Amman, June 22 (Petra) -- Jordan head coach Jamal Sallami has described the national team's FIFA World Cup 2026 encounter against Algeria as a defining match in the Nashama's campaign, expressing confidence that his players are ready to produce a positive result to boost their qualification hopes.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference in San Francisco late Sunday, Sallami said Jordan had overcome the pressure and inexperience that affected the team's performance in its World Cup debut against Austria.
He acknowledged that the opening match was influenced by the players' lack of World Cup experience and the pressure of making their first appearance on football's biggest stage, adding that the squad had drawn valuable lessons from the defeat.
Sallami said Algeria would provide another stern challenge, describing the North African side as a team with considerable quality while noting that Jordan had identified areas it could exploit.
He expressed hope that the Nashama would display greater attacking efficiency and improved defensive organization in Tuesday's Group J encounter.
The Jordan coach attributed the loss to Austria to early nerves and a lack of attacking effectiveness, stressing that the technical staff had focused on addressing both issues during preparations for the second group-stage match.
"We learned a great deal from the Austria match. Algeria are a strong team, and we hope to demonstrate our strengths against them," Sallami said, adding that victory would significantly strengthen the winning team's prospects of advancing to the knockout stage.
Jordan defender Yazan Al-Arab said the players are fully prepared for the challenge ahead and remain highly focused ahead of the crucial fixture.
He added that the result against Austria did not accurately reflect Jordan's overall performance, expressing confidence that the team still has much more to offer during its historic World Cup campaign.
The press conference came as part of Jordan's final preparations for its second Group J match at the FIFA World Cup 2026. The Nashama will face Algeria on Tuesday, June 23, at San Francisco Bay Arena in the United States.
Jordan opened its maiden World Cup campaign with a 3-1 defeat to Austria, while Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0. Jordan currently sits third in Group J, which also includes Argentina, Algeria and Austria.
//Petra// RZ
