side refused entry visas for Jordan’s players.
First Participation in the Finals
Drawn into Group B for the 2004 AFC Asian Cup finals, Jordan faced South Korea, Kuwait, and the UAE.
In their opening match, Jordan held South Korea to a goalless draw, then beat Kuwait with goals from Khalid Saad and Anas Al-Zboun for a 2-0 victory. In the third group-stage match, Jordan played to a goalless draw against the UAE, ensuring their qualification to the quarter-finals with five points and a clean sheet.
The historic moment came in the knockout stage when Jordan faced defending champions Japan.
Historic Match against Japan
In the quarter-final held at Chongqing Olympic Sports Centre, Jordan faced Japan, the reigning Asian champions, who had reached the semi-finals in the 2002 World Cup.
In a remarkable performance, Mahmoud Shelbaieh scored a header in the 11th minute to give Jordan the lead.
However, Japan quickly equalised through Takayuki Suzuki in the 14th minute. Despite an outstanding performance and near chances to take the lead again, the match ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time, leading to a penalty shootout.
Jordan's impressive run continued as they held Japan to a 2-2 draw in the shootout, with goalkeeper Amer Shafi saving two penalties. Jordan was on the verge of a historic upset, needing just one more successful penalty to reach the semi-finals.
However, Japan changed their goalkeeper before the fourth penalty, and Jordan missed four consecutive penalties, allowing Japan to advance to the semi-finals with a 4-3 shootout victory.
Conclusion
Although Jordan narrowly missed a historic semi-final berth, their journey in the 2004 AFC Asian Cup left a lasting impact, showcasing the potential of Jordanian football on the continental stage. The 2004 edition marked the beginning of Jordan’s impact on Asian football, setting the stage for future participation and achievements.